On the agenda for the special called meeting by the Board of Commissioners (BOC) this evening includes a discussion for a Shelby County Sheriff substation or command center located in Lakeland. Over 10 years ago the option to have a substation off Highway 64 was presented to the city but leadership at that time decided against it. One of the reasons given at the time for turning down the SCSO substation was the sound of sirens leaving the station.
Now, over ten years later and the present state of crime in Shelby County, which is effecting Lakeland, the discussion has come back to the forefront. Previously, The Lake District was slated to have a command center but that has not come to fruition yet. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office provides police protection services to the City of Lakeland out of their current location in Arlington. According to the resolution, The Board of Commissioners wants “to partner with SCSO to improve their visibility, presence, and capacity within the city to improve public safety.” If approved the BOC will ask the City Manager to find suitable properties and locations in Lakeland for the specific use of a substation.
Another item of importance is the discussion of a moratorium on commercial development along Highway 70. The resolution states, it is “paramount that land use regulation continues in the most orderly and predictable fashion with the least amount of disturbance to landowners and City residents. Lakeland PULSE Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee will engage Lakeland residents and formulate an updated Comprehensive Plan.” It states that the city of Lakeland needs ample time to receive input from citizens so that the comprehensive plan can articulate and clearly communicate what residents desire to see in Lakeland. As previously reported the next comprehensive plan meeting is next week at IH Clubhouse on January 31st at 6pm.
