This is a list of email addresses of county commissioners, managers, and zoning board members. You can copy and paste the following email addresses into the recipient field of your email.
douglas.shields@lakecountyfl.gov, sean.parks@lakecountyfl.gov, kirby.smith@lakecountyfl.gov, leslie.campione@lakecountyfl.gov, josh.blake@lakecountyfl.gov, contact@lakecountyfl.gov, cr_countymanager@lakecountyfl.gov, MMarsh@lakecountyfl.gov, pzinfo@lakecountyfl.gov, mike.fitzgerald@lakecountyfl.gov, eva.lora@lakecountyfl.gov

You can also print the letter below and mail it to the following address. Feel free to also send it to the same address with “Attn: [your commissioners name here]”
Lake County Department of Growth Management
Division of Planning and Community Design
P.O. Box 7800
Tavares, FL 32778

Please also call your commissioners at 352-343-9495 and/or attend the meetings to express your concerns.
Zoning Board Meeting: Sept 4 @ 9am
County Commission Meeting: Oct 1 @ 9am
Location: 315 W Main Street Tavares

Copy and paste the following letter into the body of your email!

Attn: Commissioners, Managers and Board Members

I'm sending this letter to strongly oppose the plans to rezone 1,424 acres from the Emeralda Marsh Rural Protection Area, now referred to as ‘Old Hammock Cove’.

The Emeralda Marsh, including its waters, wetlands, floodplain, and pasture, is a natural resource of unique value to Lake County. Old Hammock Cove is still part of this marshland even if it is not within the official conservation area. This area, in its entirety, supports a unique mosaic of wildlife habitat, functions as an important bird rookery, and provides regional ecosystem connectivity to the Ocklawaha River system and Ocala National Forest. The Ocklawaha River floodplain forest is among the most structurally complex and species-rich of Florida swamps. Within the Emeralda Marsh Rural Protection Area, private lands are largely characterized by agrarian and equestrian-oriented activities that represent a valuable part of the history, culture, and lifestyle of rural Lake County.

This is absolutely no place for the development of 800+ gated-community homes, restaurants, golf courses, yacht clubs or marinas. These developments contradict the history, culture, and lifestyle of this land and rural Lake County.

Old Hammock Cove is situated at the mouth of the Ocklawaha River. The golf course and marina would be a source of pollutants through run-off. Fertilizers would cause algae blooms downstream. Pesticides, chemicals from boat cleanings, fueling operations and other discharge would kill fish and affect our water quality.

Many nearby rural homes in Ocklawaha and Weirsdale depend on groundwater that is recharged and filtered by this marsh and wetlands as their primary source of water. Wetlands are typically protected because of this important work. Bulldozing a large portion of it, especially right at the mouth of a river, is not healthy for our home. This area has been a focus for hydrologic and ecological restoration for years and already underwent large restoration efforts in 2016. It makes no sense, and it is wasteful of those efforts to  tamper with it again.

In 2011, all current sitting county commissioners and members of the Planning & Zoning Board agreed to a plan whose contents mirror the contents of this letter. I hope they have not reached a point in their political careers where they are losing integrity. Lake County citizens would greatly appreciate prompt attention to this matter and consistency in our leader’s values.

If developers want to build, please, let them build away from these sensitive, fragile, and ecologically important areas. Consider bulldozing and repurposing the many deteriorating and abandoned homes and buildings in Lake County instead. Wetlands do such important work for our community and our waterways need to be left alone.

Sincerely,

[Your information here]