Oppose the Deeson Road Development (147 homes) in Kathleen, FL
The Issue
Stop overdevelopment in Kathleen!
The developer is back with a new proposal to place 147 homes on 117 acres on Deeson Rd, in the Kathleen Drainage Basin.
The first proposal was denied with prejudice by the Polk County Commissioners in July 2022. Four of Five Commissioners voted to deny the previous proposal of 242 homes with prejudice, with comments from commissioners stating:
"It is a very wet piece of property" (Wilson)
"This is nothing like what is in this area" (Wilson)
"This development looks good on paper but said this is poor property" (Combee)
"Drainage issues will always be a problem" (Combee)
"It is not compatible" (Braswell)
"They have had a lot of developments approved that looked good on paper but now they are dealing with flooding issues." (Braswell)
"Who would be responsible if surrounding residents sue because their properties are flooded?" (Braswell)
"It is not compatible with the surrounding area" (Santiago)
These viewpoints by the commissioners are applicable to the current development, as the density of the lots is still unlike anything in the surrounding areas.
COMPATIBILITY
Other homes in the area are on more land with room for farms, livestock, gardens, etc. The area is rural (surrounded by agricultural/residential (A/RR) land on three sides). The proposed development is completely out of place.
DENSITY
The land is currently zoned for one home per five acres. The proposed
density is 1.51 DU/AC with minimum lot sizes of 5,750 sq. ft. This proposal includes clustering of homes in the southwest corner of the property, with a grand entrance off Deeson Road. Again, nothing like this in the area.
WILDLIFE
Many species of wildlife, including threatened and endangered species like sandhill cranes and gopher tortoises, call this area home. The birds, deer, and other creatures would be permanently displaced.
FLOODING
The site is located in a flood plain along Blackwater Creek, an area known to flood in heavy rains. The creek runs through several local properties which would be severely impacted by the land build-up required.
Sign our petition today to call for our Polk County Commissioners to DENY THIS DEVELOPMENT!
Victory
The Issue
Stop overdevelopment in Kathleen!
The developer is back with a new proposal to place 147 homes on 117 acres on Deeson Rd, in the Kathleen Drainage Basin.
The first proposal was denied with prejudice by the Polk County Commissioners in July 2022. Four of Five Commissioners voted to deny the previous proposal of 242 homes with prejudice, with comments from commissioners stating:
"It is a very wet piece of property" (Wilson)
"This is nothing like what is in this area" (Wilson)
"This development looks good on paper but said this is poor property" (Combee)
"Drainage issues will always be a problem" (Combee)
"It is not compatible" (Braswell)
"They have had a lot of developments approved that looked good on paper but now they are dealing with flooding issues." (Braswell)
"Who would be responsible if surrounding residents sue because their properties are flooded?" (Braswell)
"It is not compatible with the surrounding area" (Santiago)
These viewpoints by the commissioners are applicable to the current development, as the density of the lots is still unlike anything in the surrounding areas.
COMPATIBILITY
Other homes in the area are on more land with room for farms, livestock, gardens, etc. The area is rural (surrounded by agricultural/residential (A/RR) land on three sides). The proposed development is completely out of place.
DENSITY
The land is currently zoned for one home per five acres. The proposed
density is 1.51 DU/AC with minimum lot sizes of 5,750 sq. ft. This proposal includes clustering of homes in the southwest corner of the property, with a grand entrance off Deeson Road. Again, nothing like this in the area.
WILDLIFE
Many species of wildlife, including threatened and endangered species like sandhill cranes and gopher tortoises, call this area home. The birds, deer, and other creatures would be permanently displaced.
FLOODING
The site is located in a flood plain along Blackwater Creek, an area known to flood in heavy rains. The creek runs through several local properties which would be severely impacted by the land build-up required.
Sign our petition today to call for our Polk County Commissioners to DENY THIS DEVELOPMENT!
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Petition created on June 8, 2023