Urban Planners Seek Citizen Input

Urban planners from the Miami firm Dover Kohl will be in Lake Wales the first week of April to get citizen input on a neighborhood plan for the core of Lake Wales.

Dover Kohl is leading the development of a Town Design Strategy for the City of Lake Wales, being called Lake Wales Connected. Phase one of construction should begin soon after completion of the plan, which is expected to determine community needs not for the short-term, but for 20 years out, according to Lake Wales Main Street Director Karen Thompson.

Lake Wales citizens and other stakeholders are expected to play a large role in the revitalization process.

A "hands-on" work session with the entire Dover Kohl consulting team is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Monday, April 1 at the James P. Austin Center, 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Lake Wales. The work session is expected to be an interactive event with many opportunities for input from the public. Dover Kohl is looking for citizen input about what should be in their design strategy.

Throughout the week, Dover Kohl consultants will be working from an office at 215 Park Ave. in historic downtown Lake Wales for what they call "designing in the sunshine." Interested persons are invited to drop in anytime, introduce themselves and check on progress.

A Work in Progress session is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 5 at the Woman's Club of Lake Wales, 275 E. Park Ave. The purpose is to give interested persons the opportunity to preview the design plan and give input before the final touches.

Thompson said she wants people to "be a part of the process and help shape the future of Lake Wales." She can be reached at 863-259-1503 or email [email protected].

Information and sign-up for the April 1 event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/267342464211933/