Neighbor wants to buy piece of Lauderdale Lakes park

LAUDERDALE LAKES A car auction business wants to buy a piece of city park land, but city officials aren’t biting.

The property, at Lauderdale Lakes Willie Web Park, is being used as a soccer field.

Auto Auction Management, LLC, is interested in buying three acres adjacent to its business to park vehicles.

The acres in question are on the northeastern side of Northwest 21st Street. Willie Webb Park, at 3601 NW 21st St., is one of five city parks.

A city official told the business in a letter that the city wants more park land, not less.

The city has 87 acres of parks and recreation land in its borders but would need 104,388 acres to meet the goal of three acres per city resident, a letter from Lauderdale Lakes Development Services Director Tanya Davis-Hernandez said.

The city’s population is expected to grow, she noted.

“After years of slow development because of the economic crisis,” she wrote, “the city of Lauderdale Lakes is seeing an increase in residential developers looking to build and redevelop again."

Currently, there are more than 400 residential units under construction, she said.

Commissioner Beverly Williams and Mayor Hazelle Rogers said the commission agreed with staff at an informal workshop Monday night not to pursue the sale.