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Highlands Today

Housing Plan Would Crowd Small Lakefront, Residents Say

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: January 28, 2009

AVON PARK - A proposed development for land slated to be annexed could one day double the population of Avon Park, but some Lake Byrd residents have concerns that lake access would be opened up to thousands of residents.

The city is a little over 3,000 acres, and the Ben Hill Griffin Inc. property on Shop 16 Road is 1,200 acres, so the city would not be doubling in area, but the population could double, Councilman Joe Wright said Wednesday.

During a public hearing to amend the Future Land Use Map for the property, residents living on Lake Byrd expressed their concerns Monday.

Traffic would be a safety issue to consider, along with the negative impact of 4,011 residential units having access on Lake Byrd, said Tom Tworoger.

The development recently bought four lots on the north-west part of the lake just for the lake access, Tworoger contended. The proposed land use map, however, does not include the four lots.

Tworoger requested limiting access to the 55-acre lake and presented 16 petitions signed by homeowners on the lake.

Historically, homeowners in single-family houses living on a lake have unlimited access to the lake, Tworoger said.

"I'm concerned that now with these 4,000 houses, that you'll have pandemonium on the lake," he added.

If the four lots were included in the land use plan, the city council could then restrict the development's unlimited access to the lake, he added.

It's a very small lake and the neighbors work at keeping it pristine, Tworoger said. "We are not opposed to the plan; we are just opposed to access to the lake."

Attorney Jack Brandon, who is representing Ben Hill Griffin Inc., said they were not proposing access to the lake with the plan amendment.

The four lots, plus the three the company previously owned, would have unlimited access to the lake if they were developed into single-family houses, he said.

Access to the lake could take many forms, Brandon said. Suppose somebody put a gazebo and a dock on the four lots with no boats, would it really be adverse to the lake if people could come down to the gazebo and look out over the lake, he asked.

The lake cannot accommodate 4,000 people nor is that being proposed, he said. Those discussions can occur when they have a development plan, he added.

Jim Harold, a resident on the west shore of Lake Byrd, called the lake access a gray area.

He recommended erecting a wall to separate development from the four lots.

Another resident Ed Lawrence said, "We are opposed to any change to the land use plan unless there is a provision which restricts the lands owned by Ben Hill Griffin Incorporated located on Lake Byrd to be used for single family purpose only.

"There should be no additional public access to Lake Byrd nor should the changes to the comprehensive plan allow these lots to be used, developed or maintained as recreational facilities or association facilities, which would be open to or used by people other than those own lots that front Lake Byrd."

Wright noted that issues concerning lake access have become emotional in nearby areas.

He asked if lake access should be addressed at this time.

City Attorney Gerald Buhr said that since this was a first reading, there was time to discuss some of the issues.

The city council voted unanimously to approve the amendment.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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