Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1 - 17 of 17
A grant application for the "Complete Streets redesign of remaining portions of 1st Street, Central Avenue, and Lincoln Avenue" has been given a high probability of success by a grant consultant working for the City of Lake Wales. The application seeks 100 percent funding for the redesign and reconstruction of most of First Street North, Lincoln Avenue, and single blocks of Central Avenue and A Street. The total project costs included in the application are $22,930,000, which...
The expansive Ridgecrest development took a step forward recently with the approval of a "developer's agreement" by the Lake Wales City Commission that provides for the costs of infrastructure for the 312 acre project. The previously-approved planned-development project includes 1,020 single-family and townhomes located south of Russell Avenue and north of Hunt Brothers Road, between US 27 and SR 17. Included in the design is a new multi-purpose trail that will extend from...
More than 80 community leaders and interested citizens were present Thursday night for the premier showing of the documentary film "Lake Wales Envisioned," which lays out the case for changes to development codes that may redefine future development in the rapidly-growing community. The film is among the final work products of the city-funded project known as Lake Wales Envisioned, an effort to guide the city through a future fraught with both opportunities and perils. The...
A vision of Lake Wales as a city that embraces new neighborhoods built to traditional standards while preserving vast swaths of open space was presented to an eager audience Tuesday evening by city planners who painted a clear picture of that potential. City planners Victor Dover and Eric Pate of Dover, Kohl & Partners shared the status of the several reports included in the broad Lake Wales Envisioned plan. The process was initiated by the City of Lake Wales late last year...
A new bicycle and pedestrian trail will continue the expansion of a growing network connecting neighborhoods across Lake Wales following city commission approval of an interlocal agreement with Polk County on Wednesday. Creation of a functional network of trails is a repeated recommendation contained in the Lake Wales Connected plan, cited as a significant contributor to the health and well-being of residents. The Ridge Scenic Highway Trail segment will extend 3,975 feet and...
Two large residential developments proposed by the same developer recently met with very different responses from the Lake Wales city commission. After unanimously approving a 930-lot single-family subdivision known as the Grove at Orchard Hills, the commission's 3-2 vote rejected a neighboring 300-unit project brought by the same developer. David Waronker of Celebration has been the developer of record for several large subdivision projects in Lake Wales, including the expans...
The public is being invited to learn and comment on a new trail segment being proposed to continue expanding the bicycle and pedestrian links around Lake Wales. The segment would connect the Lake Wailes Trail with the Rails-to-Trails track. A trail design concept created by city consultant Hale Innovation of Maitland envisions the new trail linking the existing at three points while looping around Kiwanis Park. A Federal Recreational Trails Program grant application to help...
Cyclists and pedestrians are one step closer to being able to travel safely from downtown Lakeland to downtown Bartow. The Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) today accepted funding for construction of a 2.4-mile extension of the Fort Fraser Trail, which currently runs parallel to U.S Highway 98 for eight miles along an abandoned rail line, from State Road 540 to State Rd. 60. The extension will go from U.S. Highway 98 at Winter Lake Rd. to Lake Highlands Rd. at G...
Balancing improved public access to the natural beauty of Crystal Lake Park with parking needs and traffic circulation and the effect upon views and wildlife drew a small crowd to a special meeting Wednesday evening. The meeting at the Lake Wales Tourist Club in the subject park sought to gain public input. Consultants presented conceptual drawings representing potential alignments and configurations of the proposed trail which will "close the loop" around the small namesake...
Faced with a expected wave of new development after approving more than a dozen new housing projects in less than a year, the Lake Wales City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a new "Mobility" impact fee that will add $2,055.33 to the cost of new home in the city. Funds raised by the fee may be used for a wide variety of improvements, including sidewalks, trails, lighting, and street trees in addition to the standard road funding. Prepared by consultants NUE Urban...
Construction is progressing rapidly on the Park Avenue Connector Trail, a 3000-foot multiuse trail being constructed by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency. The project is a key element of the Lake Wales Connected plans which are expected to transform and revitalize the city's center in coming years. Construction of the new trail is utilizing about one-half of the right-of-way of Park Avenue, which was 24 feet wide despite being a one-way street. The new design featu...
A small crowd gathered Monday morning on Third Street near the shores of Crystal Lake to witness a historic moment for the city as officials formally broke ground for the long-anticipated "Park Avenue Trail." The location was perhaps an indication that the marketing name may not last long, as the trail will eventually encircle Crystal Lake and encompass parts of three streets and two parks. Outgoing Mayor Eugene Fultz called the event "historic," noting that the $1.4 million...
The re-imagining of downtown Lake Wales and the application of the Connected plan is now inspiring some significant proposed changes to Central Avenue between Scenic Highway and First Street. In keeping with the concepts advanced in the award-winning Lake Wales Connected plan, a new pavement configuration which will add a bike lane to the north side of the street was approved at Tuesday's Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. The board will enter a $35,000 contract with...
A multi-faceted project to transform Lake Wales' central districts will officially begin within weeks after the City Commission approved an agreement with Cobb Site Development, Inc. to perform the construction of the city's new Park Avenue Connector Trail with a $1.4 million contract on Tuesday evening. The "Park Avenue Connector Trail" will actually utilize a portion of that right-of-way to connect the popular Lake Wailes Trail to the Library Park Trail segment, via Crystal...
One historic downtown hotel has become city property even as city commissioners wrestle with a development proposal on another. City Attorney Chuck Galloway reported to the board at Tuesday night's meeting that the deed to the Seminole Hotel would be recorded today, Wednesday, and that he would soon prepare documents transferring the title again, this time to the Community Redevelopment Agency. The announcements was met with nods from commissioners. The hotel was acquired afte...
Lake Wales' longtime historian, visionary, beloved wife, and mother, Mimi (Mary Leigh Reid) Hardman, died at age 85 on Dec. 13 following an extended illness. A driving force for historic preservation and celebrating the pioneers who built Lake Wales, Hardman left behind an extraordinary legacy. In her adopted hometown and beyond, Mimi will be remembered as the founder and director of the Depot Museum, host of the annual Pioneer Days festival, red outfits and patriotic...
A "City in a Garden" with landscaped streets, a redeveloped Grove Manor featuring a mix of housing types, and a new "town square" were among the ideas presented to Lake Wales citizens Friday evening to cap a week of intensive study by the planning firm of Dover Kohl. Most of the 100 in attendance were excited by the possibilities. The week-long effort, sponsored by Lake Wales Mainstreet and funded by local businesses, included gathering ideas and suggestions from the public,...
