ASTATULA, Fla. – The town of Astatula may be taking the final step toward a year-long development moratorium during a special town meeting on Tuesday.
We first told you about a proposed moratorium on development in Astatula back in May and the town council is expected to vote on it during Tuesday’s special meeting.
“It’s something that our residents want,” said Astatula Mayor Zane Teeters. “It’s something that I’ve been advocating for for a while.”
The moratorium would only impact new projects — not ones that have already been approved.
“What we need to do is just slow it and manage the growth that we have, let our infrastructure have time to catch up,” Teeters said.
Back in April, Teeters was concerned about the town’s water plant not being able to keep up with the demand. However, Teeters said the town has been awarded a $700,000 grant for upgrades.
“We are currently waiting for a release of funds and what we’ll use that money for is we’re planning on erecting a 250,000-gallon tank,” Teeters said. “We currently run on a 10,000 gallon tank.”
While upgrading the town’s water infrastructure is still a high priority, Teeters said the development moratorium will allow enough time for the town to catch up in other areas like hiring more people.
“Currently, there are two open positions in our public works department,” Teeters said. “We also are looking to staff, parks and recreation. Again, more people, more demand for services. We have two beautiful parks here but we have no park staff.”
Astatula wouldn’t be the first Lake County community to toss around the idea of a development moratorium.
Leesburg considered a pause on development back in April, but it was ultimately struck down.
Teeters said he doesn’t want to stop growth in Astatula, he just wants to see it done responsibly.
“If the moratorium was to be lifted in 12 months, my hope is that at that point, we’ll be able to manage the growth again, responsibly, but we’ll lose the charm that we have here,” Teeters said.
If the moratorium is approved, Teeters said they would have the option to renew it at 11 months, and it would go into effect immediately. Tuesday’s special meeting is set to take place at 6:00 pm at the Astatula Town Hall.