Several heavy hitters were lined up to speak at a community meeting Tuesday night on the fate of the orthopedic clinic planned for Rolling Acres Road. About two dozen people showed up for the meeting at Lady Lake Town Hall.
Those heavy hitters included representatives from the Lady Lake Chamber of Commerce and Lake County Economic Development and Tourism. Both made impassioned pleas for the proposed 26,500-square-foot facility on about 10 acres of land between Ro-Moc and Citizens First Bank’s operations center. They cited the economic benefit the clinic would bring to the area. The even hinted that the economic benefits of the new clinic could accelerate funding for improvements on Rolling Acres Road, which has been declared a failing road.
Stephen Roth, who is spearheading the project, would like to start the project as soon as possible.
His target date for opening the clinic is February 2017.
He said the developer behind the project is willing to make a $200,000 investment in Rolling Acres Road to provide for a deceleration lane coming from the north and a long turn lane coming from the south. He said it would lessen traffic backups on the busy thoroughfare. He would like to make the road improvements this summer, while school is out and sunbirds are up north.
Village of Del Mar residents Doris Turlo, who frequently works on behalf of the Orange Blossom Lions Club at the Lady Lake Driving Range, said it’s already very difficult to get out onto Rolling Acres Road.
“You can’t get out,” Turlo said.
She said Roth, who worked alongside legendary Lake County advertising agent Lanny Husebo at Tuesday’s meeting, had made a good sale. However, she said, time would tell.
“Everything always sounds good on paper. In a year, we’ll see what we’ve really got,” she said.
Ultimately, the decision on whether the clinic will be built will be up to the Lady Lake Commission which meets at 6 p.m. Monday at Lake Lake Town Hall.
