Sawgrass Lakes West plan prompts meeting between West Melbourne, Melbourne city managers

Rick Neale
Florida Today

During school day mornings and afternoons, Kara Lakey directs lines of traffic at the lone "major intersection" within West Melbourne's Sawgrass Lakes subdivision, helping parents drive to and from Pineapple Cove Classical Academy.

And residents worry a proposed 300-acre housing expansion — Sawgrass Lakes West — could further swamp their neighborhood's limited road network.

"Traffic is often backed up and at a standstill trying to exit the community, as there is only one way in and one way out along via Norfolk Parkway east to Minton Road," three Sawgrass Lakes homeowners association presidents wrote in a Monday letter to Brevard County Commissioner Kristine Isnardi.

West Melbourne public safety aide Kara Lakey directs commuters Thursday morning at the intersection of Norfolk Parkway and Shallow Creek Boulevard.

"The Sawgrass Lakes development is still under construction with 578 of 933 planned homes currently sold. The build out in Sawgrass Lakes will therefore add an additional (355) homes to road infrastructure that can barely support the current 578 homes already sold," the HOA presidents stated.

"The addition of 700 proposed homes in Sawgrass Lakes West will further exacerbate the situation and create severe safety issues with grossly inadequate road infrastructure," they wrote.

Friday afternoon, West Melbourne City Manager Scott Morgan and Melbourne City Manager Shannon Lewis met to discuss Sawgrass Lakes West roads, sewer service, police and fire protection, and related topics.

Afterward, Morgan issued a prepared statement to FLORIDA TODAY:

"We did explore some ideas for good planning that could benefit both cities, members of the Platt family, D.R. Horton and current and future citizens of both cities," Morgan stated.

West Melbourne public safety aide Kara Lakey directs traffic from 7 to 8:15 a.m. school days at the intersection of Norfolk Parkway and Shallow Creek Boulevard in Sawgrass Lakes.

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A traffic study is underway, and numerous Melbourne City Council votes are expected in the coming months. Sawgrass Lakes is located in West Melbourne, while the bordering 300-acre portion of the Platt Ranch under contract for Sawgrass Lakes West lies within Melbourne city limits.

Melbourne does not have sewer service available for Sawgrass Lakes West, which lies geographically isolated from other city neighborhoods. The Melbourne City Council is pursuing a $46,150 engineering contract to study and design preliminary layout of an $850,000 sewer force main west of Interstate 95. City officials project property tax revenues from the future subdivision would exceed $1 million per year.

During the Jan. 8 Melbourne City Council meeting, West Melbourne Councilman John Dittmore objected to the $850,000 sewer plan — saying his city can provide Sawgrass Lakes West sewer service "tomorrow."

This map on file at Melbourne City Hall depicts the 300-acre Sawgrass Lakes West project site.

In a Jan. 10 letter to Lewis, Morgan recommended that Norfolk Parkway should be widened to four lanes — and extended westward as a two-lane road linking with the St. Johns Heritage Parkway — before the 580th Sawgrass Lakes West home receives a certificate of occupancy.

On Tuesday, West Melbourne Mayor Hal Rose, Morgan and City Attorney Morris Richardson discussed their city’s concerns with D.R. Horton officials.

Morgan and Lewis plan to touch base again next week, he announced in a Friday memo to West Melbourne leaders.

Neale is the South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638

or rneale@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @RickNeale1

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