Latest news with #Timucua
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is Doris Leeper park and how will FDOT's I-95/Pioneer Trail interchange impact it?
PORT ORANGE — The Florida Department of Transportation are scheduled to open bidding from general contractors to build its planned $120 million Interstate 95 at Pioneer Trail interchange today, April 30, a day after appeals court judges ruled in favor of the controversial project. The environmentalists and citizens groups that filed a lawsuit to try to block the project argued that it would caused irreparable harm to the adjacent Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve. The nature park/wildlife habitat is located on the northeast quadrant of the two-lane I-95 at Pioneer Trail overpass that the planned interchange would replace. The late namesake for the park was a sculptor/painter from Charlotte, North Carolina, who moved to New Smyrna Beach in 1958 and proceeded to make a name for herself, both as an artist as well as an outspoken advocate for nature preservation. Doris "Doc" Leeper died in New Smyrna Beach on April 11, 2000, just seven days after her 71st birthday. She was the founder of the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach and instrumental in the creation of both the Canaveral National Seashore as well as the Spruce Creek Preserve, according to the Doris Leeper Papers, a document filed with the University of Central Florida Libraries. She also was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1989. A nonprofit group called Friends of Spruce Creek Preserve successfully lobbied for the Volusia County Council to rename the Spruce Creek Preserve in Leeper's honor shortly after her death. The park was created when Volusia County and The Nature Conservancy acquired 610 acres along "The Bluffs" of Spruce Creek in 1983. Today, the Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve covers 2,513 acres that stretches from the northern limits of New Smyrna Beach north to Rose Bay. The entrance to the park on Martins Dairy Road, off Turnbull Bay Road, is just 500 feet north of Pioneer Trail. The park includes more than three miles of nature trails that lead to a 15-foot-tall observation tower. New Smyrna Beach resident Bryon White is one of the filers of the unsuccessful lawsuit to halt the interchange project, along with Port Orange resident Derek LaMontagne and two citizens groups: Bear Warriors United and the Sweetwater Coalition of Volusia County. White grew up next to Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve and worked for several years as a resident caretaker of the park. "It is a diverse upland and lowland habitat containing spectacular bluffs along Spruce Creek, which is very rare in Florida," he said of the park. "It is critical habitat for wildlife including the gopher tortoise and scrub jay. "It also contains dozens of archeological sites including a burial complex that was used by the Timucua people for thousands of years." White said the FDOT project could adversely affect the park because "Runoff and pollution from the road and traffic will enter the canal and pollute Spruce Creek." Construction of the project is expected to take three years. Opponents of the FDOT project also expressed concerns that creating the interchange, which will add new on- and off-ramps to I-95 at Pioneer Trail, will encourage developers and builders to add even more new homes and apartments in an area that was once rural, but has seen an explosion in new master-planned communities. The Pioneer Trail area, within two miles on either side of I-95, is already home to the Venetian Bay, Waters Edge, Golf Club at Cypress Head, Woodhaven and Coastal Woods communities. ICI Homes continues to add new homes at Woodhaven, while Taylor Morrison Homes recently began construction of new homes at the new Ardisia Park subdivision, located less than a mile from I-95, on the east side of Venetian Bay. Population growth in in the area west of I-95 has created traffic congestion both at the I-95 interchanges at Taylor Road/Dunlawton Boulevard in Port Orange and at State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach. Adding an interchange at Pioneer Trail would alleviate traffic congestion at the two interchanges north and south of it as well as provide residents in the area with another evacuation route during hurricanes and other catastrophic events. The project is already fully funded and FDOT has already been issued a building permit from the St. Johns River Water Management District. White said he and the lawsuit's other filers plan to seek the appeals court's ruling to be overturned in federal court. But for now, at least, it appears that FDOT has a greenlight to proceed with construction. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: How I-95 interchange could impact Port Orange's Doris Leeper Park
