Updated: Two City Meetings today in Lake County, FL Illustrate dangers of building homes in rural areas that could be annexed by cities.

Tavares, FL                              Sept 20, 2017

Post meeting updates for both meetings were added at the end of each section at 8pm on Sept. 20, 2017.

 

Can any Lake County, FL resident who built a "dream home" in rural or lakefront Lake County feel safe from being annexed by a nearby city with higher taxes and high density planned development over their back fence?

 

Today are two meetings affecting future living styles of retirees in rural Lake County residences. Two different cities are trying to annex different land areas that County rural residents don't want to happen. They don't want the taxes, or they don't want the planned nearby development that conflicts with the existing land uses.  (Note:  I will post updates on these meetings below each section after they take place today.)

 

1. The Tavares City Council meets today, Sept. 20, 2017 at 4pm to review and approve two ordinances that would result in annexation of 222 acres on Shirley Shores Road of rural lands near Deer Island on the south shore of Lake Dora. The second ordinance would change the County defined "rural transition" land use to city land use densities of 3 units per acre compared to existing residences ranging from 1 to 25+ acres. We have learned that today's agenda items may be postponed a month at the request of the developer's attorneys. But the existing residents are livid about the planned high density development.

 

The Tavares City Staff has worked with residents and the developer to reduce some of the concerns.  However, until the changes are formally implemented and approved, the density could still be 3 units per acre, and after non-buildable wetlands are accounted for, there could be 5-6 units per acre in some sections.

 

You can see my video of two affected residents discussing the issue here. (Which is uploading NOW and probably won't be visible until about 2:30 pm on Sept. 20.)

 

And you can see the longer August 19 Tavares Planning & Zoning meeting HERE where the annexation and high density future land use ordinances were approved for review by the City Council here.

 

The Tavares City Council refuses to video meetings, but I will try to video it and the future ones and post them on my FiscalRangersFlorida YouTube channel.  

 

Post Meeting Update - 8pm on Sept. 20, 2017:  The Tavares City Council heard public input on extending (continuing or postponing) the hearing over the two annexation Ordinances to Oct. 18 at the request of the developer's attorney, Jimmy Crawford.  Then they voted 5 to 0 to allow the continuation, even though about 60 affected residents were there asking for a decision now.  I video'd the meeting, and will upload it and post a link here in 1-2 days.

 

2. The Eustis City Council is wrapping up a dispute with the County Board and Mount Dora officials over an attempt to annex three existing retirement communities outside of the city borders. This is clearly a power and tax grab by the city.  Two hearings have been held, and this is the last before Eustis decides to implement a lawsuit for their "land grab". That meeting will be at 5:30 pm at the Eustis Community Center today, Sept. 20, 2017. They do NOT plan to video the meeting since it is not at the Eustis City Hall, but I will try to do so and post it in 2-3 days on my FiscalRangersFlorida YouTube channel.   You can see my video of an earlier May 15, 2017 contentious meeting HERE. 

 

Post Meeting Update - 8pm on Sept. 20, 2017:  The City Councils for Eustis and Mt. Dora, plus the Lake County Commissioners met to discuss a revised proposal for annexing property east of Eustis.   Eustis agreed not to annex the three retirement communities originally scheduled to be annexed. But after a lengthy discussion, the Eustis City Council agreed to drop their proposed changes and not move to litigation and mediation.  Mt. Dora would not budge from an earlier position, and the Lake County Commissioners came out against allowing non-contiguous annexation of other sections of land.  So, the issue is dead, but Eustis is rather steamed.  Apparently, they provide water to the three retirement communities and when it was done 13 years ago, the developers AGREED to be annexed in return for Eustis providing water and sewer services.  But the current residents came out in force in red shirts and cited all sorts of reasons why they should not be annexed.   So, the issue is dead, and putlic input was no allowed.  I made a video of the event and will upload it to YouTube in 2-3 days and will post the link HERE.  VJ

 

 

My Observations:

I will try to video both meetings. If you live in rural Lake County, you need to pay attention to this movement that COULD result in developers getting cities to annex land next door into a city and building high density properties there.

 

I plan to write articles about how the annexation bandwagon is accelerating and it seems the County Commissioners do little to protect residents from annexation or excessive land use changes. Most residents don't know many Lake County cities met in the last 2-3 years and divvied up the unincorporated (non-City) rural areas in an "ISBA" agreement that will result in many rural areas being annexed so cities can tax them and also increase land use densities.

 

There needs to be a state regulation that requires a full page "WARNING" statement to buyers of rural county residences or land about how Florida zoning and land use and comprehensive land use plans work against those residents who thought they could rely on their area staying agricultural or rural. Otherwise, in my opinion, well meaning new rural residents are getting conned by realtors about the continuation of their local living environment.

 

Please like, comment and share to get the word out to affected rural Lake County residents.

 

Vance Jochim