Expansion of the local trail system will be the topic of two public meetings Tuesday.
First, the County Commission will consider accepting a $200,000 grant to be used toward completing the final leg of the Panther Point Trail, which is depicted in the illustration below as the brown trail along the south end of Lake Hancock.
Construction is expected to begin sometime next year in connection with the construction of a new boat ramp to provide access to the lake. The ramp will be located on Saddle Creek south of the lake and just north of the new Southwest Florida Water Management District control structure.
Jeff Spence, Polk’s director of parks and natural resources, said there are future plans to add a loop that would go to Bartow Eagle Lake Road and connect to Ernest Smith Boulevard.
The item is on the 9 a.m. regular agenda.
In addition, the Florida Department of Transportation will host a workshop from 5 to 7 p.m. to discuss a study that could lead to construction of a new 12-mile recreational trail between Auburndale and Haines City. The meeting will occur at the Lake Alfred Lions Club, 175 N. Nekoma Ave.
The plan for the proposed Old Dixie Trail is to connect the trailhead for the TECO-Auburndale Trail with the Haines City Trail.
The meeting will be conducted in an open house format with consultants and FDOT officials available to answer questions about the project. Maps and other graphics will be available for the public to view.