Who we are:

In September 2017 a group of concerned citizens of Clermont, Florida came together after we became aware that the city Council and Staff had changed the proposed location of the new Boating Facility from its current location on the Master plan (the “Bell Ceramics” site) to the Lake Hiawatha Preserve.  As we repeatedly addressed the Council over the next few meetings, we became united in our efforts and shared information, contacts and resources.

At the December 12th Council meeting, despite vigorous objections and expert testimony against it, they voted to continue with this course of action. We realized then we would have to oppose this with community organizing and with legal challenges.

We then formed the Clermont Chain Of Lakes Foundation, a 501(c)4 Corporation under the State of Florida with a board of directors committed to seeing our goals met.

CCoLF filed two lawsuits against the City of Clermont in January, 2018. These were in addition to a lawsuit already filed by Lake Hiawatha Park neighbors. As word of our efforts spread through social and conventional media, more and more Lake County citizens got involved with our efforts.

In a pivotal meeting on April 10, 2018, the City Council honored the wishes of our movement and voted to site Clermont’s new boating center at the former “Bell Ceramics” site at the bottom of East Avenue – the site that had been originally listed in the City’s 2015 Master Plan.

Our Mission

A bigger, better Clermont Boating Center is still a vision, not a reality, and CCoLF will remain an active part of the discussion until the ramp is reality. We are committed to representing the views of Clermont boaters, “floaters”, rowers, fishers, wake-boarders, jet-skiiers, swimmers and everyone else who enjoys the lakes. We are also keenly aware that people who walk, cycle or bird-watch along the South Lake Trail are users in their own right, as are homeowners with lakefront or canal-front property. Our goal is to represent every citizen that wants to enjoy the lakes in his or her own way.

To make Lake Life fun and enjoyable, lakes need to be clean and healthy. Water quality and wetlands preservation need special attention, because that is what makes water sports on our lakes possible. We need only look east to Lake Apopka to realize how easily our beautiful lakes are lost to recreational usage.

To enjoy the lakes together, people need to operate in a safe manner. CCoLF will work on increasing access to boater education, improving and updating signage, and encouraging policy changes that make the lakes safe for everyone to enjoy.

The difficulties over the boat ramp have exposed issues about accountability, thrift and transparency in government that concern us. We will be active in making sure that taxpayer dollars are well spent and decisions made with the maximum, not minimum, amount of public visibility and input. We will work to codify in City and County law clarifications about acceptable uses of our shorelines.

There are many things to be done. Please consider making a donation to help fund the challenges. The board members are all donating their time 100%, and all of the money pledged and donated will go toward expenses only. You may use the PayPal button below or send us a check at our mailing address.

Please follow us in our endeavors, and we will constantly update this site with information and milestones reached.

What can I do?

Help support our efforts and see the results!

Donations may be sent to [email protected]

All  funds donated will go towards legal and necesssary expenses. No money will be wasted on salaries, lavish board luncheons, etc. WE ARE ALL WORKING FOR YOU!