The Wildwood City Commission Monday night designated 4,518 acres recently acquired by The Villages for an age-restricted community on its land-use map and authorized up to 20,300 homes on the property.
The Villages of Southern Oaks will be south of State Road 44 and east of U.S. 301 on both sides of the Florida Turnpike.
Although a separate project from the Village of Fenney, currently under construction, the two projects eventually could be across County Road 468 from each other. Fenney is about three miles south of SR 44, the current Villages southern boundary.
Commissioners also approved another ordinance that sets development standards for the project including conservation, wetlands and wildlife habitat requirements. They also approved a franchise agreement with Tri-County Sanitation for garbage collection and recycling in The Villages area.
The proposed massive Villages of Southern Oaks development has prompted criticism and Mayor Ed Wolf defended the project.
He said Wildwood decided more than a decade ago to expand and annex property instead of opposing growth.
“We could have shriveled up and pretty soon we’d be a raisin,” he said. “This (development) is going to happen with or without the city of Wildwood. We’ve made some very positive changes.”
Age-Restricted Development is a new Wildwood zoning category that requires most residents to be at least age 55. The zoning requires mixed-use development, including residential and commercial, and a variety of housing types.
About 1.7 million square feet of the Villages of Southern Oaks is earmarked for non-residential use, including recreation, commercial, medical, office and other uses. Another 288,000 square feet is designated for governmental use. A trail system would encourage walking, biking and other transportation modes.
In other business, commissioners:
- Annexed 6.7 acres at County Road 462 and U.S. 301, which will be the site of the new city police station.
- Approved a site plan for the 2,008-square-foot Hoang Restaurant along with 1,480 square feet of retail space and 1,341 square feet of office space in the same building along U.S. 301 near County Road 466.
