A group home in downtown Wildwood for seven developmentally disabled residents and four staff members was recommended for approval Tuesday by the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Committee.
Special Magistrate Archie O. Lowry Jr. recommended that the Wildwood City Commission approve a special zoning exception to allow the group home at the northwest corner of Kilgore and Mill streets.
Lowry said the exception will be designated for the group home, called Holman’s House of Hope, and not the property, which is not owned by the home operator. The magistrate also said he will review the zoning exception in three years.
Tommy Holman, the group home operator, said he has a five-year lease for the property.
Holman said he has worked at a similar home for more than 10 years and decided he was ready to open his own facility. He also said he has hired staff and met licensing requirements for the home.
In other business, Lowry also recommended a site plan for Trailwinds Shoppe West, a single-story, 11,760-square-foot retail building in the Trailwinds development north of County Road 466A across from Pinellas Plaza.
Roads have been completed and utilities installed in the development. Construction of a Lowe’s home improvement center and an Aldi grocery store are expected to begin soon.
Lowry also approved a special zoning exception for the O’Dell Planned Development near County Road 462 and U.S. 301 to allow medical facilities such as an urgent care center.
The project will include up to 900 single-family homes, 675 apartments and condominiums, 22,000 square feet of commercial retail and 40,000 square feet of office space.
Several neighbors attended Tuesday’s meeting and had questions about how the development and the planned relocation of CR 462 west of U.S. 301 would affect them. The O’Dell developer has agreed to pay for the relocation of the county road through his project.
Lowry also bristled at a request for a fifth continuance for the Cresswood Wildwood Planned Development agreement, where 700 homes are planned on 359 acres southeast of State Road 44 and Buena Vista Boulevard.
The magistrate said he may dismiss the case if another continuance is requested.
