Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 1182
As the City of Lake Wales faces an onslaught of development proposals totaling more than 14,000 residential units, a responsive city government is making the needed adjustments to meet the challenge. Veteran planner Brian Herrmann has recently been hired to head the city's Growth Management division, a department formerly known as "Development Services." The department name change is reflection of the determination of city leadership to cope and direct the unstoppable pressure...
On a split vote, Polk County Commissioners refused to overturn the narrow approval of a sprawling development on a rural two-lane road in eastern Polk County about ten miles northeast of Lake Wales. The Creek Ranch development required the approval of a binding site plan for the 1,289 acres of rural land to accommodate 1,876 homes plus commercial uses off Hatchineha Road. The site is mostly surrounded by conservation lands and lies north of Lake Pierce and east of Dundee. The...
Several dozen Rotarians, area business people, and many of their customers attended a "Ridge Taking Care of Business" networking opportunity Thursday evening at Native Imagery in Lake Wales. Guests were treated to live music by singer and guitarist Mickenzie Peisher, along with a variety of beverages and a very tasty buffet provided by Wales Point Restaurant. The event was organized by members of Rotary on the Ridge, a 44-member group that meets for after-hours connections on...
Lake Wales will become a healthier city if traditional neighborhood design standards are applied to future development proposals here, according to studies shared by Dr. Joanna Lombard of the University of Miami. Lombard, who has dual appointments to the university's medical school and the school of architecture, was the lead panelist on a webinar hosted this week by 1000 Friends of Florida to discuss the health and wellness impacts of where we live. The significant increases...
The first ad valorum tax rate increase in nearly a decade was approved by the Lake Wales city commission on first reading Wednesday. The new property tax hike of 16.34 percent will contribute to the city's $99.5 million budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, which begins October 1. For many years in a row, Lake Wales commissions have simply adopted the "roll-back" rate, which was the rate which would generate the same revenue year after year, while the rate fell. That steady...
A proposal to construct 64 single-family homes on 19.1 acres of land on the north side of Lake Wales was denied in a 2-2 vote in the Lake Wales City Commission. The development proposal for the tract fronting North Scenic Highway had been recommended for denial by the city's Planning and Zoning board, as well as by planning staff at the newly-renamed Growth Management Division. The site lies just south of the vast Tampa Electric solar energy project. The plan for the...
The City of Lake Wales plans to spend nearly $80,000 on renovations of the former Family YMCA on Burns Avenue as it steps into control of operations there. The facility is being rebranded as the Lake Wales Family Recreation Center. After purchasing the facility in February 2020 for $900,000, the city had entered into an agreement with the West Central Florida YMCA to operate the center. The 25,790-square-foot recreation facility and swimming pool on 9.45 acres of property was...
An opportunity to produce fresh fruits and vegetables in the heart of a "food desert" has motivated a team of volunteers to plan the city's second community garden on a plot of land next to the James P. Austin Center. Funded primarily through a grant arranged by Congressman Darren Soto, the garden will be managed by a non-profit corporation, Lake Wales Grove Garden LLC, guided by a local board of directors. The need for the garden was established through a walking survey of...
Like a mushroom after a summer rain, a beautiful new gymnasium has popped up this week on the campus of McLaughlin Middle/High School of Excellence. The building is being constructed using a "tilt-wall" method in which completed solid concrete walls are rapidly erected, rather than a traditional hollow concrete "breeze-block" method, allowing the walls to be erected over a two-day period. Much work remains before the structure will be completed, which is anticipated to happen...
An agreement approving a new three-year contract between the City of Lake Wales and city police patrol officers and sergeants was ratified by local members of the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association in a unanimous vote Wednesday night, after being previously approved on the city commission's consent agenda. The new contract will run through 2026. Police officers and sergeants will receive a six percent cost-of-living allowance (COLA) on October 1. Two further...
All 130 school bus stops throughout Lake Wales are well-lit following the efforts of city staff. The improvements came after a thorough assessment was completed by City of Lake Wales staff who identified bus stop locations from reports provided by the Polk County School District and the Lake Wales Charter Schools system. "Staff in the streets department and police department evaluated school bus stops within the city limits and pinpointed locations that accommodated both...
Nighttime lane closures will require extra caution for drivers on US 27 at the signalized intersection of Washington Avenue in Lake Wales. Turn lanes will be closed to allow Polk County crews to resurface the busy cross street, which handles truck traffic for Florida's Natural Growers as well as other area industry. Drivers can expect turn lane closures from US 27 onto Washington Avenue between 8:30 pm and 5:00 am. Lane closures are expected to be nightly for approximately...
