Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The purchase of 4,158 acres of land on the southwest side of Lake Wales by an active land-development company may be a harbinger of yet another major development proposal. The long-discussed 5-R Ranch property could potentially host many thousands of homes along with commercial and industrial uses if purchaser Richland Communities decides the time is ripe to develop the sprawling property south of Lake Wales Airport. Richland purchased the property for a local-record $50...
An assortment of proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution are on the November 5 ballot, leading to numerous questions as voters try to weigh the impact of the proposals. Florida law requires any amendment to receive at least 60 percent of the vote in order to be approved, a requirement added by the legislature aimed at limiting the number of changes to the state's governing documents.m At the same time, legislators continues to propose amendments of their own design,...
Construction of the first homes on the expansive Hunt Club North development is under way. Teams of masons are laying concrete blocks to raise the walls of the first homes along newly-constructed McKinley Drive in the subdivision on the near south side of Lake Wales. Hunt Club North will include a mixture of 600 townhomes and single family homes east of 11th Street and south of East Lake Plaza. The townhomes are planned for the northern part of the site closest to SR 60,...
Terry Ronald Myers, 83, passed away in Tallahassee on Saturday, June 15th. From Terry: "If I made one person laugh, a few people smile, then life down here, it was all worthwhile." He was born March 2, 1941, in Indianapolis, Indiana to the late Charles Robert and Virgie Bea Barker. Terry worked as a salesman (Warner Candy Company, Wonder Bread, Merita Bread, Snyders and Archway Cookies) but he also worked for the Polk County Sheriff's Office as a detention officer. He was very...
A population boom is expected in Lake Wales in coming months and years as design work or construction is advancing for at least 40 projects within the city limits, in addition to others outside the city. A LakeWalesNews.net calculation shows a total of more than 15,660 new residential units have already met some level of approval by the city commission, with many having already received final plat approval for construction, even as other projects are nearing completion. If the...
UPDATE: Per Polk County officials, "utility construction scheduled to close Hamlin Street in Lake Wales this week has been postponed until Tuesday morning January 9. Work should be finished, and roadway reopened to traffic by noon Wednesday, January 10. Closure is needed to open-cut both travel lanes on Hamlin Street just north of Grove Avenue to install a potable water line." Initial construction of streets and utilities to serve the 600-unit Hunt Club development will...
Nancy M. Hunt, 90, passed away peacefully Monday, November 13, 2023 surrounded by beloved family members. Nancy was born December 30, 1932 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the late William and Helen McClelland. In 1945, she moved to Jacksonville with her family. In 1952, after marrying the love of her life, Ellis, whom she met while attending the University of Florida, they moved to Lake Wales. She loved her role as wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and homemaker. Nan...
The vast Peace Crossing development long-planned for a large tract of land between US 27 and Lake Ashton is now moving forward under new ownership following the sale of the property by Winter Haven Corporation. The 1,943-acre Master Development Plan (MDP) Lake Wales Mixed Use Project was approved by the city commission in 2021. The site has long been used as pasture and consists of a mix of uplands and wetland areas spanning the Peace Creek Drainage Canal. With 6100...
Two large residential developments proposed by the same developer recently met with very different responses from the Lake Wales city commission. After unanimously approving a 930-lot single-family subdivision known as the Grove at Orchard Hills, the commission's 3-2 vote rejected a neighboring 300-unit project brought by the same developer. David Waronker of Celebration has been the developer of record for several large subdivision projects in Lake Wales, including the expans...
A 300-unit subdivision that would wrap around the northern and eastern sides of Ridge Manor has been delayed after the withdrawal of an application for a permit from the city. The project, dubbed Steeple Chase, would occupy almost 98 acres on three parcels stretching east from Scenic Highway to beyond 9th Street. Developers had requested a Preliminary Subdivision Plat and a Special Exception Use Permit. After their application was subject to a 35-minute discussion at a...
APRIL 21 - A Florida panther, an endangered and protected species, has been seen in Lake Wales overnight and during the early morning hours of Friday, April 21. The big cat was seen by residents of Lake Wales Country Club. According to reports and photos posted by the public, a second panther has been seen in an area near US 27 between Lake Wales and Frostproof. That cat is apparently a mother of kittens. The males of the species tend to wander long distances in search of mate...
