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Residents approve plan to keep parks private

Lake Padgett Estates homeowners send their vote to the County Commission, which will consider taking the matter to the Legislature.

By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published July 9, 2005

LAND O'LAKES - Homeowners in Lake Padgett Estates, asked whether they wanted to keep their lakefront parks private, answered loudly, clearly and in great numbers.

They said yes.

More than 95 percent of the ballots cast were votes in favor of creating a special independent district to oversee the lakefront parks in their community. Of the 1,049 homeowners eligible to vote, 646 cast a vote before the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. Of those casting votes, 617 said yes, and 29 voted voted no. That leaves 403 who neglected to vote.

"This is great for the community," said Joe Kaminski, head of the communities municipal services taxing unit. "How many communities can say they have five parks with private access to four lakes?

"Now," Kaminski said, "we need to move through the process step by step."

Despite the landslide result, the issue doesn't end there.

The results next will go to the Pasco County Commission, which will be asked to decide July 26 whether to ask the Legislature to create a special independent district.

It seemed clear Friday that the commissioners were ready to make a case to local legislators and that the proposal would have a sponsor in the state Senate.

"Well, the people have spoken," said County Commissioner Pat Mulieri, whose district includes Lake Padgett. "I'm sure the commissioners are going to honor the people's wishes."

State Sen. Victor Crist, the Tampa Republican who represents Lake Padgett, said Friday he would do his part as well.

"If the people have worked hard to come to a consensus, and the County Commission is on board," Crist said, "I've got my directives, and I'll do my best to carry it through to fruition."

Many in Lake Padgett Estates never thought it was necessary to create such a special district. For years they believed they already had exclusive use of their lakefront parks. Until recently, the park at Lake Padgett had a stop sign and a security guard at the entrance, making sure that only homeowners and their guests passed through.

But the Pasco County attorney let board members know that the property belonged to the county and, therefore, was open to the public. That was despite the fact that residents had been paying a special tax assessment for the upkeep of the parks.

Over the past several months, community leaders have worked with county attorneys to fashion a solution. On Friday the majority of homeowners approved of that solution.

More than 61 percent of the eligible homeowners cast a vote. Nonvotes were to be counted as yes votes, but proponents didn't want to win that way. They feared that an apathetic turnout would fail to generate the kind of support needed to get the state to create the special district. Signs were erected throughout Lake Padgett urging neighbors to remember to vote. It appears to have paid off.

The 403 nonvotes included 19 ballots that were returned to the county as "nondeliverable" mail. Another 18 votes were not counted because they were duplicates. Each household could vote once.

At 4:51 p.m. Friday, just minutes before the deadline, the last ballot was dropped off at the Pasco Parks and Recreation office. The ballot had two large check marks in the yes column. It counted as one.

[Last modified July 9, 2005, 01:02:12]