Yeehaw Junction Anyone?? (Melbourne, Vero Beach, Cypress Lake: motels, house, landscaping)

pslOldTimer · 10-21-2006, 10:36 AM

You're right about the scenery, although you did cause me to think a bit differently abou the ugly phospherus mines around Mulberry. It's also much better now that most of it is 4 lane. The 2 lane version was truly old FLorida, with narrow lanes, poor maintenance and almost no passing zones. It took me back to the days of cars that would wear out if you went faster than 50 MPH.

The only 2 lane stretch left is from Yeehaw past the Kissimmee River, bast the old River Ranch Resort, and I understand it's under construction, now (I haven't been that way for at least 2 years). I used to think of SR 60 as one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Florida.

NYLATINQT · 10-21-2006, 10:54 AM

LOL....LOL.....Oh yeah, i've driven past there going from ORlando to South Florida. If you are looking for rural, then you will be happy. There is nothing there.

grammy164 · 10-21-2006, 11:00 AM

Last year at this time my husband and I were working in FT. Pierce. We took 60 to Vero everyday--and we live just west of River Ranch (yes, an hour and a half trip to work each way.) It's still a very dangerous road, pslOld Timer. Last time we drove it (about a month ago), it was still all 2 lanes. They still hadn't opened any of the new lanes yet. It will be nice when they do. A lot of trucks on that road.....and when there's fog.....I still panic when I think of those mornings!!!!

J.R. · 10-21-2006, 05:45 PM

Grammy - You are right SR 60 is a very dangerous road for many, many reasons. Fog, trucking route, remoteness, to name a few. But still, it is the only practical route from south/cental/east/Fl to south/central/west/FL.

willowsmom · 10-21-2006, 07:07 PM

Lake Wales is a nice small town further west. You might want to check that out. Thanks to pslOldTimer for explaining where the name Yeehaw Junction came from. I've passed through there so many times on my way to Tampa and I didn't know that! Not too get off the subject, but the Cedar Key Hotel was a brothel too, and it is supposedly haunted. It's been restored and you can rent the hotel rooms there. They close it up at night so you're all alone in the place (they literally lock you in). Now there's a spooky little town, Cedar Key (west coast). There's just something a little strange about it. Beautiful and cheap land around Cedar Key though. My husband and I bought 10 acres of uplands for $12,000 back in 1994, covered in pines and palmettos.

SPLIT · 10-22-2006, 08:17 PM

TOO M.J. Just north of Yeehaw is Holopaw on the newly widened 4 lane rt 192. This also very farm rural and used on weekends by ATVer's from either Orlando or Melbourne. I use to go there looking for Boat hulls at Church Ranch. " Pls Old Timer " great history on the Yeehaw JCT area, did not know all the prior details of the "famous Hotel ", Thanks. .. . Again as ST CLOUD expand Eastward with the new town / golf course / school of HARMONY one should consider the intersection or affordability of HOLOPAW ?

pslOldTimer · 10-23-2006, 09:23 AM

When I first responded to this thread, I posted that two developments were slated for the Yeehaw Junction area. One, the Grove, is actually near Fort Drum, a few miles down US 441.

I didn't know much about the other one; just that it was being planned. Coincidentally, today's Palm Beach Post has an article about it.

A developer named Anthony Pugliese, from Delray Beach, along with Subway restaurant founder Fred DeLuca, has purchased 41,000 acres near Yeehaw. That covers about 65 square miles, larger than the city of Miami. They plan to design an "eco-friendly" town, called Destiny, on the property that will be home to about 150,000 residents.

The full article can be found at
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/gen/ap/FL_One_Mans_Destiny.html (broken link)

grammy164 · 10-23-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pslOldTimer

When I first responded to this thread, I posted that two developments were slated for the Yeehaw Junction area. One, the Grove, is actually near Fort Drum, a few miles down US 441.

I didn't know much about the other one; just that it was being planned. Coincidentally, today's Palm Beach Post has an article about it.

A developer named Anthony Pugliese, from Delray Beach, along with Subway restaurant founder Fred DeLuca, has purchased 41,000 acres near Yeehaw. That covers about 65 square miles, larger than the city of Miami. They plan to design an "eco-friendly" town, called Destiny, on the property that will be home to about 150,000 residents.

The full article can be found at
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/gen/ap/FL_One_Mans_Destiny.html (broken link)

That actually breaks my heart.

pslOldTimer · 10-23-2006, 10:09 AM

Mine, too. Fortunately, there are some ranchers who resist the trend. Famed Fort Pierce rancher Bud Adams (whose Father was Alto Adams, a State Supreme Court Judge) owns thousands of acres in the Yeehaw Junction area and is likely never to sell.

One of the most interesting arrangements I've seen in this regard is making it's way towards policy in St. Lucie County. It may also be in other areas, but I'm not aware of them. It's called the "Towns, Villages and Countryside" plan, or "TVC" for short.

The idea is to recognize that development is going to be likely, no matter what some folks wish. Developers are going to be seeking land, and they will be willing to pay large sums to get it. Land owners will not be able to resist the large sums of cash. Development will continue to sprawl, out of control.

The TVC concept works to control that, using the economic power of the market place. Let's say you're a developer and want to build new homes. You'd like to build at higher density, but the only land available is zoned at, say, one dwelling per 10 acres. You could buy up more land, but soon all the ranches and groves will be gone and thousands of sprawled houses are the result.

What if you could approach a rancher or grove owner and buy only his development rights? Let's say he owns 40,000 acres and could build 4,000 residences on it at house per 10 acres. You, as a developer, buy his rights to build 4,000 homes. He has his money for the property without having to sell it or break it up; he can continue to use it as a ranch or grove. He does lose the right to ever develop it, but that's why he was paid.

Now, you as the developer buy a much smaller property, perhaps 1,000 acres, and you design a town or village with a density of 4 homes per acre, using the rights to build 4,000 homes which you bought from the rancher.

What's the result? 39,000 net acres of agricultural land are preserved forever. Development is in a concentrated area which is much easier to supply with utilities and services, and traffic is more easily controlled. There will be more open space between villages because the land has been preserved.

I think it's a fantastic idea. There are a few throwbacks who do not understand the concept and think it's better to preserve the old low-density zoning. It's going to be an interesting election this time, as county commisioner candidates have taken sides.

BigJimSlade · 10-23-2006, 06:03 PM

I would like one of those 10 acre lots please.