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A new plan for the city of Lake Wales seeks to control development and conserve the environment. Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the plan at an Oct. 17 meeting.
For Commissioner Keith Thompson, it was a significant vote.
“For me, it gets really really simple and a bit emotional. This is about the city that I’ve called home for over 50 years, and what the future is going to look like way, way beyond when I take my final breaths and leave this earth”
The plan, titled “Lake Wales Envisioned”, is to manage suburban sprawl and development. It includes plans for walkable neighborhoods and conservation areas.
According to the plan, they want to avoid Lake Wales becoming filled with “bland subdivisions” and “strip malls” like other new developments on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, The city paid about $580,000 to produce Lake Wales Envisioned. The company released a brochure and plan that can be found at www.lakewalesenvisioned.com
Most public comment was in support of the plan, and the commission voted unanimously to adopt the ideas of the plan.
