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Highlands Today

UPDATE: AP, Sebring Councils Ask County to Block Sun 'n Lake Utility Expansion

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By Douglas  Carman | Highlands Today

Published: August 28, 2008

Updated: 08/28/2008 06:06 pm

AVON PARK - Avon Park took Sebring's side in its mounting turf war with Sun 'n Lake's water utilities, asking the county to refuse Sun 'n Lake's request to let the district expand its water lines outside the district's limits.

The Avon Park city council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday afternoon opposing Sun 'n Lake Improvement District's request to serve new developments, including a new assisted living facility located at 4029 Schumacher Road, just outside of Sebring's city limits. The request already provoked Sebring officials, who passed a similar resolution later that evening.

Councilman Joe Wright, reached before the meeting, said the city was concerned that the county was allowing Sun 'n Lake to expand anywhere it wanted. He worried that they may try to jump across U.S. 27 and serve the Sebring Ridge area. Avon Park's water utilities operate there.

"If the county lets Sun 'n Lake do whatever they want, they may try to serve the same area and we'll never get our investment back," Wright said.

The rest of the council repeated Wright's concerns, while City Attorney Gerald Buhr thought that Sun 'n Lake's request was illegal. Even though he could not find any cases to back his belief, "there will be some case law at some point," he said, referring to Sebring's dispute with Sun 'n Lake.

Check highlandstoday.com for further updates.

Reporter Marc Valero contributed to this story.

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