[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6251466,"mediaKeyId","3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09","parentId",3195595,"title","Lake Placid planning panel reviews regional plan, staff outlines nine-point recommendations","audioSeconds",2531,"startMs",195000,"endMs",2726000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09&start=195&end=2726","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09/thumbnail_195000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6251466/Lake-Placid/Highlands-County/Florida/Lake-Placid-planning-panel-reviews-regional-plan-staff-outlines-nine-point-recommendations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251466-167f04a94bef363bb04062b173fc6782/orig.mp4?Expires=1771226791&Signature=jLTwuRQTieRtGEMJjSM0J4VBasfucSGCccnoSoSxqfQdElba3sjRMUxzIIVmTAcbEmUMyTe061fXFIIoIzyiUxvOcqSgHmA0QeeszO9~rYXy7zLQpPYDVubjOquT1jmFlN8WPnrGE1dZ3OM-RVPO8l~wY~6Zcr3YE4gYCRQoZzPYAAVrt3rvHt1zuaeEIeJYkgAMRLyrTfn5Di2wCwFN03SjEUMzJuIp7vQ~aEkE3bq0abXpw6E63oojWRJ6nWEN8Pu333CjYBONGJ06uCCohGaBEHVRBgyF0QJWeMNnn7fI16S8Rm1lyZO2FUrUwR~xfT83Vh0GmnJlKKULNGHJzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Lake Placid, FL","date","2025-05-06T11:59:14Z","article","Lake Placid’s Local Planning Agency met May 5 to review the Lake Placid Regional Plan and a staff package of proposed updates and implementation steps intended to guide growth in and around the town.

The presentation summarized the plan’s history — a citizen committee of eight that met over multiple years produced a regional plan adopted by both the town and Highlands County and transmitted to the state Department of Community Affairs — and walked the board through the plan’s core policies for density, intensity, utilities, roads, signs and parks. The presenter said the plan’s residential density is laid out at roughly three dwelling units per acre (gross), with provisions that allow clustering up to 12 units per acre while keeping overall density near three to four units per acre when transfers are applied.

The plan matters because it sets the standards that developers must meet for new projects and frames annexation and service delivery. The presenter told the agency the county has historically expected the town to lead on changes to the plan and that any edits the town recommends should be mirrored in the county comprehensive plan.

Key staff recommendations described to the LPA included: creating a plan development (PD) ordinance template that lists required standards (density, intensity, frontage/backage roads, signage and landscaping) so applicants cannot omit elements; updating trail widths to match state standards and improving external trail connections; requiring underground utilities for new developments and creating a fund to underground existing distribution lines (staff proposed a monthly charge, previously $1 per account, suggested increasing to $2); preparing a transportation and road update that reconsiders earlier four-lane proposals (Interlake and Maine) in favor of narrower, improved two-lane designs for North Main; clarifying park-level-of-service requirements and limiting payments-in-lieu for small subdivisions; and studying the fiscal impact of accepting responsibility for road maintenance if the town takes roads from the county.

Pam Fentress, a longtime participant in the regional plan process, urged the agency to evaluate outcomes 20 years after adoption, citing limited delivery of promised facilities (multiuse paths, schools, fire/EMS sites) and impaired water bodies in the area (Lake Placid and other lakes listed in state impaired waters inventories). Fentress characterized the plan as producing regulatory requirements that raise development costs and said many permitted but unbuilt lots in nearby subdivisions have shifted where growth is actually occurring.

Staff and the board discussed annexation tradeoffs, including the county’s historical 25% surcharge on utility rates outside municipal boundaries (a state statute staff referenced as the policy that created differential utility rates) and how annexation triggers (zoning/land-use changes, new development, special exceptions) interact with plan implementation. Staff advised the LPA that recommendations will be drafted and transmitted to the town council for consideration; members requested the staff PowerPoint pages and asked for the nine-point recommendation list to be emailed and posted on the town website.

No formal action was taken by the LPA on the regional plan during the meeting. Staff said they will return with draft text amendments and supporting documents and suggested a possible special meeting to keep the review on schedule.

