After more than nine hours of sworn testimony and public comments spanning two separate evenings at HCC’s Trinkle Center, the Planning Board failed to reach a decision about a major modification to the Walden Lake Community Unit District that would pave the way for residential development pods to be constructed on approximately 319 acres of vacant land inside the community. The decision the board did make was that discussion of the matter would continue at its regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting on Feb. 22 at 8:30 a.m.
“There’s a lot of data to sift through and I’d like more time to sift through all this material,” said Board Member Jeremy Burris.
Planning Board members cited concerns familiar for residents living in the development. Their objections ranged from concerns about the renderings of the townhomes and their parking situation to traffic impacts and flood zones to language that stated the general public would have access to the development’s amenities.
The applicant addressed most issues at last night’s meeting. They stipulated that the language about the public having access to the amenities, like walking trails, referred to all residents of Walden Lake being able to have access to them. When Board Member LaNae Luttrell asked the applicant if they would consider putting single family homes instead of villas in pod 70, they agreed. “We can convert them to single family homes,” said Jake Cremer, a land-use attorney with Stearns Weaver Miller. However, the applicant was not willing to commit to only building single-story homes behind currently constructed single-story homes.
Dozens of Walden Lake residents spoke in opposition to the project, most residents whose homes abut the former golf course. Commenters focused on expressing their issues with the development, including fears over traffic safety, their belief that it’s incompatible with the surrounding community, concerns about negative effects on public schools and negative impacts on wetland areas.
Walden Lake resident Shelly Orrico hopes the Board will vote against the development. “I think the residents laid out the objections and I think the board is going to listen and they’re going to vote no,” she said.
Some Walden Lake residents spoke out in favor of the project. “I’ve been a resident of Walden Lake for 38 years and for eight years we’ve had no golf course,” said Pat Comstock. “We’d be moving in a forward direction if this is approved.”
Walden Lake resident Linda Mitchell looks forward to having more villas in the neighborhood, an ideal for retirees. “The few villas we currently have in the neighborhood get snapped up as soon as they go on the market,” she said.
Whether those villas will be built is yet to be determined but the applicant may get one step closer at the next meeting, at which there will be no public comment. Instead, the board will discuss the request and cast its vote.