$565,000 Lake Alta Purchase Idea Begs for a Pause to Reconsider

A proposal to spend $565,000 to re-purchase the 1.44 acre Lake Alta property the Community Redevelopment Agency previously sold for less than $9,000 will be considered at Tuesday's meeting of the board.

The City of Lake Wales, seeking to dispose of unused lands, had transferred the remnant parcel, part of a larger city-owned site containing tiny Lake Alta park, to the CRA in 2015. The CRA sold it through an offering that brought only one bid from Harout "Henry" Kebabjian and his HAB Holdings, LLC, for $8,111.11.

Kebabjian subsequently sold the property on October 22, 2022, to J. Walter Homes, Inc. for $250,000, an increase in value of more than three thousand percent.

Robert Connors

The subject parcel on North Third Street lies in a neighborhood of modest homes up to 100 years old. Neighbors have voiced near-unanimous opposition to adding more than six residences to the area on the 1.44 acre parcel, citing concerns over parking, traffic, and impacts to the adjoining Lake Alta Park.

According to property appraiser Kyle Winningham, the land is now valued at $565,000, the proposed re-purchase price.

The heated controversy over high-density development in or adjacent to the tiny neighborhood park has barely had time to cool after generating staunch opposition from neighbors opposed to more than six homes on the site. A series of development proposals for high-density infill development have called for as many as 28 units.

Those proposals ultimately died on a 3-2 vote of the City Commission in the face of community opposition.

At a March 19 City Commission meeting, Derrick McWaters, representing J Walter Homes, told the commission that he could proceed with the already-entitled six-home development on the property and turn a profit.

A Worthwhile Goal

CRA Chaiman Robin Gibson now suggests that the CRA is the correct entity to own the property and step it though the design process to prepare it for a private developer. That would allow an infill housing project utilizing the "Traditional Neighborhood Design" standards called for in the community-developed Lake Wales Envisioned plan.

Gibson is determined to jump-start TND development as an alternative to the sprawling subdivisions which have consumed cities across the state. The "new urbanism" designs feature walkable, bikeable neighborhoods close to services, helping to reduce auto trips. They provide for front porches and rear garages accessed from alleys, rather than the "garage-i-tecture" demanded by builders in recent years.

Gibson cites the very real challenges of taking a parcel through the complexities of permitting and feels that laying the groundwork will help initiate the process in Lake Wales.

The goal is a worthy one. The question is truly geographic: is this the place to plant that flag?

Choose Your Battles Wisely

The history of the parcel has already raised eyebrows. TND is a desirable goal, but the proposal to be considered raises some red flags.

While Gibson's idea has merit, the location on North Third Street is not the ideal choice. Aside from the glaringly-bad optics of repurchasing a once-discarded parcel for nearly seventy times the price, the sensitivity of bruised feelings and damaged trust are to be considered. The tensions of the recent battles over the site make it perhaps the worst place to begin.

The site is also seriously constricted, reducing the impact of the process. The limitations of the site have been debated in a series of public meetings. They include issues of parking and traffic from two nearby schools. Neighbors were overwhelmingly opposed to the high-density proposals. A larger parcel would be much better suited and yield greater flexibility in the design.

If you want to construct a towering example, it's a good idea not to start in a muddy hole.

There are alternative sites within the city limits that would provide better opportunities for the pilot project Gibson envisions, some closer to those "walkable" services. Concepts like "mansion apartments" designed to look like upscale homes would enhance many neighborhoods around the city, raising property values and encouraging investment in refurbishing aging housing.

Designing, mapping and zoning a parcel as a turn-key TND site, as proposed by Gibson, could be accomplished by the CRA, likely at a lower cost, on a different site that would not require "pulling the bandage" from a healing community wound.