[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6037737,"mediaKeyId","3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988","parentId",3858228,"title","Developers seek annexation and master plan for 1,287‑acre mixed‑use/industrial project near Lake Wales airport","audioSeconds",1251,"startMs",8779000,"endMs",10030000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988&start=8779&end=10030","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988/thumbnail_8779000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6037737/Florida/Developers-seek-annexation-and-master-plan-for-1287acre-mixeduseindustrial-project-near-Lake-Wales-airport","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037737-72c37e96772e2a487d2791156fb4dda7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162055&Signature=XgOHIW9ETNB8XaKap6oDpyJJxD-WrN~C2EGlvy3NsGeTv5Bfo3xINI~V0XStepq~Sl6GwMcDTP0lu-z7g7S-oEjIdoZO0UWklU859dJ83CGAKrgmvGhmpnuAOyUMji2t4-uJ7UGTIs5J0M9MXr6y3YSQxoRCBVTDAVG8T2u4JULZP4NJ6YfIJ8qzdlrbtINHWaGiRkEgr~VJbEoJV-i-UEDJVxbEF-8Kx1zCZlNCqyS52T4ngcYUG0nZBPyvz3z-QgUNxpjwRLoD-fcUktR27RGG8g3fLn6NIGiMye3~BGmUiafTvXzuZg0jPiKtclKukS3GYbd43SCPZVGfGgYKQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lake Wales, FL","date","2025-05-14T00:00:00Z","article","An attorney for the project team presented a request to the City Commission to annex roughly 1,287 acres south of State Road 60, adopt mixed‑use future land‑use and PDMU zoning, and approve a Master Development Plan (MDP) that would allow industrial, commercial, residential and public uses adjacent to the Lake Wales municipal airport.

Shelton Rice of the law firm Peterson & Myers said the proposal is “a companion project to Lake Wales Commons” and described its principal goals as job creation and mixed‑use development. Rice told the commission the MDP calls for up to about 4,000,000 square feet of industrial space, roughly 410,000 square feet of mixed‑use commercial/industrial, a 200,000‑square‑foot cap on commercial, up to 60,000 square feet of office, about 2,950 residential units and about 71 acres designated for public use such as parks or government facilities.

The team said the property is adjacent to two rail lines (Midland and CSX) and State Road 60 and noted the site’s proximity to the municipal airport as a component that makes the tract attractive for logistics and distribution uses. Rice displayed conceptual renderings that show large distribution facilities north of a rail corridor and residential and public‑use areas to the south; he said design directives and residential standards mirror those used for the nearby Lake Wales Commons project.

Staff advised the commission that the item will be considered as a package of ordinances and a master plan and that public hearings are scheduled for the next regular meeting. Autumn Coachella, city planner, said the Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval on May 1 subject to conditions of approval and design directives intended to ensure transitions between industrial and residential areas and to require buffers and landscaping along major corridors.

Commission discussion highlighted a split in views. Some commissioners urged timely approval, citing the project’s potential to provide employment and diversify the local economy beyond legacy industries. Others, including one commissioner who requested more time, said the materials were provided too recently for meaningful public review and expressed concern about approving a project of this scale without fuller public notice and engagement. Several commissioners asked staff to ensure the commission packet contains the detailed maps, MDP text and design directives ahead of the scheduled vote.

No formal vote on annexation, zoning or the MDP occurred at the work session. Staff confirmed the item will appear on the full commission agenda the following Tuesday for multiple public hearings and votes if the commission proceeds.

