CORY LAKE ISLES - Coming soon to a vacant parcel in this gated community: A dog park, perhaps? A kiddie water play area?

Those are two options residents are kicking around concerning two pieces of property up for sale in Cory Lake Isles. The taxing district board wants to snatch up the land, hoping to purchase it and expand amenities in the complex beyond its beach, lake and tennis courts.

The board will discuss the proposed purchase during a public hearing at 6 p.m. June 8, so that residents can have a say.

The two parcels measure about 3 acres each. One is across from the Beach Club on Cory Lake Drive; the other is near the Morris Bridge Road exit, accessible by foot, said taxing supervisor Scott Shaw.

The developer for Cory Lake Isles sold both pieces of land to a builder in 2005 for more than $5 million, Shaw said. But the plan to build multifamily townhomes was scrapped because of the economy. In 2008, another party purchased the land from the builder for $225,000.

Now, the taxing district hopes to acquire it for $150,000.

Supervisors plan to take the money out of the existing operations and maintenance budget, Shaw said.

"We've just had enough budget savings this year to allow the purchase," Shaw said. "The (homeowners') assessments are not going to be raised."

Supervisors are asking residents to submit ideas as to what they would like them to do with the land.

The dog park and a water play area are just a few of the ideas residents have offered up, but the board hopes to hear others during the public hearing.

Dong-Phuong Nguyen can be reached at (813) 909-4613 or nguyen@sptimes.com.