Commercial Truck Insurance in Lakeland, FL

A massive array of ground-mounted solar panels may soon rise on 1,400 acres of largely undevelopable land near Florida Polytechnic University.

The City Commission voted unanimously Monday to allow the solar power generation facility as a conditional use on 2,044 acres of marshy land — east of State Road 33 and North Combee Road and south of University Boulevard.

The land is part of a nearly 5,000-acre tract that the Williams Acquisition Holding Co. LLC has owned for more than two decades.

Williams, based in Oklahoma, is one of the largest natural gas providers in the U.S. and has major land holdings across the Eastern Seaboard, the Gulf of Mexico, the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest. The company has also invested heavily in new energy ventures including large-scale solar installations.

Much of the property proposed for the solar farm was formerly used for phosphate mining. Because it has poor soil that is not suitable for development, it was zoned for conservation or limited development when it was annexed into the city limits in 2001.

Tom Cloud, a land use attorney with GrayRobinson in Orlando, told the commissioners that the solar farm is a perfect use for land that would otherwise likely sit vacant.

The 200 megawatt solar farm will have dozens of racks of 90 solar panels each that are roughly 153 feet long, 13 feet wide and 15 feet tall. They will rotate 60 degrees from east to west to track the movement of the sun.

An analysis by city planners said the effect on neighboring properties “should be minimal as the project will not generate any significant noise, odors or traffic impacts.” The solar farm would be set back at least 100 feet from State Road 33 and buffered by shrubs or trees and a minimum 6-foot high fence or wall.

“It’s hard to imagine, for me, that you could find a better place for a solar farm,” Cloud said at an agenda study session on Friday. “Most of the ones you see, like if you go up the turnpike or the 429, are readily visible from the highway. … This one is going to have a much better visual footprint because, for the most part, you’re not going to know it’s there.”

The project would be completed in three phases. The first would be on 1,400 acres.

Commissioners had some questions about environmental impact, when they discussed it on Dec. 1 prior to the first reading.

Sara Roberts McCarley said she was generally supportive of the project but wanted to make sure the city was thinking about potential “unintended consequences” in terms of water drainage and how the “wave of mirror” might affect the rain and water cycles.

“If you are elevating the terrain with gravel, you are changing the landscape literally, even though it is a wetland and not suitable for other things. Down the road, are we going to see some environmental impacts into Bridgewater and these other places?” McCarley asked. “Water is going to find its way to go somewhere, especially if we dry out and build these things. So I just think that is a critical component to that whole area.”

In the intervening weeks, her questions were answered to her satisfaction. On Monday, she called it “the highest, best use” of the property.

Commissioner Mike Musick wanted to make sure the city and the Innovation District will benefit from the project. The Central Florida Innovation District is a vision shared by Lakeland, Auburndale, Polk County and other stakeholders to transform the area around Florida Polytechnic University and SunTrax into a high-tech corridor with high-skills, high-wage jobs.

City Planning and Transportation Manager Chuck Barmby said some of the power will go to Lakeland Electric and surveys had taken drainage and environmental concerns into account.

Commissioner Stephanie Madden on Monday thanked the Williams Company for working with the city and Florida Poly to continue nurturing the dream they have for the Innovation District.

“They really sat at our table and with Florida Poly,” she said. “It’s so great when developers and property owners who want to see the vision of a region and how that could radically transform the future for Central Florida.”

Madden recently sounded an alarm at the Dec. 4 commission meeting regarding the city of Auburndale considering a planned warehouse north of Pace Road and east of the Polk Parkway, saying it goes against all of the plans city and county leaders have adopted for a science-and-technology hub anchored by the university.

LAKELAND, Fla. – If you’ve driven on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland lately, you’re familiar with the concrete bumpers there.

What You Need To Know

They are part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) “road diet” there.

They are something Kayleigh Harrison sees every day at work.

“You can see marks. I think there’s a piece of a tire. There’s all kinds of things,” Harrison said.

She’s referring to the numerous tire marks from cars that have struck the barricades. Working at Levy’s Imperial Tire on Florida Avenue, she says the business often sees customers come in after running into one of the bumpers.

“People don’t see it. It causes flat tires. Sometimes it’ll eat up a person’s wheel when they blow out a tire. A lot of that adds up pretty quickly,” Harrison said.

