Article
and Video Courtesy of ABC Action News
By Rebecca Petit
Published April 29, 2021
|
Watch
VIDEO
|
MULBERRY — Residents in one Polk County community are
fighting against the rezoning of a golf course.
“We have a lot of wild birds that come out to the ponds, we don’t know
if they would stop coming to the ponds. We also have at least one
resident that we’ve spoken to who has some pictures of Florida
panthers,” said Aaron Puffer who lives at Imperial Lakes.
Neighbors said the wildlife would have no place to go
if homes are built on the Imperial Lakes Golf Course in Mulberry.
In a meeting Monday, residents learned an application was submitted to
Polk County as the first step in the process of getting 188 acres of the
golf course rezoned for residential land use.
Neighbors said the wildlife would have no place to go if homes are built
on the Imperial Lakes Golf Course in Mulberry.
In a meeting Monday, residents learned an application was submitted to
Polk County as the first step in the process of getting 188 acres of the
golf course rezoned for residential land use. |
|
|
“The rezoning application plans for the maximum amount of houses that
would be planned for the property and the application has 940 houses on
it, and that’s just to ensure the proper utilities can be handled with
all of that,” Puffer said.
Puffer is one of the 125 residents that signed a petition opposing
rezoning to protect the animals. However, the owner of the golf course
said no wildlife will be harmed.
“Most of the wildlife is on the back 9. We’ve already put holes 14, 15
and 16 which is where they all live, under a conservation easement that
runs in perpetuity. It can never be developed,” said John Lennon, Owner
of Imperial Lakes Golf Course.
He said there are no specific plans in place right now for redevelopment
and no potential buyers.
One option residents want considered is having neighboring HOA’s
purchase the golf course.
“You know, as HOA representatives we need to get together. We need to
look at what we can do and what we can't,” said Donnie Arbeau, HOA
President.
|