The first tiny houses may be coming to Wildwood.
Plans for a neighborhood of 214 tiny houses north of County Road 466 about a half mile west of U.S. 301 in Oxford were on last Tuesday’s agenda of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board.
The project, called the Single Purpose Simple Life Planned Development, would be developed by Simple Life Partners of Jacksonville and the property is owned by Cala Fighera. Osgood Landscape Architecture of Asheville, N.C., developed the plans.
Tiny houses with up to two small bedrooms usually are a maximum of 500 square feet and less expensive than standard homes. Simple Life Partners, operated by Michael and Rachael McCann, has developed a tiny-house community in Flat Rock, N.C.
Plans call for construction of the homes along winding residential streets south of Lake Andrew. Houses will have gravel or compacted shell driveways, covered carports and storage for kayaks, paddle-boards, canoes or bicycles under the homes or in small sheds.
Five or six floor plans would be offered, according to the development agreement. Tiny houses on wheels, manufactured homes or recreational vehicles would be prohibited.
Residents may have access to up to six community-owned row boats, canoes or kayaks. No motorboats are permitted on the lake.
Due to the presence of wetlands, an environmental analysis is required to determine the presence of protected species. Water and energy efficiency will be promoted through passive solar and meeting U.S. Green Building Council design standards. Nearly 50 acres of the 70-acre project will be open space or recreation areas, including wetlands, the lake, storm water retention areas and landscape buffers.
Plans include lakeside pavilions, a dog park, walking trails, a sales center and a mail kiosk. Golf cart parking is allowed in driveways and guest parking also will be provided.
In other business, the Planning and Zoning Board:
- Reviewed a request by The Villages Land Co. to rezone about 160 recently acquired acres south of U.S. 301 and Warm Springs Ave. (County Road 468) for general agriculture and conventional housing.
- Received plans for a development of 135 single-family homes in a development called Triumph South near county roads 462 and 127. Construction of a new building for the nearby Village of Faith Baptist Church also is planned.
- Reviewed a site plan for a 24,015-square-foot building on 3.7 acres south of State Road 44 about 1 ¼ miles east of U.S. 301 for a standalone emergency department for The Villages Regional Hospital.
- Received a request to re-plat the Trailwinds Village development to create six additional commercial lots and reviewed a site plan for a Burger King restaurant in the development.