The developer and staff emphasized that the MDP includes design and buffering requirements intended to limit visual and operational impacts of industrial sites on adjacent residential areas. The project team said it is coordinating with local economic development partners and anticipates ongoing outreach and market outreach to recruit potential industrial tenants.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Workshop Meeting 05-14-25","oneSentenceSummary","Applicants requested annexation, future land‑use and zoning changes and adoption of a Master Development Plan (MDP) for about 1,287 acres south of SR‑60, proposing industrial, mixed‑use, residential and public‑use components. Commissioners diverged on timing and public outreach; the item is scheduled for public hearings on Tuesday.","taxTitle","City of Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida","taxId",71262,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6037742,"Lake Wales staff prioritizes Hunt Brothers and Kiwanis parks; city seeks partners, bond options",1674,2232000,3906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988&start=2232&end=3906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988/thumbnail_2232000.jpg","/articles/6037742/Florida/Lake-Wales-staff-prioritizes-Hunt-Brothers-and-Kiwanis-parks-city-seeks-partners-bond-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037742-f45b65b4f896135246bc1b4147d25961/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162055&Signature=ZQGjcNNBgUDr67QsrH-eexVjGVWL4hBmc0O6BkLsDb9pMRsndu7MCO8Nef5zOHdLt-jT1ZeWls6dPSyR4cVOkqnIaGC4L5QQKYo0aH8DcvKIXO0oCSPbkv7JymgapLORxZjecgw4W3hyLrCm5kdOHN95Lw3ENLGNYNKXDuyt7vSnWBOnsKm1ZRaV8hEr~Kr~DPbFgkZf35~COlO9RxaLlEhk~jiPRZKPgTtxksGdctBYVy~8wuz90UgyTj-HeDp6DXNeuxKU5-2Go8p-KmqwkMvtrtNTWsJ99Ea1xXO-z~GvTI7IoXoh2eUoP6BUTDx8HLSkTjqheTFkeCeXSwEyew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City parks staff presented a completed Parks and Open Space Master Plan to the Lake Wales City Commission and recommended focusing near‑term efforts on two projects: upgrades at Kiwanis Park and a phased expansion of the Hunt Brothers Sports Complex.

“First we’ll start with Crystal Lake Park… We’re looking to add dedicated pickleball courts, additional tennis courts, a pro shop restroom facility, paved parking, walking trails and enhancements to the facility in general,” the city’s parks director, Stephanie, said as she reviewed proposals for multiple parks. She then described larger, multi‑park proposals that together comprise the master plan, which staff estimated at about $140 million for full build‑out.

Because staff judged the full plan unaffordable in a single budget cycle, they proposed a narrower near‑term focus: Kiwanis Park (estimated about $12 million) and the Hunt Brothers Sports Complex expansion (estimated at about $50 million). Staff emphasized that the full plan would be phased and that smaller, targeted improvements would continue at other parks. Commissioner and staff remarks stressed the potential to combine local funds with county contributions and Tourism Development Council (TDC) dollars for sports tourism elements at Hunt Brothers.

“Every 1 of these could be phased in in a manner that, number 1, we can afford it,” the city manager said, describing a phased approach that staff argued could provide both community benefit and opportunities for sports tourism. The city manager and parks director said they had soft commitments from Polk County and the Tourism Development Council to help co‑fund Hunt Brothers expansion, but said final contribution terms were not yet settled.

Staff described possible phasing that could prioritize additional rectangle (multipurpose) fields and low‑maintenance turf fields to increase regional draw while limiting near‑term costs. The parks director noted estimated utilization: about 65,000 annual users at Hunt Brothers and roughly 100,000–102,000 visits at Crystal Lake Park over the past three years; Kiwanis utilization figures were not available at the presentation. Commissioners asked staff to provide utilization data by park and to pursue outreach and budgeting scenarios before formal commitments.

Commission discussion included equity and cost‑sharing considerations. Several commissioners noted that non‑city residents already make heavy use of sports facilities and recommended exploring resident vs. nonresident pricing or membership structures to improve fairness and cost recovery. Deputy Mayor Gibson urged a program to improve Lake Wales’ historic residential core that could enhance property values and CRA outcomes; Commissioner Thompson recommended considering conservation and water‑saving measures as part of broader infrastructure planning.