The discussion highlighted several open questions for the agency and council: whether to retain the plan largely intact or to amend it for the county’s 2050 comprehensive plan update; how to fund road maintenance and whether to accept county roads into town maintenance; and how to sequence and pay for parkland, trails and undergrounding of utilities without shifting costs to existing taxpayers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Lake Placid Local Planning Agency - 5/5/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lake Placid’s Local Planning Agency met May 5 to review the Lake Placid Regional Plan and a staff package of proposed updates and implementation steps intended to guide growth in and around the town.","taxTitle","Lake Placid, Highlands County, Florida","taxId",54067,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6251455,"LPA backs zoning amendment to exempt police building from primary-facade requirement",632,7401000,8033000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09&start=7401&end=8033","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09/thumbnail_7401000.jpg","/articles/6251455/Lake-Placid/Highlands-County/Florida/LPA-backs-zoning-amendment-to-exempt-police-building-from-primary-facade-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251455-444fe326ed984f8a2f6fe02aa18c3edd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771226791&Signature=RV2QNqe0jmt9baNiOdK6H0P0YTHtTfGLp9CCiRdAQ6sCxl7NVeFFY2f-f-3o5G54dqIoJL69CYMJDp0xk~txDdzK8OZ-ZfkQfzuakjEbgkNQlhovfuL1ftjqxGaOJOSuaeFLRJWAPuSx4c0DHiIKouTintZSVaw4TAxAv7Ll7vpI8-zlPFFgmngTIj4X6tTQBdvIlvoreK4lPsHN4Ekyd2paPuG6FZshKpq0pfy0kks6cNamMFL1Hwn3v3Vyj4CWKXFurn94pN9GJf2AV-zXWdtMsaYdwPHYefCslQyCJ5yaUAIR9zg6bN4xBYenLfqtfhlFGZoRn88u8lNmk5z6KA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its May 5 meeting, the Lake Placid Local Planning Agency recommended town council adopt Ordinance 2025-04 (second reading) to amend the C-1 PD (Highway Commercial Plan Development District) for the town-hall property now under construction, clarifying exterior-materials requirements and exempting the Lake Placid Police Department building from the primary-facade glazing/porch/arcade standard.

Town Planner Dana Riddell explained the amendment: the draft ordinance adds explicit language (letter g) requiring that all building structures comply with the town code’s exterior building materials standards (Town Code §154-17) but allows a deviation from the primary-facade requirements for the police building(s). Primary-facade rules require two of three features for facades facing a roadway: a 100-square-foot open porch, 30% glazing (windows/glass), or an eight-foot-wide arcade. Riddell said the police building cannot meet the glazing requirement because design for security reduces exterior glazing.

The ordinance also removes a clause that would have prohibited subdividing or selling portions of the PD land; staff said removal of the prohibition preserves flexibility for future adjustments to the town hall and police site. No public speakers addressed this specific item during the hearing.

A motion to recommend adoption on second reading was moved and seconded; the LPA approved by roll-call votes recorded as follows: Chris Duncan — yes; Gary Freeman — yes; Dustin Woods — yes; Donald Clark — yes. The formal tally recorded four yes votes, zero no votes. The LPA’s recommendation now proceeds to town council on the second-reading ordinance schedule.","The Local Planning Agency voted to recommend town council approve ordinance 2025-04 to modify the C-1 PD zoning for the town hall/property that houses the Lake Placid Police Department, exempting the police building from primary-facade glazing requirements while keeping exterior materials standards in place.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6251461,"Lake Placid utility leaders outline 1MGD wastewater plant, grant uses and hookup policy amid cost, capacity debates",3839,3653000,7492000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09&start=3653&end=7492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195595-5763f293868f4d1985e917bfaeed8f09/thumbnail_3653000.jpg","/articles/6251461/Lake-Placid/Highlands-County/Florida/Lake-Placid-utility-leaders-outline-1MGD-wastewater-plant-grant-uses-and-hookup-policy-amid-cost-capacity-debates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251461-d9687039867ab6ede8777fa1a55a6594/orig.mp4?Expires=1771226791&Signature=VcrfH8aXZ1yqLo1qUER097FCfFy~gtiN0cZDOtWffgLy333D74H27Ggb3n~frm-fsrwBZtdk0lZ2g4b~M4rcdWUEW9FwJX7SZd6pDI006sL2mJsIqRLvGnriwaVD2GxmrXYI5I5b0jjGotnpF4s0jTRdlQfArh312nwX8Yz1sRI27kygTaAnWKbZV7LW1C6co9bHMaQVhmKRm0av906Ik3Nz0R0Ew7USH-XyXpxgvXJMbuVhrxSPQ0yb1LkinQMP4vnpIFOBElxr1XyhFyFFjQRkZsrBjJb3gvKIUV0U2warUqHrzxSEXd7P9540cMlsi7cylw8dUNc9rno5X5hWHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town staff and the Lake Placid regional utility presented the town’s wastewater project plan and funding history at the May 5 meeting, describing construction of a new 1 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) wastewater treatment plant funded by a $40 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and outlining priorities for use of the plant’s capacity.

