LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Some residents in a flood-prone part of Lake County are celebrating a partial victory in their fight to stop new developments on rural land.
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Dozens of residents from the Wolfbranch Estates near Sorrento showed up to a county Commission meeting Tuesday.
Many residents asked county commissioners for a moratorium on new development and also voiced opposition to a proposed subdivision next to their community.
The plan for the Heritage Green subdivision would bring 265 homes to about 217 acres of land off Wolfbranch Road and Scenic Hills Drive.
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Residents of the Wolfbranch Estates said the proposal would worsen ongoing flooding challenges.
Channel 9 showed you floodwater flowing from nearby developments and pooling in low-laying areas inside of the Wolfbranch Estates after Hurricane Milton.
Three months later, some residents are still pumping water out of their yards.
After hearing from the community and planners for the Heritage Green project, commissioners ultimately decided to delay a vote on the plan for 90 days.
Read: Severe flood warning issued as the UK faces more weather disruptions
“There can be a compromise somewhere, I’m sure of it. But as it is now, I hope it does die in the 90-day extension,” said Jason Kempfer, a Wolfbranch Estates resident who is still pumping water out of his yard.
After the vote on Tuesday, Channel 9 spoke with Bill Ray, a planner on the Heritage Green Project.
He told Channel 9, developers with the project were confident they could address flooding concerns and added that their current plan is a proposed “no-discharge site” that could withstand and contain a 100-year flood.
“We know flooding is an issue. We fully expect to do a hydrologic surface flood analysis of the area to make sure that we’re not causing or adding to the problem,” said Ray, “Perhaps we have opportunities to mitigate some of the adverse impacts.”
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