Possible native burial grounds may delay homes
Developer plans for million-dollar houses
Plans to transform a storied piece of Bay Hill-area lakefront land into an exclusive enclave of multimillion-dollar estates face an obstacle — human remains in what could be an Indian burial ground.
Central Florida developer Chuck Whittall, who brought the Orlando Eye and Trader Joe’s to the region, is working to finalize his option to buy the 18 acres with sunset views overlooking Lake Tibet.
Carmel by the Lake, as it’s being called, would be developed into about a dozen custom, million-dollar residences on a peninsula that juts into the waters of the Butler Chain of Lakes, just a five-minute boat ride to Isleworth Country Club.
The property, though, has a past.
“There is some evidence that Indians spent some time on the property, and we are having to check that out,” said Whittall, president of Unicorp National Developments Inc.
In mid-March, state historic officers alerted Orange County about an archaeological site
called Macey Mound, which is on the property, with “evidence of containing human remains.” The letter from the state Division of Historic Resources cautioned that any development plans must be sensitive to “potential adverse impacts to this resource.”
It also cited the potential illegalities of knowingly disturbing human remains.
In a region where cul de sacs have quickly replaced crops over the last half century, documented encounters between development and Native American archaeological sites remain somewhat rare. Central Florida had 12 cases of prehistoric Native American human remains being found during the past two years — about a fifth of cases statewide during that time, state officials say. Because of concerns about sites being disturbed or looted, state law allows the locations to remain secret.
Typically, the state is notified about discoveries of human remains that are at least 75 years old.
An archaeologist determines whether it’s a prehistoric Native American site.
The state works with groups such as the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes on disposal plans for the remains.
Development near the Macey Mound site requires local development approvals, said Sarah Revell, director of communication for the Florida Department of
State. If it needs state or federal permits, state historic officials would work with the developer to “avoid, minimize or mitigate effects to the burials.”
Rollins College Anthropology Professor Zach Gilmore said the groups involved in developing a historic site typically forge a plan.
“If it it’s not too significant, the project may be allowed,” he said. “If it could be on the National Register of Historic Places, the developer could pay for excavation. In the case of human remains, it could prevent a project from going forward. It could be one body or hundreds.”
Whittall said last week an archaeologist will survey the site as a step toward devising a plan for the remains if they are found.
The team polishing plans for the Carmel project say the property is like no other. It’s the rare swath of undeveloped land on the Orlando side of the Butler Chain of Lakes. Long held by family members of Francis Evans Hubbard, who founded Hubbard Construction, the property is covered with orange groves, moss-draped oak hammocks and an old homestead.
In a family history of the property, Evans Hubbard recounted that his grandfather bought 40 acres there in 1946 when it was “pretty remote” and family members swam, fished and water skiied during school breaks.
“On the weekends we might see a couple of boats, and there were a few other camps around the chain,” wrote Hubbard, whose family built roads throughout Disney property and much of Central Florida.
Today it is nestled against the Bay Hill golf community a few minutes away from the Dr. Phillips restaurant row on Sand Lake Road and the tourist corridor.
Neighboring resident Jim Gissy, who has widespread real estate holdings, said Carmel would mark a return to top-end, waterfront residential development for the region. Following the recession, Disney’s Golden Oak emerged as the rare new community selling multimillion-dollar estates.
“There really hasn’t been a lot of new, high-end homes built since the recession. There hasn’t been a new development since the crash,” said Gissy, executive vice president of Westgate Resorts. “It will be the highest-end lakefront home development in Central Florida.”
As planned, Carmel will be double gated with brickpaved roads lined with gas lantern lighting. Homes would each have about an acre.
Buyers have reserved about a third of the homesites, which range from $850,000 to $2 million, said Julie Bettosini, co-founder of the Stockworth Realty Group.
Whittall, no stranger to obstacles in getting his projects approved, said he has never encountered burial mounds before.