The bumpers were installed as part of the “road diet” on South Florida Avenue (State Road 37) in Lakeland’s Dixieland corridor.

FDOT changed the road from four narrow through lanes to two wider lanes, plus a center turning lane. The idea was to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians and get the road up to modern standards.

But it’s led to some traffic complaints.

“It’s supposed to be for pedestrians. But it ends up affecting the cars more than anything,” Harrison said.

FDOT made the change after years of studies and public meetings. Lakeland officials say they have received positive feedback from some business owners. A study also showed that drive times were mostly unaffected by the change.

The city commission voted to make the change permanent in December 2022.

So the road diet is here to stay.

But city officials tell Spectrum News there are plans to at least remove the concrete barriers at some point in an upcoming budget year.

They’ll eventually be replaced with amenities like new sidewalks, streetscapes and bike lanes.

For more information, visit https://www.lakelandgov.net/departments/communications/road-diet/

Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected to wash over Lakeland on Saturday, causing many events to be canceled, postponed or moved indoors.

The National Weather Service says a low pressure system out of the southeast Gulf of Mexico will bring “widespread heavy rainfall” to our region starting Saturday morning and building throughout the day. AccuWeather is reporting a 100% probability of rain with wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour.

Cancellations and changes announced so far include:

The Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market is canceled tomorrow. It will return Saturday, Dec. 23.

Julie Townsend, director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, said high winds can be “particularly treacherous for an outdoor market” where tents and canopies can be toppled or become airborne.

The Hmong Community New Year Celebration has been moved from Tigertown to Sikes Hall in the RP Funding Center at 701 W. Lime Street and the event will be slightly different.

There will still be an opening ceremony, history and reflections, games, craft vendors and performances. However, because of the RP Funding Center’s policies banning outside food and beverages, the free community lunch is canceled and vendors will not be selling traditional foods.

In an emotional Facebook post, organizers said they were “upset and disappointed” by the unfortunate circumstances, but thanked the RP Funding Center for being “gracious to accommodate us so very last minute.”

The Artisan Crafters Holiday Market at the Lakeland Antique Mall is canceled. The event was set to feature 35 vendors with handmade, homemade and vintage goods including home decor, candles and baked goods.

The next market will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20.

The in-person portion of the city of Lakeland’s holiday-themed 5k run that was scheduled for Saturday morning has been canceled. Registered runners will be automatically transferred to the virtual option. Or they can defer to next year or receive a refund by emailing events@fitniche.com.

Saturday evening’s 6-8 p.m. Christmas lights display and family events at Bonnet Springs Park have been canceled. Light Up BSP continues every evening from 6 to 8 through New Year’s Eve.

State traffic planners are considering a new road that would provide a more direct connection between State Road 33 and Walt Williams Road just across Interstate 4, and they're inviting the public to a workshop Tuesday.

Currently, people needing to go from one area to the other have two, lengthy, out-of-the-way options. For instance, Bridgewater residents who might need to take children to Wendell Watson Elementary can travel more than a mile south on SR 33 to Old Combee Road, then cross I-4 to Socrum Loop Road, then north to Walt Loop Road, then Walt Williams.

The other option is longer, but avoids nasty traffic around Socrum Loop. It involves going north on SR 33 to Tomkow Road, then west on Old Polk City Road to Walt Williams Road.

Residents in the area of Walt Williams Road looking to travel in the other direction have a similar dilemma.

Walt Williams Road is a long, winding road that starts at Walt Loop Road in the west, runs east to I-4, then curves northeast to front the intestate before turning north. From there, it runs alongside Wendell Watson Elementary School before turning sharply to the west, then due north to Old Polk City Road.

The Florida Department of Transportation is looking into the feasibility of a direct route between Walt Williams Road and SR 33 either to the east or west of the Bridgewater development. And planners have four ideas they'll present at Tuesday's workshop, which runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lake Crago Recreation Center, 525 Lake Crago Drive, Lakeland.

Idea 1

The first idea would involve building an eastward extension where Walt Williams turns north to run along I-4. The extension would cross the interstate, then turn due south through a rural pocket before connecting to Lake Luther Road and continuing to SR 33. The FDOT staff report said the benefits to this route are a direct connection to Walt Williams and low environmental impact, such as gopher tortoise and eagle nests. The downsides to the route are residential impacts on the south side of the interstate and its proximity to Old Combee Road.

