LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Lake County commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to purchase two acres of land for $675,000, a crucial step toward repairing Britt Road, which has remained closed since Hurricane Milton caused significant damage nearly a year ago.

The approved purchase price significantly exceeds the land’s initial appraisal of $371,000, according to county documents.

“Knowing that residents were having to spend extra money and extra time in order to use these other roads, I felt like that justified the original purchase price because we needed to do it for the convenience and the safety of our residents,” Commissioner Leslie Campione said.

The road closure has forced residents to find alternative routes, creating significant inconvenience for the community.

We spoke to Barbara Deanie back in June. She is one of many residents who have been forced to go around the damaged road.

“It’s a lot longer to go down to 437, and back track it’s unbelievable,” Deanie said.

The deal faced opposition from Commissioner Kirby Smith, who cast the lone opposing vote.

Smith expressed concerns about clauses in the purchasing agreement which included the county recognizing 12 additional housing units on the property.

“Just so everybody knows, I am certainly not for this. It was appraised for $351,000, he wants $675,000 but that’s not all,” Smith said.

Campione understands Smith’s concerns, but said they should not kill the deal.

“It’s not like turning it into a high density project. As a result of this, he would just be entitled to 12 additional units at some time in the future, if that property ever does get developed adjacent to this land,” Campione said.

Campione noted that pursuing eminent domain would have resulted in higher costs for the county.

Campione also said the property currently has no active contracts with developers. The next phase of the project will focus on engineering and permitting processes.