The Villages massive Southern Oaks development along the Florida Turnpike has created a few islands of existing neighborhoods that are not part of the plan.
One of these islands is Wildwood Country Resort, a manufactured-home community of less than 150 homes south of State Road 44 near Buena Vista Boulevard.
Community residents brought some concerns about the Southern Oaks project to a meeting Tuesday of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board.
At the meeting, Special Magistrate Grant Watson recommended for approval the rezoning of about 1,500 acres in two clusters to age-restricted development from several other zoning categories as part of Southern Oaks.
One cluster is on both sides of County Road 468, south of SR 44. The other is west and behind Wildwood Country Resort, extending to the Florida Turnpike.
Watson also recommended site plans for a Southern Oaks commercial development near CR 468 and the turnpike as well as for the first stretch of a Buena Vista Boulevard extension behind the commercial development. His recommendations are subject to city commission approval.
Allan Harris of Wildwood Country Estates said he is concerned about the quality of the water and sewer system serving his community. The system is maintained by Wildwood although homes have not been annexed to the city.
“Everything’s changing around us and we’re getting stuck right in the middle,” he said. “There have been issues with pipes breaking and sewer lines clogging up. Why don’t they annex us to get proper service?”
Resident Barbara Reynolds said she wants to make sure two access points are maintained for the community and that a lane where semi-trucks must slow down, which allows residents to turn into the resort, will be preserved.
“Is there going to be a wall so we’re not affected by the noise?” she asked Watson.
The special magistrate said the meeting dealt only with zoning and other issues could be raised when site plans are reviewed.
Rezoning of the two land clusters allows The Villages to extend Southern Oaks northward to SR 44. The property is planned for residential and mixed use development.
The proposed commercial area is on about 98 acres along CR 468 north of the turnpike.
Southern Oaks includes a proposal for a $36-million extension of Buena Vista Boulevard from SR 44 to CR 468.
But the first phase would be a road to nowhere, running behind the commercial development.
In November, the Wildwood City Commission approved three ordinances that allow construction of up to 26,590 homes in the 8,059-acre Southern Oaks development and added urban agriculture, community farming and development of recreational vehicles as permitted uses.