Lady Lake officials have voted to avoid public discussion of controversial issues like the apartments at Spanish Springs Town Square.
The Lady Lake Commission in a 3-2 vote Monday night, agreed to a measure recommended by town staff to nix its site plan approval process which has been deemed “inefficient” and “unnecessary.”
The commissioners have endured brutal public outcry in the past, most memorably the acrimonious battle over The Villages’ desire to put in apartments at the former Katie Belle’s location at Spanish Springs Town Square.
Under the measure approved 3-2 Monday night, there would have been no public hearing on the apartments. The paperwork would have been handled administratively by town staffers. The apartment proposal would not have gone before the elected commissioners for their approval.
John Spang of Harbor Hills said keeping the public out of the process is a bad idea.
“We can inform (the commissioners) of some aspect of a project that they may not know about,” Spang said.
He added that public involvement is crucial.
“I don’t trust anyone in government anymore,” he said.
Villager Richard Bryce, who spoke out at a pivotal battle over Walmart’s desire to remove historic live oak trees, was at the podium again Monday night and begged the commissioners to reconsider their action.
“Trust me, taking away that step is not a good move. Please be cautious on this,” Bryce said. “I think it’s in the best interests of everyone to keep it before everyone.”
However, town staff pushed the idea and said it would shield commissioners from the onslaught of public comment, particularly if the proposed project meets the town’s requirements and the commissioners’ vote is merely a ceremonial exercise.
“The problem arises when the public makes the assumption that any site plan being brought before the commission for a decision may be considered for approval or denial,” said Thad Carroll of the Growth Management department. “If the applicant has satisfied the zoning requirements and applicable building codes, a vote to deny the project is not a viable choice for the Town Commission if they wish to avoid litigation. Allowing public input on the site plan proposal gives the impression that residents have the ability to persuade the Commission to deny the site plan, when in reality, they do not.”
The town’s attorney, Derek Schroth agreed with the assessment.
“It creates an environment in which the commissioners are in a rough place,” Schroth said.
In 2022, Mayor Ed Freeman found himself at the center of such a storm when the commission voted 3-2 to reject The Villages’ plan for apartments at the former home of Katie Belle’s at the Van Patten House. An overflow crowd of residents attended that meeting, making an impassioned plea to stand up to The Villages. Freeman, a Water Oaker who had been elected to the commission one year earlier, joined Commissioner Paul Hannan and Mayor Jim Rietz in voting against the plan for the apartments. However, within days of that meeting, Commissioner Freeman contacted the town’s attorney and admitted he had misgivings about his vote, due to the likelihood of a lawsuit by The Villages. Freeman decided to change his vote.
At Monday night’s meeting, Freeman described that 2022 change of heart.
“I was involved in one of those situations where we turned down the apartments in Spanish Springs. I later learned my vote to turn it down was going to cost the town a lot of money. So I changed my vote,” Freeman said.
He went on to join Commissioners Treva Roberts and John Gourlie in the decision to remove the commission from the site plan approval process. Commissioners Ed Regan and Mike Sage voted against it.
After the meeting, neighbors of the Grand Oaks Resort, who are battling a plan for a massive mobile home park, expressed their wariness about the commission’s decision. The neighbors, who said they never received notice of Grand Oaks’ proposal and only learned of it through a story in Villages-News.com, said they fear Grand Oaks will now manipulate the process to work with town staffers to sidestep public hearings.