Eustis ends bid to annex Sorrento enclaves

EUSTIS — Lake County residents who live as far as 11 miles from downtown were elated when Eustis dropped plans to annex their properties, a move that would have added substantially to the city’s tax roll.

For two hours, City Manager Ron Neibert made the case Wednesday night for making three east Lake subdivisions part of Eustis during a meeting involving two dozen county, Eustis and Mount Dora officials before more than 100 residents against the annexation.

“He tried everything, but he was getting the same answer,” said Betty Ann Sudbury, a resident of RedTail, a gated luxury golf community in the proposed annexation area in unincorporated Sorrento. “We’re not stupid — we know it’s a land grab.”

Eustis city commissioners, unable to overcome opposition from residents who saw little value in becoming part of the city of 20,000, voted to withdraw their plans after county commissioners said they didn’t like the idea.

That means Eustis won’t be able to collect taxes from residents of the three subdivisions, including former Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles, who owns a $1 million home in RedTail. The annexation would create a stronghold for Eustis in an area that’s poised to explode with growth thanks to the nearby Wekiva Parkway, the long-awaited link to create a loop around Metro Orlando. It would also cut off Mount Dora from further expanding into the area.

“It blocks growth to our east and even to our north,” Mount Dora Mayor Nick Girone said. “It totally blocks Mount Dora into what we are now.”

While some derided the proposal as a takeover, Neibert described the annexation as vital to keeping Eustis from being choked off from growth.

“Where is the city of Eustis’ ability to grow and develop if Lake County commissioners are going to deny us?” he asked.

That was of little concern to those who have been fighting the proposal for several months.

At the meeting, residents held iPhones to record the proceedings and hoisted posters in unison that read, “Annexation to Eustis: NO.”

It’s the same answer Eustis heard all along, and not only from residents. County commissioners and Mount Dora City Council members also balked at the idea of creating a Eustis “island” that would include areas south of State Road 44 and west of County Road 46A.

Determined to make it happen, Eustis went on the offensive, dropping $25,000 to fund TV commercials touting the benefits of annexation such as public safety services and a 25 percent reduction in water and sewer costs and proclaiming “Eustis is all of us!”

But foes didn’t budge and even Eustis commissioners eventually became weary of the battle.

“I don’t feel like sitting up here for one or two hours hearing negative remarks about Eustis, about annexation,” City Commissioner Linda Bob said. “People aren’t going to change their hearts. They aren’t going to change their minds. So basically, we have nothing to talk about.”

After Eustis dropped its desire to annex through an interlocal service boundary agreement, Neibert expressed hopes that the city could work alongside Mount Dora to allow Eustis to grow.

“We’re concerned with leap frogging,” Mount Dora City Manager Robin Hayes said.

But she expressed a willingness to talk.

“There could be further expansion on discussing joint-planning agreements,” she said.