Sabatini weighs in on possible development of Long & Scott Farms land
Reports that Long & Scott Farms in Zellwood might sell out to developers has new Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini's attention.
The former member of the Florida House of Representatives won a seat on the commission last fall, and has posted to Facebook that he's going to have county staff reach out to the owners of the nearly 700-acre farm near the Lake-Orange County line after news broken by GrowthSpotter earlier this month revealed the owners were looking to sell after more than 60 years in business.
'I would strongly support Lake County taking a robust role in working with the owners to add this land to the county's future land buying program and for it to remain as agriculture,' Sabatini posted. 'We cannot allow the essential agricultural landmarks of our community to be replaced.'
Sabatini wants to find out where the owners are in the contract process, and has added it to the commission's Tuesday budget for discussion.
Located northwest of Apopka and east of Astatula, the farm began when Frank Scott Jr. moved to Central Florida from Virginia partnering with friend Billy Long to buy 100 acres for $500 and set up the farm in 1963, according to the farm's website. At one point, the farm grew to 1,200 acres, but underwent changes in the late 1990s when surrounding muck farms sold, Long retired and Scott handed off running what was left to his son Hank Scott.
Hank Scott told GrowthSpotter he had been approached several times in recent years by developers who coveted the land, and the decision was made recently to sell.
'I'm 69 years old, and we're ready to sell,' Scott told GrowthSpotter. 'Actually the biggest problem we've got is location. It's gotten so crowded, everything from Orange County is moving our way and traffic's so terrible.'
The farm sells produce including the trademarked 'Zellwood Sweet Corn' as well as cucumbers, cabbage and more. It features a market and popular annual corn maze each year.
GrowthSpotter reported the Scotts had applied to Lake County in December to change the classification of the property to rezone it for 'an active adult community with an 18-hole golf course and other recreational amenities.'
'We're not real sure it's going to go through,' Scott told GrowthSpotter. 'It's got a long way to go to get through the community.'
Read the original story at GrowthSpotter.com.
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