More acres will be added to the massive Villages of Southern Oaks development along the Florida Turnpike, if proposed changes are approved by the Wildwood City Commission.
A site plan for the third phase of the development was recommended for approval Tuesday by the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board.
Special Magistrate Grant Watson also recommended an amendment that adds about 41 acres south of State Road 44 about a quarter mile west of Buena Vista Boulevard.
The third phase is north of County Road 468 southeast of the Florida Turnpike. Bulldozers and other equipment are clearing the land for the first two phases south of County Road 468, north of the Village of Fenney.
The site plan includes designated areas for golf, homes and amenities, which include the Everglades Regional Recreation Center, the Everglades Softball Complex and Magnolia Plaza.
Acreage for the third phase also is increased to 906 acres from 868 acres in the plan. A bridge or tunnel for golf carts to cross the turnpike is planned on the northwestern side of the property.
Watson also recommended the site plan for Marsh Bend Trail, a major roadway that will serve the third-phase development.
The 41 acres along SR 44 would be rezoned for age-restricted development from the categories of general commercial and neighborhood center mixed use.
Last month, the city commission approved three ordinances that allow construction of up to 26,590 homes in the 8,059-acre Southern Oaks development. Urban agriculture, community farming and development of recreational vehicles were added to permitted uses.
Those ordinances subject to state review and will be brought back to the commission for final approval.
When completed, Southern Oaks will encompass an area roughly south of SR 44, east of U.S. 301 and north of County Road 470 on both sides of the turnpike.
A $36-million extension of Buena Vista Boulevard south to CR 468 also is planned. Â
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