Seminole commissioners deny developer’s plan for man-made lake in rural boundary
Seminole commissioners on Tuesday unanimously rejected a developer’s plan for a residential community centered by a man-made lake for water skiing within the county’s rural boundary after dozens of residents voiced concerns about the environmental damage the deep pit would cause to the aquifer and nearby water wells.
“I’m not opposed to people making money. This world works with people making money and being able to put food on the table,” Commissioner Amy Lockhart said. “But this is an enormous, proposed lake in one of the most critical, fragile parts of the county.”
The proposed Geneva Ski Lake project called for a dozen homes — each on one acre lots — on nearly 114 acres of pastureland south of State Road 46 and east of Snow Hill Road.
In the center, the developer would carve out a pit nearly 40 feet deep and fill it with water to create a water-skiing attraction, according to the application submitted by Sadique Jaffer and his company Kirkman Colonial Partners LLC.
County staff in August approved a development order to move the project forward, saying it was consistent with Seminole’s development codes if the homes were clustered on two portions of the property and the rest of the land remained as open space.
A staff report pointed out that borrow pits are allowed in the area by the county’s development codes and recommended commissioners approve the development.
But two resident groups — Geneva Citizens Association and Bear Warriors United — filed separate appeals to the Board of County Commission, citing the environmental harm a man-made pit filled with groundwater would create to the Geneva Lens – a source for drinking water for that area. Homes have wells because there are no water lines in the area.
East Seminole residents are fiercely protective of the county’s rural boundary, a designated area approved by voters in 2014 that covers nearly one third of Seminole and limits development to either one home per five acres or one home per 10 acres.
Residents also feared that the Geneva Ski Lake developer would dig out the pit, truck out at least 400,000 cubic yards of dirt to sell and leave behind an empty mud hole without building any homes or even creating a lake for water skiing. It also could set a precedent for future borrow pits within the rural boundary, they said.
“Geneva would be known as the land of 1,000 abandoned borrow pits,” said Richard Creedon, vice president of the Geneva Citizens Association. “What would remain would be a deep, ugly hole.”
But attorney William Barfield, representing the developer, said the man-made ski lake would naturally fill with ground water and be “an integral part of the community.” He pointed out that Seminole requires the developer to submit bond of millions of dollars to ensure that the entire development is fully completed.
The lake would be narrow and large enough for one boat to use as a water-skiing slalom course for recreation, Barfield said.
“It’s to attract a specific clientele,” Barfield said. “It would be exclusively for the use of the residents of that community.”
In urging commissioners to approve the project, Barfield said the application followed all of the county’s development codes.
Commissioner Jay Zembower agreed, saying it was unfair to the developer to reject the proposed development because of the county’s “antiquated and outdated” codes.
“When you tell someone, these are the rules of the game, but then you change the rules of the game halfway, it bothers me immensely,” Zembower said.
However, he later voted in favor of his motion to deny the staff’s development order on the project and uphold the residents’ appeals.
Nancy Harmon of the Geneva Citizens Association said the noise and activity on the lake would destroy the rural character of the area.
“It destroys the neighboring areas by not allowing them to have the quiet,” Harmon said. “The rural character of the area is not enhanced.”
mcomas@orlandosentinel.com
———
©2020 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.)
Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