Four city commission candidates facing an April 4 election shared a stage at the Lake Wales Womans Club Auditorium Tuesday evening to compare their positions on a variety of topics raised by audience questions. Few major differences were apparent on subjects ranging from public transportation to electric car chargers. The candidates responded to five questions submitted in advance by the two organizations, followed by others submitted by the audience. Surprisingly, none of the...
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...
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...
The parade of development proposals that have stirred citizen concerns of runaway changes to Lake Wales continued to be evident at the most recent city commission meeting as details emerged for several more projects. A calculation by LakeWalesNews.Net staff has indicated that more than 12,000 new single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and mobile homes are included in developments already on the drawing table. At least three other projects have been proposed but remain to...
Persistence and patience paid off for one dedicated Lake Wales man after a request for a sports field for his children ended up benefiting hundreds of area youngsters who participate in the Lake Wales Soccer Club. Fields, a long-time resident of Lake Wales, recognized that area children wishing to participate in the increasingly popular sport had nowhere they could go. A small program at the YMCA was unable to meet the demand, so he began to speak up. "I went everywhere the...
Several new large-scale residential developments took shape in presentations heard by the Lake Wales City Commission during their Wednesday workshop, at which only three commissioners were present. The poor attendance at two meetings this week prompted complaints from Mayor Eugene Fultz. The rapid growth of Lake Wales in the face of multiple large-scale development projects has concerned many citizens as judged by questions submitted at recent elections forums. The latest...
Nearly two dozen middle school girls from Lake Wales and the surrounding area spent the weekend March 11-13 at camp learning about female empowerment and being encouraged to be "fearless" and to never stop reaching to achieve their goals. Rotary on the Ridge and the Lincoln Community Development Corp. partnered to host the first ever Camp Fearless at Lake Aurora Christian Camp. The girls participated in adventure activities, such as a zipline, giant swing and the gaga ball...
A plan to rezone and redevelop the existing Green Gables Inn site to create as many as 225 apartments on the 8.84 acres was reviewed at the City Commission workshop Wednesday. No objections were raised during discussion, and the proposal is expected to be approved at a formal meeting on Tuesday. The proposal changes the current zoning of Limited Commercial-Industrial to high-density residential, allowing up to 25 units per acre. "They're gonna have to go up," said Deputy Mayor...
Lake Wales is slated to get its first-ever townhome project this year as the Lake Wales City Commission gave its approval to the preliminary plat for Hunt Club Grove North, a 600-unit subdivision to be built on 130 acres on the southeast side of the city. The entire project is expected to be developed in a single phase, according to City of Lake Wales Development Services staff. All the units will be within easy walking distance of three major shopping centers, a factor that...
The ongoing transition of the Lake Wales area from broad tracts of citrus to new housing projects is taking another leap forward as two prominent citrus families have proposed voluntary annexations totaling some 266 acres. The tracts lie immediately north and south of the present city center. Annexation will make the sites eligible for municipal water and sewer services, allowing development at attractive densities. The largest of the new annexation applications covers about...
Frank M. Hunt, II of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, November 27, 2021 at his residence. He was born April 2, 1928 in Lake Wales to the late Deeley A. and Louise E. Hunt; he was a fifth generation Floridian. Frank attended elementary school and secondary school in Lake Wales and attended Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. He graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a BS Degree in Business Administration in 1950. Frank was the President of the...
A land use change on 24.66 acres of the site from LDR Low-Density Residential, to MDR Medium-Density Residential will allow for the construction of hundreds of townhomes as part of the new Hunt Club new development. The City Commission approved the change as part of a busy agenda Tuesday that featured several other significant development-related items, part of a wave of growth that has arrived during a nearly nationwide housing shortage. The project, planned for a 234-acre...
As part of a busy agenda, a new subdivision plan was approved by the City Commission Tuesday on Tangelo Street. The site plan required a special exception to allow 50-foot wide lots instead of the 60-foot required by the designated zoning. Under the City's comprehensive plan the site could have been zoned for Medium density development of up to 12 units per acre, allowing as many as 336 homes or apartments on the site. The site plan presented by Sloan Engineering on behalf of...
Ronald "Ronnie" Edward McKenzie Sr. of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, November 7, 2021. He was born December 20, 1948, in Cocoa, FL to the late Edward and Nita McKenzie. Ronnie was a Maintenance Supervisor at Florida's Natural for 50 plus years and retired after the 50 years but continued to consult. Ronnie was a member of a local CB club, loved to hunt, fix things and help people. Most of all he LOVED children and people. Ronnie was preceded in death by his son Joseph Garrett...
