Commissioners approve vacation of 1,200‑square‑foot platted park in Mount Plymouth after developer outlines remediation and construction timeline

Lake County commissioners voted Feb. 11 to vacate the county's public interest in a roughly 1,200‑square‑foot triangular platted park in the Mount Plymouth subdivision, clearing a legal obstacle to recording final plats for a residential development.

The vote followed a presentation from the petitioner's representative and questions from commissioners about remediation, traffic-calming commitments tied to the approved planned unit development (PUD), and ongoing ATV trespass and site maintenance concerns raised by nearby residents.

Why it matters: Vacating the platted park converts a small public interest parcel so it can be integrated into private lots or site infrastructure and allows the developer to proceed with required site improvements and plat recordation. Residents urged the developer to fulfill prior PUD commitments including road improvements and traffic calming.

During the hearing Fred Schneider, assistant county manager, introduced the petition and described the item as unique in his experience. Schneider said the parcel dates to an early plat (circa 1926) and is a small triangular piece next to Prestwick Avenue. He told the board the Office of Parks and Trails raised no objections and that the parcel's public interest could be vacated.

Ray Braddock, representing the petitioner, told the board the project has been in process for about 10 years and described extensive environmental remediation required before construction could begin. "We spent in excess of $800,000 remediating the arsenic that was on that site," Braddock said, adding that state Department of Environmental Protection approvals delayed construction. He said construction of site improvements would begin "within the next couple months," and the planned work would include paving Exmoor from SR 435 to Saksimaxon and installing traffic calming devices that were conditions of the PUD.

Residents and at least one commissioner expressed frustration that several PUD conditions had not been completed earlier, including traffic-calming installation and enforcement of trespass restrictions. One commissioner noted calls from residents and said those concerns weighed on their decision to consider postponement. Schneider confirmed the county historically does not condition vacation petitions, although the board could postpone the item to obtain additional information or to consider enforcement of PUD conditions.

After a motion to table and discussion that included developer remarks, a commissioner moved to approve the vacation petition. The motion passed unanimously.

What the action does: The board's approval authorizes staff to proceed with processing the vacation petition. County staff indicated the next administrative steps include preparing the instrument for recordation and updating plat records, after which the developer may dedicate eight feet as county right-of-way and provide required landscape buffers as shown in the approved PUD. Braddock said, after dedications and buffers, "there's only, like, 3 or 400 square feet left" of the original triangle.

Remaining issues and follow-up: Commissioners and residents asked staff to revisit enforcement and timing of outstanding PUD conditions. Staff advised the board that, because of repeated state emergency extensions and developer requests for time, the county may have limited ability to revoke a PUD without specific review of construction-start requirements. The board recorded approval but discussed the option to postpone in future cases where enforcement concerns persist.