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Petition calls for rejection of proposed 2,000+ home community in Bartow

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Published  March 4, 2025 10:56pm EST
Bartow
FOX 13 News

Nearly 1,000 Bartow residents oppose new community

FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports nearly a thousand Bartow residents are signing a Change.org petition opposing a proposed 900-acre community called Emilie at Bartow. It would be located north of SR 60 and Peace Creek if approved.

The Brief

    • A new neighborhood of single-family homes proposed off State Road 60 in Bartow has attracted some residents' resistance.
    • Residents worry that the development will bring too many people to the area too quickly and that the city will divert money from road improvements and utilities.
    • A petition on Change.org has almost 1,000 signatures from people who oppose the new 900-acre community called Emilie at Bartow.

BARTOW, Fla. - A new large-scale neighborhood is being proposed off State Road 60, but some residents believe the project will not benefit an already growing county.

Marie Carvajal has lived in Bartow for more than thirty years, and its small-town charm is one of the reasons she loves it.

Rendering of proposed neighborhood in Bartow.

"Anyone that knows me knows how much I love Bartow," said Carvajal. "I'm passionate about how I live in a small town, and I just want to keep it that way."

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Dig deeper:

Carvajal created a Change.org petition, which has gathered nearly 1,000 signatures, to stop the development of a new 900-acre community called Emilie at Bartow, located north of SR 60 and Peace Creek.

The 2,245 single-family homes are expected to start at under $300,000 but may increase to between $350,000 and $400,000 over the next few years. 

"My key concerns are to improve the roads, improve the utilities, and our public services before population growth," said Carvajal. "I just think that's important."

"There's nothing to be hidden. We understand growth is scary," said David Waronker, the owner of CBD Real Estate, Emilie at Bartow's developer.

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Rendering of Emilie at Bartow's home in Polk County.

Waronker says they have conducted an extensive traffic study. The project would include major improvements to the area, including constructing two bridges to direct traffic off the state highway.

"We're going to do anything we can to minimize the impact on the area residents. I know Gerber Dairy Road is a sensitive area, and there's no intention to connect to that road," said Waronker.

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If the project were to be approved today, Waronker says the groundbreaking would not happen until at least two years from now.

Carvajal understands change and growth are inevitable, but she believes now isn't the right time.

"Why are you bringing more and more people into this small city before addressing current issues?" Carvajal said.

What's next:

According to Bartow's city manager, the project will come before the Planning Commission and the City Commission sometime during the next three months.

The Source: FOX 13's Carla Bayron collected the information found in this article.

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