CRA Board Turns Down New Lake Alta Proposal

The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency board Tuesday rejected a proposal to reconsider higher-density development at a site near Lake Alta Park. Area residents had battled a previous plan for months earlier this year.

Robert Connors

This 1.4 acre parcel fronting upon North Third Street was offered for sale to the Lake Wales CRA for $565,000, but the board turned the deal away on a 4-1 vote. The owner, J. Walter Homes, is entitled to build six homes on the site.

City Commissioners, sitting in their roles as the CRA board, voted 4-1 against the concept, brought before the board by Chairman Robin Gibson. Gibson made a lengthy pitch to fellow commissioners to draw support but came up empty.

The concept plan would have required the CRA to repurchase a 1.4 acre parcel of land for $565,000 and retain a consultant to design a new site plan using standards recommended in the community-developed Lake Wales Envisioned plan.

The land had been sold as surplus by the CRA in 2015 for little more than $8,000. It was subsequently re-platted into six lots by county officials despite failing to qualify under city rules. It was then resold for $250,000 to builder J. Walter Homes.

According to property appraiser Kyle Winningham, the land is now valued at $565,000. It was unclear how that number was determined given the small size of the parcel.

A series of development proposals for high-density infill development have called for up to 28 units on the 1.4 acre site, which would require deeding the adjacent CRA-owned lands to serve as "open space," allowing the developer to qualify for a Planned Development Project to achieve that density.

Robert Connors

The tiny Lake Alta Park lies just east of the land proposed for sale, and has been cited by area resident as a community asset and host to wildlife, including gopher tortoises.

Several citizens attended the 2 p.m. meeting to speak in opposition to the proposal to reconsider the site for anything more than the six dwelling units it is already approved for. They expressed concerns for the adjacent Lake Alta Park site, as well as concerns for increased traffic and parking congestion.

Gibson is eager to prove the local market for Traditional Neighborhood Design. TND-designed neighborhoods provide front porches and rear garages accessed from alleys, with tree-lined "complete streets" featuring bike tracks and sidewalks. The resulting walkable, bikeable neighborhoods close to services help to reduce auto trips and traffic congestion.

In proposing the plan, Gibson cited the complexities and delays involved in rezoning a property to shovel-ready status, suggesting that as a CRA-owned tract it could be shepherded through the process and resold to a developer.