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
The St. Johns River: 30 experiences to explore the scenic waterway
Take a trip on the St. Johns River, whether by boat or by wandering its shores on foot, and it's possible to imagine a time when saber-toothed cats and mastodons wandered the Florida peninsula or the Timucua people inhabited its banks. Modern-day explorers can find natural serenity and plenty of places for a full immersion in the wilderness along Florida's longer river, which stretches for 310 miles as it flows north before meeting with the Atlantic Ocean just outside of Jacksonville. Central Florida's portion of the 'River of Lakes' leaves many experiences for adventurers to dive into — from springs to waterfront restaurants and scenic boat tours. There are 148 known springs along the St. Johns River, leaving many places for swimmers and snorkelers to cool off and splash around. In Central Florida, the most popular of these is Blue Spring State Park, a wintertime haven for manatees and a summertime oasis for tourists and locals alike. Though a little further from the river itself, DeLeon Springs also flows into the St. Johns and offers opportunities for swimming, diving, boat tours and eating pancakes at the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House. Gemini Springs and Green Springs both flow into Sanford's Lake Monroe, one of the larger lakes along the St. Johns River. Though neither allows swimming, the parks make for great places to have a picnic or take a stroll. The Wekiva River also flows into the St. Johns, which is fed by Wekiwa Springs and Rock Springs. Both of these offer places to swim (or tube at Kelly Park) and relax during a sunny day outdoors. Ocala National Forest is chock full of springs that flow into the St. Johns River, including Alexander, Juniper, Silver Glen and Salt Springs. Silver Springs also joins the St. Johns by way of the Ocklawaha River. Plenty of parks and trails offer the chance to get up close to the St. Johns without getting wet. Black Bear Wilderness Area, for example, takes hikers on a 7-mile loop with well-maintained boardwalks right along the river's edge. Nearby, the nearly 5-mile Sanford Riverwalk gives cyclists, runners and walkers a chance to enjoy views of Lake Monroe. Other outdoor areas that share a connection with the St. Johns River include Mullet Lake Park, Little Big Econ State Forest, Hontoon Island State Park and Lake Beresford Park. In the future, DeBary's 170-acre Alexander Island will allow the public access to the St. Johns River on land right across from the Black Bear Wilderness Area. From scenic boat tours to kayaking and sailing, there are no shortage of methods for exploring the St. Johns River by water. The St. Johns Rivership Co. has multiple cruises a week that depart from Sanford, including dinner and lunch excursions and 'Rockin' on the River' every Friday. A St. Johns River Nature Cruise departs from Blue Spring State Park daily. Airboat tours are available at a number of locations, including Camp Holly in Melbourne, Airboat Rides at Midway in Christmas, the Black Hammock in Oviedo and Twister Airboat Rides at Lone Cabbage Fish Camp in Cocoa. Boat rentals are available at venues such as Highland Park Fish Camp and Holly Bluff Marina, both in DeLand. Prime places for kayaking and paddleboarding include the Wekiva River and Econlockhatchee River, both of which flow into the St. Johns. For seafood lovers who also enjoy great views, the St. Johns offers many areas for waterfront dining. Venues include the Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill in Geneva, Gators Riverside Grille in Sanford, St. Johns River Steak and Seafood in Sanford, Swamp House Riverfront Grill in DeBary and Drifters Waterfront in Astor. St. Johns Riverkeeper, the primary nonprofit that protects and defends the river, encourages visitors to adopt environmentally friendly practices while visiting and urges people to consider environmental stewardship. 310 miles, 8 days on the St. Johns River: An epic kayaking odyssey from source to sea Boaters should be mindful of loose items to prevent litter and avoid leaking fluids into the water. People who live within the St. Johns River watershed, which includes the Wekiva River and Econlockhatchee River, are encouraged to create a river-friendly yard by using fertilizer responsibly, avoiding pesticides, using organic mulch and selecting native plants. The St. Johns Riverkeeper's website has many more tips for those looking to give back and plenty of more places to explore along Florida's longest river. Visit or to learn more. Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@
