Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The ambitious, $20 million transformation of the urban center of Lake Wales into a shady and inviting oasis for pedestrian shopping and outdoor dining was launched Thursday evening with a groundbreaking that was both entertaining and inspiring, featuring celebratory remarks and even a "flash mob" dance team that surprised the crowd of more than 100. Hosted by Lake Wales Mainstreet on Park Avenue, the event featured the signing of the actual bond documents that will fund the...
Several innovative designs presented for possible development of a site south of Southgate Shopping Center led the Lake Wales City Commission to approve the rezoning of a 6.5 acre parcel to allow higher density development. The change from LDR, or low density to MDR, or medium density, will allow up to 42 residential units in a variety of housing types in the various scenarios. The change would allow up to 12 units p[er acre rather than the five units common in subdivisions....
Final approval of a manufacturing plant proposed for a 96-acre "light industrial" site adjacent to Hunt Bros. Road and South 11th Street has been delayed for at least another month by what Lake Wales City Attorney Chuck Galloway described as a "scrivener's error" in an updated ordinance adopted by the city commission in October. The proposed Advanced Drainage Systems plant would manufacture plastic drainage pipes and requires a "special exception" to allow for the storage of...
Advanced Drainage Systems has proposed the plant, which would be located on property adjacent to the former Hunt Brothers citrus packing plant. It would occupy a nearly 100-acre site just to the east of South 11th Street and north of Hunt Brothers Road. According to published reports, Advanced Drainage Systems is the largest maker of high-density polyethylene pipe in the United States, and is headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio. The most recent available data indicates that in 201...
As Lake Wales grows it is attracting new businesses that cater to both builders and the public. City Electric Supply, or CES, opened recently in Longleaf Business Park, and held their grand opening and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, drawing a crowd of residents and contractors. Mike Bertone, CES regional manager for central and southeast Florida, said that the new showroom and warehouse offer a full range of electrical supplies, including everything from panels and conduit to...
Balancing improved public access to the natural beauty of Crystal Lake Park with parking needs and traffic circulation and the effect upon views and wildlife drew a small crowd to a special meeting Wednesday evening. The meeting at the Lake Wales Tourist Club in the subject park sought to gain public input. Consultants presented conceptual drawings representing potential alignments and configurations of the proposed trail which will "close the loop" around the small namesake...
Lake Wales neediest families will be a good bit less so thanks to the generosity of the 300 guests who packed the Family Life Center of the First Presbyterian Church Tuesday evening for the annual Empty Bowls auction. Care Center Executive Director Rob Quam told LakeWalesNews.net that the annual "Friendraiser" benefits the multiple food and family-service programs run by the non-profit center. Four live-auction bowls offered to the public were sold for about $10,000. "It's...
The long, seemingly endless tale of the Walesbilt Hotel continues to make its way toward an eventual settlement, although it's a process Walesbilt Hotel LLC seems determined to extend. Lake Wales Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson briefed City Commissioners on the state of the lawsuit following a court-required mediation session that took place Tuesday. That process is confidential, so Gibson was barred from sharing what was discussed or proposed, and will be until any additional...
Lake Wales area customers of both Duke Energy and TECO can expect to pay significantly more for their electricity use if proposed rate hikes are approved. Both companies are among a group of Florida utilities seeking rate increases and extra funds for storm recovery expenses from the Florida Public Service Commission. Both companies have reported increased profits. Duke has two separate rate requests pending, including one to recover the company's 2022 fuel costs, as well as...
An invitation to view and assess potential community investment opportunities in Lake Wales drew representatives from financial institutions looking for opportunities to invest in the community. Several banks and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency responded to the invitation to participate in a tour of the city, which was led by staff of the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency and the Main Street organization Thursday. Several reportedly left impressed with...
A Lake Wales zoning ordinance will create "a new district in form...architectural standards...and parking requirements," and give it economic incentive by "permitting and allowing," according to Amy Grove, a planner with Dover Kohl. The "downtown mixed-use" district is at the center of efforts to revitalize the area. Groves' remarks were made at a final public forum on the mapping of a new zone, which drew fewer than two dozen residents to hear a presentation by planners from...
A growing business community in downtown Lake Wales got a bit stronger this week. The official ribbon-cutting for Maggie Mae's Ice Cream Shop attracted a crowd of fans and well-wishers to the late-morning event at 125 East Park Avenue. The shop features 10 flavors of ice cream made to order, mixed and then instantly frozen using liquid nitrogen. The shop is owned by Steve Manwell and his wife,Ali, who also own Melanie's Seafood Restaurant just across the street from the new...