The commission received a briefing from George Smith, the city’s bond counsel, about options for financing large capital projects. Smith outlined that the city could pursue general obligation bond financing and explained that Chapter 100 of the Florida Statutes provides a path to hold a referendum (special or combined election) if the commission chose to put a bond measure to voters. He emphasized the need to define the proposed projects and educate voters; he also said the city’s charter and statute drive the schedule and ballot language for any referendum.

Finance staff said the city’s general fund reserves were about 20% (roughly $5.8 million) as of Sept. 30, 2024, and cautioned that the scale of park proposals would likely require debt financing or outside partners rather than pay‑as‑you‑go from the general fund alone. The finance director told the commission that staff would work with commissioners and potential partners to scope projects, assess costs and consider bond or other debt issuance options during the upcoming budget process and summer months.

No final funding decision or vote was taken. Commissioners signaled support for continuing intergovernmental discussions and for phased planning of Hunt Brothers and Kiwanis Park; staff was directed to pursue funding conversations with the county, TDC and other partners, to return with utilization data, and to bring financing scenarios (including bond options and phasing) into the budget process.","Parks director presented a master plan with a roughly $140 million build‑out; staff recommended focusing on Hunt Brothers Sports Complex and Kiwanis Park and exploring phased construction and external funding, including possible general obligation bonds and county/TDC contributions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6037747,"Lake Wales staff update commission on proposed changes to fire protection assessment",2072,184000,2256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988&start=184&end=2256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3858228-91a5aee310ae52cfe5160c0bd641f988/thumbnail_184000.jpg","/articles/6037747/Florida/Lake-Wales-staff-update-commission-on-proposed-changes-to-fire-protection-assessment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037747-c52500b1530fe69dccb496fc3a114bd1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162055&Signature=QH3RVFYosnug-3X9k3JcIeZjzlp~g1mqM6b~GqD1PTUWEhL3dERJKvw8aRWgo2t9ZAi5y9CpdAwyceC~7Unxb-PHzvtrAL4oubTcpJkeJRtJaAJTRfLrm~Ba6UumnZ-58vl67metvk7bOqcGN~NplnoQvwLkRPHdfHa7FatA~Y035YXoXkH413Ec3nDYa6rtOMZfay1DcFGpWGnqu7~0EA4xXw-puj112wIvRXDGNxNkypPY-~yM9LZvgJhmxfDg31s0sqw~FRnDcGBnBatxVdPhfOAZTQTpnKeaSwXvAyilhRMgnBHYcOihWI4ngPtH~PiNXqQQtLZKc1s9iXyHvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sandy Newbarth, a consultant with Accenture, told the City of Lake Wales City Commission that an updated fire protection assessment changes how the city splits fire and emergency medical service costs and increases the square-foot cap used to calculate nonresidential charges.

The presentation, given at a work session, explained the legal and technical basis for the fee and walked commissioners through multiple rate scenarios and a timeline for adopting preliminary and final rates. “A fire assessment is a charge imposed against property to pay for fire protection services. It's a Home Rule revenue source,” Newbarth said. She added, “The courts have said fire protection services up to the level of first responder do provide a benefit to property, but EMS does not.”

The update uses a five‑year average assessable budget and a court‑tested “historical demand” methodology that allocates cost by past calls and time spent on incidents. Newbarth said the study separated EMS costs from fire protection and determined about 66.53% of the fire department budget could be funded by assessment revenue, with roughly 33.28% attributable to EMS and therefore funded from the general fund. The five‑year assessable budget used for the scenarios was $5,159,823.

Newbarth identified two main technical changes that affect large properties: the city’s standard for fire flow (7,900 gallons per minute per NFPA guidance) supports a square‑foot cap of about 191,400 square feet, up from the current 125,500 square‑foot cap. Under the older cap the consultant identified six buildings that exceeded it (Dillard’s, Lowe’s, Walmart, two School Board buildings and a property listed as Stockbridge Madison); the new cap reduces that list to two properties (the Walmart at about 195,000 square feet and the Stockbridge Madison property at about 397,000 square feet), with billing capped at 191,400 square feet for those outliers.

