Lady Lake has a comprehensive plan designed to address future growth. That plan identifies where residential and commercial growth should occur in Lady Lake.
From what I saw on the zoning for this property, Lady Lake has it zoned Commercial. If it was planned and zoned for commercial development, due to its location, that seems much more appropriate, since everything in the area is commercial including Recreation Plantation, an existing RV rental location.
There is no existing residential property along Rolling Acres Road between County Road 466 and U.S. Hwy. 441. Why would Lady Lake Commission re-zone a planned commercial site to Residential? Why? Why? Why? No one is even addressing the comparative needs of 300 apartments for water and sewer versus the low needs of commercial development by comparison.
Jamming another 600 to 900 people into 2,400-square-foot – three bedroom/two-bath apartments and adding 300 to 600 cars, with who knows how many trips added to Rolling Acres Road could be a disaster! Most households have two cars. Oh yes, how will they get their golf carts to The Villages? That is where they will all want to go for the “free” entertainment. The existing businesses on Rolling Acres Road are not the problem. Local and Lake County authorities cannot get together to attempt to solve the existing problem of Rolling Acres Road. Why would Lady Lake allow any further development before that problem is solved? You don’t think the developer is willing to pay for it do you? That is exactly what IMPACT FEES are for. But, impact fees are severely limited by State Law.
The problem is, that Rolling Acres Road is a Commercial Zone. It is the link between County Road 466 and U.S. Hwy. 441. Therefore, all traffic, including all the newly built apartment dwellers already added to our roads. Don’t forget the recent apartments near Lowe’s and at County Road 466 and 100 in Sumter County (a gift from Sumter County commissioners), behind Sam’s Club and the other proposals already approved on County Road 466 at County Road 100, in Lady Lake, and the Lake Ella Road proposal, just to name two.
There has to be a tipping point at which Lady Lake says – no more! Don’t ask us to annex lots outside Lady Lake, into Lady Lake and don’t ask us for water and sewer Sumter County. Lady Lake has issues of it’s own to deal with. Who would want to create more by spot changing zoning in the middle of a Commercial Zone to Residential. Bah Humbug! Stop the emotional responses to ridiculous requests. Just say NO! Single family homes developed and planned, do not cause the kind of need that apartments cause – nor do they create the traffic, schools, water and sewer demands, concentrated human populations needing more police, fire and emergency services. The Villages was so successful because it is not apartments! My two cents.
Robert Nyce is a Villager and a former member of the Lady Lake Planning and Zoning Board.