The presenter said the original grant application and resolution committed the town to use the money to upgrade treatment (advanced wastewater treatment tied to Basin Management Action Plan, BMAP, requirements), close two smaller plants (Tomoka and a County Road 29 plant) and collect sewer connections around the lakes to reduce septic impact. Staff described significant cost increases: initial plant cost estimates in early studies (roughly $15–$18 million) later rose to about $33 million, a change driven in part by nationwide supply and construction price increases. The grant agreement was amended to preserve the plant construction and allow further study of collection options after cost estimates changed.

Staff described grant-funded work already underway: the County Road 29 connection is under construction and will tie to a Conference Center lift station; the town intends to pipe and treat flows from Tomoka and County Road 29 at the new plant. Staff said the original grant included the design for collection lines to serve roughly 1,600 existing homes, but that expensive collection costs and the wide range of technical options (gravity, low-pressure or vacuum systems) mean the town will use engineering studies to determine the feasible approach for each neighborhood.

Key financial and technical details discussed:
- Grant amount referenced: $40,000,000 (DEP)
- New plant capacity: 1,000,000 gallons per day (1 MGD)
- Current system: older plants and small plants (present capacity described as tens of thousands of gallons per day) and the Conference Center lift station capacity noted as a component of the system
- Early plant cost estimate: $15–$18 million; later estimate: ~$33 million
- Current system development charge (existing): $3,200 per connection; staff discussed a possible system development charge for new connections in the $10,000–$15,000 range (staff said $15,000 as a preferred target)
- Example on-site advanced septic costs mentioned in public comment ranged from about $11,000 to $17,000 per system depending on site conditions

Staff and some board members recommended reserving the new plant’s capacity principally to serve existing homes around the lakes and to use grant funds to reduce connection costs for current residents rather than monetizing capacity by selling large blocks to new outside development. A council member’s alternate view — that selling capacity to developers could raise millions for the utility — was noted but staff said the grant agreement and the town’s commitments to DEP make selling a substantial share of capacity outside the plan area inadvisable without further review and explicit council approval.

Public comment reiterated multiple themes: long timelines to deliver collection lines, the high cost of hookups for homeowners, differences in neighborhood willingness to connect, and the political sensitivity of requiring or charging for hookups in lower-income areas. Staff said additional engineering analyses are needed — including the all-in cost comparison of gravity vs. low-pressure collection systems for specific neighborhoods and the lifetime maintenance costs of low-pressure pumps — before making connection policy decisions.

Staff asked the board to prioritize collection-line projects (examples: Green Dragon north, South Town, Conference Center north and Catfish Creek to serve canal systems) and to continue seeking state and federal grants to reduce connection costs to residents. No formal policy vote on hookup pricing or on monetizing capacity occurred at the meeting; staff will seek grants and return with engineering recommendations and proposed system development charges.","Town staff described a $40 million DEP grant for a new 1 million gallon per day wastewater plant, plans to close and pipe previous plants to the new facility, rising construction costs, and a debate about whether to reserve plant capacity for existing lakefront homes or to sell capacity to developers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lake Placid planning panel reviews regional plan, staff outlines nine-point recommendations

LPA backs zoning amendment to exempt police building from primary-facade requirement

Lake Placid utility leaders outline 1MGD wastewater plant, grant uses and hookup policy amid cost, capacity debates