Newbarth summarized call‑volume and time‑on‑scene data used to apportion costs: city fire units ran 8,071 calls in the two‑year sample, of which 6,078 were EMS calls and were removed from assessment apportionment. Of the remaining calls used for fire apportionment, she reported single‑family households demanded 34.84% of fire services, multifamily 14.98%, mobile homes 1.27%, commercial 31.24%, industrial/warehouse 1.98% and institutional 15.68%.

The consultant presented two rate sets: the theoretical maximum rates tied to the full assessable budget and a staff‑recommended “45% funding” scenario. Under the maximum scenario, Newbarth said, single‑family residential would be $387 per dwelling unit; multifamily $318; mobile homes $139; commercial 40¢ per square foot; industrial 6¢ per square foot; institutional 31¢ per square foot. Staff’s recommended 45% scenario would set single‑family at $174 (an increase of $28 from the current rate), multifamily at $143 (increase of about $71), mobile homes $63, commercial 18¢/sq ft, industrial 3¢/sq ft and institutional 14¢/sq ft. Newbarth described those numbers as staff recommendations, not final decisions.

The presentation also highlighted a recurring policy choice: whether to continue the city’s historic exemptions for government and institutional tax‑exempt properties (churches, nonprofits, schools). Newbarth said exempt properties create a “buy‑down” the general fund must cover; at the $146 current rate she said the buy‑down is about $225,000 and in the draft scenarios she estimated exempt property impact at roughly $919,000 (about $600,000 attributable to government and $320,000 to institutional tax‑exempt properties). She explained that government properties, if exempted, cannot be placed on the tax roll and would require separate billing that is difficult to enforce.

Commissioners and staff asked for more detail. Deputy Mayor Gibson and Commissioner Williams sought a clearer breakdown of the buy‑down by exempt category and whether partial exemptions (for example, charging a fraction of the rate to institutional users) were legally or practically possible; Newbarth said partial buy‑downs are a policy decision and told the commission they could adopt a percentage reduction (for example, a 50% exemption) across exempt categories if they wished, but they must treat like properties equally. Newbarth also noted the administrative schedule: the initial (preliminary) rate resolution is scheduled for June 3, a final public hearing is planned for Sept. 9 and the tax roll must be certified to the tax collector by the statutory deadline of Sept. 15 for inclusion on the tax bill.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the work session. Staff indicated they will bring a preliminary rate resolution to the commission on June 3 and provide a breakdown of the exemption buy‑down (government vs. institutional/churches/nonprofits) in advance. Commissioners signaled differing views about the timing and size of any increase; one asked for an extended outreach and 12‑month conversation with institutional stakeholders before changing exemption policy, while others said the commission needs to act as part of the broader budget process.

The next formal procedural steps listed by staff are: adoption of a preliminary rate resolution on June 3 (signaling the maximum rates that can be considered), publication and inclusion on the Property Appraiser TRIM notice, a final public hearing on Sept. 9 and certification of the adopted rates to the tax collector by close of business on Sept. 15. Staff also told the commission they are available to meet with exempt institutions and government property owners to discuss budgets and collection options.

Commissioners asked staff to return with a detailed exempt‑property breakdown, clarifying how much of the buy‑down is government versus institutional/churches and what partial exemption options would mean for rates and revenue realization.","Consultant Sandy Newbarth presented an updated fire protection assessment, explaining methodology changes, recommended rate scenarios and schedule for an initial rate resolution on June 3. Commissioners asked for more detail on exemptions for government, churches and nonprofits and on anticipated revenue realization.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Developers seek annexation and master plan for 1,287‑acre mixed‑use/industrial project near Lake Wales airport

Lake Wales staff prioritizes Hunt Brothers and Kiwanis parks; city seeks partners, bond options

Lake Wales staff update commission on proposed changes to fire protection assessment