Swiftmud Will Buy 3 Houses

SARASOTA | Water district officials have approved the purchase of three more houses in connection with plans to raise the level of Lake Hancock.

The purchases on the lake's west side, approved Tuesday at the Southwest Florida Water Management District's regular monthly meeting, were:

A house owned by John and Jacqueline Whitehead on Jacque Le Lane, for $461,500, which included legal fees.

A house owned by Paul and Marianne Palmer on Jacque Le Lane, for $511,200, which included legal fees.

A house owned by Kevin L. and Mary Glynda Meadows on Saddle Creek Farm Road, for $480,000.

The 11 homes bought so far are part of a list of 33 homes that have been targeted for purchase under a proposal approved in September 2007 to raise the lake's maximum regulated level from 98.7 feet to 100 feet above sea level.

That increase would return the lake to its historic level.

The higher lake level will be used to store water to replenish the upper Peace River during dry periods so that minimum flows can be maintained as required by state law, officials have said.

The larger, relatively undeveloped tracts on the east side of the lake is now totally under Swiftmud's control.

That area is expected to be the location of a future extension of the Fort Fraser Trail.

[ Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535. Read more views on the environment at environment.theledger.com. ]