About 200 homes are planned for 65 acres in the Oxford area along County Road 101 about a half mile north of Woodridge Drive.
At a meeting Tuesday of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board, Special Magistrate Archie O. Lowry Jr. recommended approval by the City Commission of rezoning for the proposed project by Denisan Partners.
David Springstead of Springstead Engineering in Leesburg said a construction timetable has not yet been established for the property. Although the rezoning could permit up to 400 homes, he said about 200 homes are planned for the site.
Springstead said the subdivision will be a family community with tennis courts and other recreational opportunities.
The property recently was annexed to the city and the rezoning would change it to medium-density residential from similar county zoning.
A group of residents from the Villages of Parkwood, a gated community adjacent to the property that is not connected to The Villages, attended the meeting and said they were concerned that the change in permitted density would affect their property. They were assured by development services director Melanie Peavy that the rezoning does not affect their subdivision and that no changes ever would be made to their properties without notice.
Lowry also recommended approval of the final plat for the second phase of the Oxford Oaks subdivision west of U.S. 301 and south of County Road 466, which includes 295 homes on about 89 acres. He said a couple of issues need resolution before the final plat comes before the commission, including a maintenance bond for roads.
The Oxford Oaks subdivision, which will include about 500 homes when finished, was announced over two years ago by developer Mark Morse as an all-ages community to provide housing for people who work in The Villages. It features a similar mix of homes to The Villages with villas, ranches, designer and premier homes.
Plats for several projects in the Village of Fenney also were recommended for approval by Lowry. They include a 144-unit residential subdivision, the 63-unit Longleaf Villas and the 55-unit Honeysuckle Villas. He also recommended site plan for the third phase of Fenney Way, the main road into the community.
The Village of Fenney, the newest Villages community, is about four miles down County Road 468 from State Road 44. Fenney eventually will have 3,000 homes and 160,000 square feet of retail space on 1,047 acres. The land is owned by the Wildwood Springs company, which will develop the infrastructure, while The Villages is building the homes.
Before recommending approval of the Longleaf Villas, Lowry questioned a contradiction that showed a road would be dedicated both to the city and the community development district.
“I assume the city staff will take care of the issues raised here,” he said.
