Residents oppose transfer of County Road Number 2 to Howey‑in‑the‑Hills; board tables final decision for workshop

Dozens of residents from the Number 2 Road corridor asked Lake County commissioners on Oct. 28 to deny a proposed transfer of the road to the Town of Howey‑in‑the‑Hills, citing safety concerns, narrow lanes and planned subdivision traffic increases.

Speakers said sections of the road have lane widths from about 7½ to 9 feet with no shoulders, making it unsafe for two‑way traffic and emergency vehicles. Britney Lerch presented video footage showing narrow lanes and vehicle ruts and asked commissioners to “deny this transfer request or at a minimum make any transfer contingent upon the entire road being reconstructed to FDOT safety standards.” Terry Blessing and others urged the board to consider making the corridor a dead end at Silverwood Lane to prevent through westbound traffic.

Town officials said the Howey‑in‑the‑Hills council voted to request ownership of the corridor and that developers in the town have agreed to widen the portion they control; the town’s public services director said any future entrances could be limited to right‑out to limit westbound traffic. County staff confirmed a straight transfer agreement would convey ownership and maintenance to the town without mandatory reconstruction conditions; the county’s standard municipal transfer agreement contains no additional development conditions.

A motion to approve the transfer with language providing for a future workshop and exploring a temporary dead‑end failed on a 2–2 vote (one commissioner recused). The chair directed staff to notify Howey‑in‑the‑Hills that the county will schedule a workshop to examine options including a temporary closure or vacating a portion of the road, and to return quickly with recommended next steps.