KATHLEEN, Fla. — Polk County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, and that growth is now at the center of a heated debate north of Lakeland.
Dozens of homeowners packed a community meeting Tuesday night to voice opposition to a proposed new government center the county might build along Kathleen Road, a few miles north of I-4.
WATCH: 'Do better': Homeowners blast proposed government center north of Lakeland
Many in the room made their feelings crystal clear.
“This is not what we want,” one told county leaders. “Do better.”
“Nobody here wants your government center,” another added.
For many of them, traffic topped the list of concerns.
Neighbors who live off Kathleen Road and near Sleepy Hill Road said congestion is already worsening, and speeding makes it difficult and sometimes dangerous to leave their subdivisions.
Others focused on flooding.
One woman, who lives on Abbott Lane, said water had to be pumped out of backyards after Hurricane Milton. The proposed government center site sits near multiple subdivisions, including another that flooded more significantly during the storm.
“It doesn’t take an engineer to realize that the more you build, the more developments that go up, that water has to go somewhere,” one man told county leaders.
Polk County Commissioner Michael Scott pushed back on the idea that the government center would worsen flooding. He said the flood-prone neighborhood sits in what engineers describe as a contained basin and argued the county’s project could actually improve its storm water situation.
Scott said the building would be designed to handle a 100 year storm event and could include expansion of an existing pond to reduce overflow into the nearby neighborhood during severe weather.
Additionally, Roads and Drainage Director Jay Jarvis said the Board of County Commissioners has already allocated funds for a permanent pump discharge system that would help alleviate standing water behind some homes in the area.
County officials also argued the property they purchased for the government center was likely to be developed regardless.
Commissioner Scott said the land had drawn interest from multiple statewide developers for single-family housing. By purchasing it, he said, the county gained the ability to influence what gets built there and to what standards.
“With us owning it as a county, myself and other commissioners can influence, with your input, what happens there,” Scott said.
County officials also argued a government center could create less traffic than a residential subdivision because it would not operate on nights, weekends or holidays.
Some residents suggested placing the facility at the former Sears property at the Lakeland Square Mall, which is currently listed for sale at $8 million.
Wade Allen, director of real estate services, said the county explored alternatives but determined renovating the Sears building would likely cost more than developing the Kathleen property, and may not allow the county to deliver the type of facility it needs long term.
Commissioner Scott added that other potential sites along U.S. 98 present challenges because of wetlands and a lack of suitable large parcels.
County leaders emphasized that the proposal remains in its early stages. No engineering plans have been drafted, and no consultants have been hired.
Scott said discussions about the need for expanded facilities have been underway for about two years and that meetings were properly noticed.
County Manager Bill Beasley said the county is planning decades ahead. He described current facilities near downtown Lakeland as “woefully inadequate.”
North Lakeland, he said, is growing, and the county must plan for the next 50 years.
The proposed center could include expanded government services, green space and possibly even a library.
Still, for many in the room, that vision did little to ease concerns.
“You should be protecting us,” one woman told commissioners. “We want this community to stay the way it is.”
Share Your Story with Chad
Chad Mills calls Polk County home and has witnessed the area’s growth firsthand. He keeps his eye on the City of Lakeland, our agriculture community, and helping you navigate everyday expenses. Use the form below to share your story ideas with Chad.
.
Son remembers mother who was one of four victims killed at Sarasota County home
Olga Greinert was one of four people shot and killed at a home in Sarasota County on February 10. Eldar Greinert, Olga's youngest child, recounts to Tampa Bay 28 reporter Julie Salomone the moments deputies broke the news of her death.
