Lawrenceburg planning commission approves consolidation of five Lehigh Acres parcels

The Lawrenceburg City Advisory Planning Commission on June 4 approved a survey to consolidate five parcels in the Lehigh Acres area into a single parcel, a move the city said only changes legal lot lines and does not authorize building roads or new subdivisions.

Dennis Krause Jr., of JDJ Surveying and Engineering, told the commission the county tax records had listed the property at about 4.8 acres but the surveyed area is much larger and the owners asked for a complete survey before listing the property for sale. "The county tax records only indicated that there was a little over 4 or just under 5 acres there, 4.8 acres," Krause said.

The project drew several questions from nearby residents about access, potential development and tree cover. John (staff member) said the property is zoned R-1 residential and that, under the current code, the city can issue a permit for a single-family home or a duplex without returning to the planning commission. "It's zone R 1 residential. So currently, I can issue a permit for a single family home or a duplex without coming back to planning commission," John said. He added that anything larger would require a future return to the commission for approval.

Residents asked whether the parcel consolidation would immediately allow roads or multiple lots. John and Krause clarified that the commission was being asked only to approve the consolidation survey. "Just to clarify, the only request before the planning commission is to approve a consolidation survey that takes what is already existing, which is broken up into 5 parcels, make it into 1 parcel. They're not asking to build any roads. They're not putting in roads. They're not building any houses. They're not building any subdivisions," Krause said.

Several neighbors raised concerns about potential future subdivision and sewer capacity. One resident asked whether the area could become a subdivision if a buyer later sought that change; John replied that a future subdivision or development application would return to the commission and that neighbors within the statutory notification distance would receive written notice. He also said sewer capacity could be a limiting factor: "That's the other big issue is having capacity for the sewer, which I don't think we have right now." The commission did not quantify sewer capacity at the meeting.

After public comment, a commissioner made a motion to approve the consolidation survey; another commissioner seconded. The commission approved the plat by voice vote. The approval consolidates the five identified parcels into one legal lot; it does not itself change zoning, create lots for sale beyond the existing legal configuration, or permit construction.

Those who want to pursue development beyond a single-family home or duplex would have to submit separate applications and would receive public notices as required by the city's notification rules.