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Highlands Today

Save Lake Blue

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Greta Lee Rassel

Published: September 22, 2007

I'd like to ask the Highlands County planning and zoning board, "Why are you trying to ruin beautiful Lake Blue?"

At a public hearing on Sept. 11, the county commissioners voted to change the zoning on two parcels of land on Lake Blue from R-1 and R-1A to B-2. The vote was tied 3-3. Then Chairman Lew Carter broke the tie by voting for the zoning change.

This zoning change can only be good for the land planner out of Coral Springs, not for the voting homeowners on Lake Blue in Lake Placid. With all of the commercial property in Lake Placid, why destroy Lake Blue?

By the way, that land planner recently purchased the property in question, where a beautiful home now sits. According to a news article, he wants to construct a two-story 10,000-square-foot office building, overlooking Lake Blue.

Lake Blue is one of the more peaceful lakes in Lake Placid. It's very small, no motors, kids having fun, lots of wildlife and natural beauty. At least one backyard on the lake has been registered by the National Wildlife Federation as a National Wildlife Habitat. The federation included Lake Blue because of its abundance of wildlife and natural habitat

In the Sept. 15 issue of Highlands Today, the land planner says of Lake Placid, "It's natural beauty, hilly topography, etc." Well, with zoning changes, like this, the beauty won't last long. I suppose that before long, the land planners will figure a way to bring Wal-Mart here.

I'm also curious as to where the buffer zone separating residential property from commercial property is? Perhaps the commissioners consider Lake Blue a buffer zone.

Just as Clell Ford (Highlands Soil & Water Conservation District) has been working so hard to save the lake, the county works in opposition.

It is my hope that the commissioners will revisit this matter and reconsider this zoning change.

Whatever happened to "Keep Highlands County Beautiful" and the work that fine group is doing?

Greta Lee Rassel
Lake Placid

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