Polk County commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday to deny approval for a race track on former ranch land near the shore of Lake Walkinwater, the county’s largest lake.
The proposal drew opposition from area residents, including the manager of the ranch next door whose owner sold the applicant the land. A recurring concern was the noise the facility would have generated, which they said would diminish their peace and quiet, nearby livestock operations and a nearby bald eagle nest.
The land also lies in an area designated as part of the Florida wildlife corridor that connects tens of thousands of acres to public and private conservation lands.