Enjoying the beauty of art and accomplishing an important social work at the same time is more than enough to draw a crowd to the annual Empty Bowls Action, and the 2023 edition is likely to prove that the success of the effort continues. The event is free and attendees can taste local soups and bid on bowls hand-painted by local artists and community "celebrities." Empty Bowls is a nationwide program begun in 1990 by an art teacher wanting to teach his students about...
In a step that could have enormous financial significance for decades to come, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency board has received a Finding of Necessity (FON) report from a consulting firm they hired two months ago. The CRA is the source of millions of dollars that are currently funding major improvements to city streets, sidewalks, trail systems, lighting, and landscaping. Expansion of the area, if successful, would potentially balloon future revenue that could...
Mark Bennett, the senior planner for the City of Lake Wales and department head of Development Services has announced his intention to leave his post effective in two weeks. City Manager James Slaton said he was surprised at the decision Bennett revealed late Thursday afternoon. Bennett has led the department since August of 2020, shortly after Slaton assumed his own role. In a statement sent in response to questions from LakeWalesNews.net, Slaton called Bennett "a dedicated p...
A special public workshop at Crystal Lake Park will give residents an opportunity to discuss ideas and options for a new connecting bike-and-pedestrian trail segment. Engineers and planners will be on hand to share design ideas and preliminary drawings. The proposed trail, linking Lake Wales Library and the Bok Academy North neighborhood with Park Avenue and the Lake Wailes Trail, will parallel Sessoms Avenue on the north side of Crystal Lake, and is expected to offer views...
A group of about a dozen citizens attended a Wednesday morning meeting at the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce to raise questions and seek answers about a manufacturing facility proposed for an industrial site on Hunt Brothers Road. Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) has proposed the plant, which will be located adjacent to the former Hunt Brothers citrus packing plant. The manufacturer is expected to hire scores of employees, including 56 for its primary shift. The plant...
New requirements will be faced by those wishing to speak during the public access portion of Lake Wales City Commission meetings following action taken Tuesday. On a 3-2 vote the commission approved a resolution providing for a registration form to be completed by each speaker prior to the meeting containing their personal information and the purpose and topic of their statement. Commission chambers were filled during the meeting with several forced to watch a television feed...
A gathering of community and Chamber of Commerce leadership were present at noon Thursday to mark a new name and new ownership of the former Savannah Court assisted living facility at 12 East Grove Avenue, just off First Street in Lake Wales. Now under the management and ownership of Innovation Senior Living, the facility will host an increased bed count of 60, up from the 45 residents it formerly served, according to staff. Innovation CEO and founder Pilar Carvajal told...
A new ordinance governing water use and plumbing fixtures will soon be in place in Lake Wales in hopes of reducing future demand on municipal water supplies. Representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) were in attendance at a recent meeting of the Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board to provide information on the Florida Water Star Certification process and criteria. After approval by the P&Z board the ordinance was advanced to the city...
A raucous end to Tuesday's city commission meeting resulted in Mayor Jack Hilligoss ordering police to clear the room after an angry crowd of more than 30 mostly older citizens objected to a proposed resolution limiting citizen comments at meetings. The group continued their protest outside the meeting chambers, singing and shouting during a five minute recess. The disruption began during commissioner comments regarding a resolution proposed by the mayor that would require cit...
A written appeal for re-instatement has been sent to Governor Ron DeSantis by former Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald, who was found not guilty in October of charges lodged against her only weeks after her election in April 2021. Fitzgerald faced a weapons charge after confronting a young relative who was accused of a sexual assault on her daughter. Her acquittal in an October jury trial came more than a year after her arrest. Florida Statutes 112.51.6 allows the...
An $18.5 million bond issuance received final approval from the Lake Wales City Commission on Tuesday, completing the funding of the award-winning Lake Wales Connected project. The approval in back-to-back meetings of the Community Redevelopment Agency and the City Commission was the final step necessary for the city's bond counsel firm of Ford and Associates. It is expected that the bonds will be offered on the market almost immediately. Ford and Associates has guaranteed...
An extension of Hamlin Street will be constructed by Hunt Club manager and developer David A. Waronker under an agreement that will see up to $1,597,793.45 credited against the "Multi-Modal Transportation Impact Fees" assessed by the city. Under an agreement approved recently by the Lake Wales City Commission, the street will include underground storm drains, curbs, sidewalks, and street lighting. The city's development codes also call for the planting of street trees in...
As the Lake Wales Highlanders take on Daytona Beach Mainland in the Class 3S Football Championship, fans have some options for viewing the game, which will be live-streamed on the internet. Those wishing to attend in person also have the opportunity to reserve a seat on a chartered bus. The 14-0 Highlanders will face the Mainland Buccaneers in a 1:00 pm start on Friday, December 16. The game is being held in the neutral grounds of DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, which seat...
