A major rewrite of Wildwood’s 2050 comprehensive growth and development plan will be submitted to the state for review after commissioners Monday took their first vote on it.
After review by the state Department of Economic Opportunity, the plan will come back to the commission for final adoption.
The city’s last plan was approved in 2010, when Wildwood was a small former railroad town of 6,500 people.
Due to The Villages rapid growth and other development projects, the city reached 21,000 residents a year ago and is projected to reach a population of 130,000 in three decades.
Prepared by the S&ME consulting firm, the latest plan took about one and a half years to complete.
It includes sections on future lane use, transportation, housing, public facilities, conservation, recreation and open space, intergovernmental coordination, capital improvements and property rights.
The plan provides both general growth guidelines and standards as well as criteria for specific projects.
It sets density standards for various land uses. Residential density ranges from one unit per acre for rural to 15 units per acre for high density.
Projects also must meet standards for design, the environment and municipal services.
For future development, the Villages of Southern Oaks is entitled to build 60,449 dwelling units, 12.3 million square feet of non-residential space and 1.5 million square feet for governmental and office space, under the plan.
High density developments will be permitted in Oxford at the north end of Wildwood if they are close to areas designated for mixed use, which can include both residential and commercial.
Projects in Wildwood’s downtown are expected to include high density residential and downtown commercial.
Certain areas may be designated as compact regional activity centers, which may include a mix of retail, medical, housing, cultural, recreational, entertainment and hospitality facilities. The Wildwood Commons project and Trailwinds are designated as regional activity centers.
The Villages of Wildwood development of regional impact near County Road 470 and Central Parkway may include 1.3 million square feet of retail, 14,400 square feet of office space, 200 hotel rooms, 300 hospital beds, eight theater screens and 49,714 square feet for institutional use.
The Wildwood South Sub-District will include a mix of housing types, commercial, office and institutional uses. It includes the 1,048-acre Wildwood Springs project near U.S. 301 and Warm Springs Avenue, where 3,700 dwelling units and 225,000 square feet of non-residential uses are allowed.
S&ME, which has offices in Orlando and throughout the southeastern United States, was chosen from among eight consulting firms to complete the Wildwood plan.