J.C. Burke has spent 48 years on County Road 466A. He operates a nursery there and his son runs Burke’s BBQ restaurant.
Big change is about to take place across the road as The Villages prepares to build more than 2,000 new homes in Fruitland Park.
“They’re already moving dirt over there,” Burke said.
During an interview Tuesday evening on the patio area of his son’s restaurant directly across from the new Villages’ site, 77-year-old Burke talked about the changes he’s seen on CR466A.
“It was just a little old road. There wasn’t hardly anybody on it,” Burke said.
As the senior Burke spoke, his grandson, Timothy Jr., played with a young friend and Fruitland Park Police pulled over at least two vehicles on CR 466A.
“I don’t have anything against The Villages, that’s the American way. But they are going to have to do something about the traffic,” Burke said.
The Villages has agreed to four-lane County Road 466A from the Sumter County line to The Villages eastern boundary which is just east of Timbertop Lane in Fruitland Park. The Villages will do this at their expense to the tune of about $7.5 million. This will also include a new redlight at Micro Racetrack Road.
The new site will include three Villages and three community centers.
It will be a financial windfall for the city of Fruitland Park bringing the city $13 million in impact fees and building permits.
But exactly how The Villages will impact three generations of Burke men remains to be seen.
The grandfather is hedging his bet a little, agreeing this week to purchase an additional 10 acres of land on Microracetrack Road. This is in addition to 85 acres he already owns on County Road 466A.