Idea 2

The second idea would build an extension where Walt Williams turns north, just on the south end of the elementary school. The extension would continue to partially front I-4 through a wooded parcel before crossing the interstate to the north of the Bridgewater neighborhood and connecting with Tradeport Boulevard and eventually SR 33 between Bridgewater and a warehousing development. The staff report said the benefits are it avoids impacts to gopher tortoise and eagle nests and its proximity to the elementary school. It's drawbacks include an impact to wetlands, an awkward geometry for its I-4 crossing, a realignment of Walt Williams Road at the elementary school and potential concerns with sight distance.

Idea 3

The third idea would involve building an extension where Walt Williams makes a 90-degree turn at the northeast corner of the elementary school. It would then curve slightly south before crossing the interstate in a more direct path than option 2. But on the south side of I-4, it would make a sharper S-curve to make its way to Tradeport Boulevard and eventually SR 33. Like the others, the advantage to this route is avoiding impacts to gopher tortoise and eagle nests. The drawbacks, according to the staff report, are that it would conflict with circulation at Wendell Watson and require lower speed limits because of the S-curve.

Idea 4

The final idea would meet Walt Williams at the same spot as option 3, but wouldn't dip to the southeast before crossing the interstate (meaning it would cross I-4 at an odd angle). On the south side of I-4, it would take a slightly straighter path to Tradeport Boulevard, or rather a less-severe S-curve. But instead of taking Tradeport all the way to SR 33, it would curve sharply north between two of the warehouses and exit the complex via Firstpark Boulevard. That would allow the road to lineup up directly with University Boulevard, which leads to Florida Polytechnic and northern Auburndale. The benefits and drawbacks of this plan, according to staff, would be the same as option 3 except it would have one extra drawback — it would require a longer bridge over I-4 because of the awkward angle.

The open house

At Tuesday's open house, residents can view the plans and ask questions anytime from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For those unable to attend, there will be a live, online workshop on Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Advanced registration is required at https://bit.ly/3SfYRo2.

To view the full staff report before the meetings, go to the project webpage at https://www.swflroads.com/project/447989-1. Comments can be made through the webpage, or they can be emailed to adam.rose@dot.state.fl.us or mailed to FDOT District One, Attn: Adam Rose, 801 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33830). The FDOT said comments must be received or postmarked by March 4 to be included in the formal Public Workshop record.

Questions can be answered by calling the FDOT project manager Adam Rose at 863-519-2832.

A commuter rail line that could connect Lakeland and Orlando is one step closer. This isn’t the high-speed Brightline, it’s SunRail.

The Florida Department of Transportation is recommending a possible route for SunRail with seven stops across Polk County.

Polk County is the fastest growing county in the state, and planners are looking for ways to head off congestion.

"With this population growth, one of the key challenges is transportation congestion.-traffic congestion," said Parag Agrawal, the executive director of the Polk Transportation Organization.

The current proposal would extend SunRail from its existing station in Poinciana, through Polk County to stops in Haines City, Davenport, Lake Alfred, Auburndale, and finally Lakeland, 37 miles away.

But the plan could hit a bump with Polk County Commissioners, one of the bodies that would need to approve the plan.

"What’s wrong with it is that we do not have an unlimited supply of money," Commissioner Neil Combee said. "This will come at a tremendous cost."

The project could cost more than $350 million for just the first phase, a 16-mile stretch from Poinciana to Haines City.

Some question whether the train would succeed in reducing traffic on I-4.

"It doesn’t go anywhere that anybody's going to want to go," says Polk County Commissioner Bill Braswell. "It goes to Downtown Orlando Monday through Friday."

Braswell says SunRail currently doesn’t go to Disney World or International Drive where a lot of workers from Polk County have jobs.

He says the money would be better spent widening I-4 and adding express lanes. But others question whether enough lanes can be added to keep up with growth.

"Our population is 800,000 now, and it is projected to be 1.2 million by 2045," says Agrawal.

Much of the construction costs would be paid by the state and federal governments, but local governments would likely have to pay for everyday operations.

With fewer groves and bigger neighborhoods, the tracks are a dividing line in fast-growing Polk County.

If approved by the Polk County Commission and other officials, the entire line through Polk County wouldn’t open until 2035 at the earliest.