The changing face of downtown Lake Wales is moving forward as contractors begin the second phase of a multi-part project to reconstruct Park Avenue between Wetmore Street and Scenic Highway. A closure of a block of First Street will begin Monday morning, August 28, and is expected to last until November. At that time the street will reopen along with the completed western block of Park Avenue between First and Wetmore, which will then be open to two-way traffic for the first...
Plans are underway for its 2nd Annual Fall Festival, a free event that features food trucks, beer, music, professional carnival games, inflatables including two bounce houses, general vendors, community booths, farm animals from several area schools, selfie photo spots, and more. The annual event is sponsored by the GFWC Lake Wales Junior Woman's Club, and will run from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm on Saturday, October 14. at Lake Wailes Park. Event proceeds will fund programs that...
Citizens accustomed to using the Lake Wales YMCA facility can breathe a bit easier after Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton announced plans for the city to assume operations of the facility at 1001 Burns Avenue, which will become the city's "Family Recreation Center." "We're running out of time if we're going to keep the doors open," Slaton sold commissioners. "Our goal is to create a fresh, modern space for families to engage in health and wellness activities," Slaton...
A huge development proposal in unincorporated Polk County not far from Lake Wales is drawing fervent opposition from neighbors and residents, who are showing up in Bartow to argue their case against the project. The Creek Ranch development requires the approval of a binding site plan for the 1,289 acres of rural land to accommodate 1,876 homes and commercial uses off Hatchineha Road. The site is mostly surrounded by conservation lands and lies north of Lake Pierce and east of...
A million-dollar reconstruction of block-long stretches of Orange and Crystal Avenues is anticipated thanks to a federal grant and an intergovernmental agreement. The dramatic change will see new streetlights, street furniture, curbing, and the installation of numerous trees and other plants installed in rain gardens that will help absorb stormwater, . The work will include the resurfacing of the two streets east of First Street through and including their intersections with...
The rapid intensification of Tropical Storm Idalia into a major hurricane just off the west coast of Florida has Lake Wales area residents on edge. Three times in the last 19 years similar forecast tracks led to storms that turned east ahead of forecast, causing direct strikes on the city. Now forecast to become a hurricane today (Monday) before entering the Gulf of Mexico, Idalia is expected to reach Major storm status with a high likelihood of rapid intensification due to...
The partners who founded a planning firm that has become closely identified with Lake Wales have been announced as the 2024 recipients of the prestigious Seaside Prize, presented annual by the SEASIDE Institute. The award will recognize Victor Dover and Joe Kohl, who in 1987 founded the Miami-based town planning firm, Dover, Kohl & Partners. The prize, which is awarded annually, celebrates individuals or organizations whose life's work or accomplishments are emblematic of the...
As the 19th anniversary of the devasting impact of Hurricane Charley approaches on August 13, many Ridge area residents turn a wary eye on the tropics. Despite "super-heated" waters in most of the Atlantic basin the 2023 hurricane season has, so far, remained a no-show. A global weather shift may be the cause. A phenomenon called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, or PDO, features alternating waves of colder or warmer waters in the eastern Pacific. It has huge influence on...
Six new patrol officers were sworn in to serve the citizens of Lake Wales during a moving ceremony at the Lake Wales City Administration Building Monday evening. More than 40 residents gathered to hear Chief Chris Velasquez and other members of the department share the stories of the paths that led the men to the local department, and commend their commitment to service. In welcoming the group to the ranks of the local department, Velasquez reminded them and their assembled...
Lake Wales Main Street was among winners of 2023 Florida Main Street Awards, which were announced during the Preservation on Main Street Conference in Ocala last week. Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State, which currently oversees 57 communities throughout the state. By implementing the National Main Street Center's Four-Point Approach, Florida Main Street encourages economic development...
A new 64-unit infill subdivision received approval from the Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday night after being heralded as "magnificent" by Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson for its compliance with the commission's set of eight "aspirations" for future development. The project is planned to include a mix of townhomes and single-family residences on a site that has long stymied would-be developers. Largely land-locked, the nine-acre parcel lies between Quails Bluff apartments, and...
A new business incubator funded in large part by the City of Lake Wales was celebrated at a recent ribbon cutting featuring a host of government and business representatives. The 3,570 square-foot incubator was developed from a former dental office by Florida Development Corporation, which will be moving its headquarters to the new facility from Tampa, according to city sources. Some 75 guests joined officers of the corporation for the celebration. The $1.2 million...
You can expect to meet crowds of bargain-hunters on one area roadway as the 16th annual Ridge Scenic Highway "39 Mile Yard Sale" takes place on on Saturday, November 4th. The event typically draws thousands of visitors from across central Florida and beyond, coming to seek unusual finds and great bargains brought forth from barns, garages, attics, and other treasure storerooms. The sale runs from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm along the entire length of the Ridge Scenic Highway,...
