Oxford may reclaim some of its identity after action Monday night by Wildwood commissioners.
They voted to turn over the Oxford Community Center and athletic field to the newly formed Oxford Community Association. The final transfer will occur after the association achieves non-profit status.
Oxford, an unincorporated area near U.S. 301 and County Road 466, has a long history but now lies within the Wildwood city limits, like portions of The Villages.
The Oxford Community Center offers a rental space that holds up to 90 people in addition to a commercial kitchen. It is available for rent to the public and serves as a location for classes, parties, dances, plays, banquets and meetings.
Mayor Ed Wolf said it’s important to include the community center, which collected about $8,400 in fees over the past year, in the deal.
“That would give them a good pot of money to maintain the property,” he said.
Speaking in favor of the transfer were Reggie Caruthers, a real estate broker with Oxford Land Co,. and state Rep. Brett Hage.
Caruthers said the Oxford Community Association includes members whose families have lived in Oxford for several generations.
“We’ve got a good group that can handle any situation that comes up,” he said.
The association will be responsible for resolving a parking problem that affects First Baptist Church of Oxford.
A letter to Wildwood officials from church trustee Mann Bailey raised an issue about cars parking on church property near the community center. The concern is about nearby trees that could fall on the vehicles. Bailey wrote that the church would continue to allow parking there if the city removed some of the trees.
