What was seen as an “incompatible” plan to implement a community within a community, is what led the Plant City Planning Board to oppose the Walden Lake development proposal with a unanimous vote of 7-0.
The Wednesday, Feb. 23 ruling ended the second of two board meetings where the developer, Walden Lake LLC made a case for why its proposed residential and commercial additions to Walden Lake would be beneficial, as community residents argued otherwise.
Nicholas Brown is the representative of the Save Walden Lake organization, who gave a detailed presentation at the prior meeting, expressing his concerns about the building plans.
He was one of many in the audience who were thrilled when the board reached its conclusion.
“A seven-nothing verdict, I couldn’t hope for more,” he said. “I think the board members’ observations were spot on as far as what was wrong with this proposed development. It’s fundamentally wrong.”
The plan in question calls for a mixed-use Village Center as well as 10 new neighborhoods built among already existing Walden Lake subdivisions.
The Village Center would be comprised of residences and commercial developments on 58 acres of land.
It would include a ground floor commercial-retail area with the potential of becoming restaurants and offices. This would span 20,000 square feet.
As far as residential development, the Village Center would include 157 villas, 70 townhomes, and 260 luxury apartments. The 10 neighborhoods would be made up of 209 single-family detached homes and 59 villas.
Green space
Within the 319-acre development, over 200 acres has been set aside for open space.
Walden Lake LLC has plans for that property to be used for paths, trails, activity pods, exercise areas, playgrounds, dog parks, stormwater ponds and water features.
Part of the green space are the two former golf courses in Walden Lake that haven’t been used in quite some time.
While residents initially expressed their concerns about the courses being converted into recreational space, the developer came back to the second meeting still unwavering.
Jacob Cremer is part of the legal and land planning counsel for Walden Lake LLC. He was present at the meeting reaffirming where the vision stands.
“The existing character of this community is a great community that unfortunately has a defunct golf course that will not be reopened,” he said. “This property will be developed at some point in the future one day. The question is – how do we do it the right way?”
Many residents feel that the right way is to leave the open land untouched.
Vicki Van Dyke is a homeowner who has long admired the scenery overlooking her yard.
Not only is she worried about other residential developments potentially obstructing her view, but about the condition of the open green space near her yard.
“Our property is only feet away from the former golf course property, which is the reason why we purchased our homes,” Van Dyke said.
Although that amenity is gone, she stated that she still enjoys the peace and beauty that comes with nature. And while golf players no longer have use for the course, she does.
Van Dyke, among other residents reasoned that the green space, especially the golf courses, relieve runoff stormwater that would otherwise flood their property.
Charles Tomes is another homeowner in Walden Lake who argued that the golf course is beneficial for that same reason.
He said that removing that service will decrease not only his quality of life, but the home values within the neighborhood.
“Once damages occur and the dollar amounts are determined,” Tomes said, “then legal actions will be taken by existing property owners that are impacted.”
After the ruling, the developer will still make alterations to the golf course, but it will be an unsuccessful attempt, Brown believes.
He also predicted that the developer will eventually try to sell the property that no one will use, while so much money is being invested for its upkeep.
“I don’t know who wants to buy a piece of property that has no income potential, and is costing a lot of money to maintain,” Brown said.
On the other hand, he suggested that the Walden Lake community maintain the land to make sure that it meets code and doesn’t decrease home value.
“It’s our yard, so we have a vested interest in keeping up the property,” he said.
In fact, he is all for having the city put in a municipal golf course within Walden Lake.
“People have made the point that golf is not a profitable operation,” Brown said. “Well, there are a lot of municipalities and counties around the country that have taken over a golf course, and they operate at a $100,000 a-year, annual loss. They don’t do it to make money, they do it as a public service to the community and to attract new residences, and businesses into their community.”
Overcrowding
The one common concern that was expressed was the rise in density that would undoubtedly occur.
Not only would there be an increase of homes and establishments, but an influx of new residents into Walden Lake.
The grievances that were mentioned were the buildup of traffic before exiting Walden Lake grounds, limited roadway for emergency vehicles to pass through, privacy, rise in crime, and a decrease in home value.
“Retrofitting communities is hard work, that’s why it took us three years to get to this point,” Cremer said. “It’s a balance. We’re not asking you for any density that’s not already approved in Walden Lake today.”
At the previous meeting, Frances Chandler Marino, the president of the land-planning firm Femme by Design, LLC, presented her findings after having analyzed the plan.
With regard to the Village Center, she stated that having neighborhood commercial uses located within a residential neighborhood doesn’t align with the Plant City Comprehensive Plan.
This plan entails the standards that should be met for planning and zoning.
Marino also noted that the commercial area of the center would have to be located at the intersection of a collector and/or arterial road, which it would not in this case.
With regard to the 10 proposed neighborhoods, she said that the location for the 50-foot lots “would adversely impact existing development” and would intrude into neighborhoods where adjacent residential lots range from 17,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet, in comparison to the proposed 6,000 square-foot lots.
Cremer dismissed Marino as not being a certified land planner and said that the developer’s proposal is in fact consistent with the comprehensive plan.
“The opposition’s planning testimony is that Walden Lake should remain the way it was originally designed,” Cremer said. “What they didn’t tell you is that Walden Lake was always designed as a mixed-use, mixed-density project, with a variety of housing types mixed throughout the community.”
However, the folks who live in Walden Lake disagreed with his assessment.
“If they could come up with a reasonable development that wouldn’t overload the infrastructure, wouldn’t overload our roads, wouldn’t overload our stormwater and put our houses in danger from runoff water, I could get behind it,” Brown said. “The problem is I don’t think they could do it, because the development would have to be so limited as far as the number of residences…”
Natalie Sweet said that the Aston Woods subdivision was meant to have only one entrance and exit, right at the intersection of Barret Avenue and Griffin Boulevard. She fears that if the Village Center is built, any new corridors connecting to already existing streets will create traffic.
“Clubhouse Drive is a long, winding road that is difficult to maneuver and especially so when service vehicles and trucks park on the street,” she said. “This street was not designed for the amount of traffic that we will have, should the developer be allowed to add the Village Center with apartments and commercial space, as well as the number of townhomes and villas that are being proposed around that area.”
The planning board
decision
Before the vote was made, the board explained reasons for rejecting.
Art Wood, chair of the planning board compared it to a square peg in a round hole.
He referred back to Marino’s report agreeing with her analysis.
“The lot sizes were so incompatible,” Wood said. “Her chart really demonstrated that. Some of the language she used – she made sense with it.”
Board Member Jason Jones said that despite the presentation from the developer’s team, he was still left concerned about reduced lot sizes, reduced road sizes, density, and what will become of the open green space.
He also pointed out that the traffic study the developer had done was outdated and questioned its accuracy.
Board Member LaNae Luttrell stated that the plan was “exciting” and “forward thinking,” but it wasn’t being proposed at a good location.
The proposal was not working within the code but trying to work around it, she added.
The development was then rejected by a vote of 7-0.
Plant City City Attorney Kenneth Buchman will read an order summarizing why the Walden Lake proposal could not be approved. The order will be presented to the planning board at its regular meeting, on Wednesday, March 23.
The proposal will then be taken up by the Plant City City Commission in late April or early May, for a final vote.