A neighborhood of 176 cottage-style homes built by an independent developer is planned for the heart of The Villages southern area along Marsh Bend Trail near Fenney Way.
Special Magistrate Lindsay C.T. Holt on Tuesday recommended approved of the Pointe Grande project, located about three-quarters of a mile south of Warm Springs Avenue, at a meeting of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board. The City Commission may consider the plan later this month.
Applicant Tara Tedrow, an Orlando lawyer representing Sequoia Commercial Center LLC, said development plans were revised based on concerns raised by area residents at a community meeting last September.
The community meeting was held days after about 30 residents objected to Wildwood’s annexation of 20 acres for the Pointe Grande project.
Scott Bower, who lives on Gordon Path, told commissioners then that apartments or condominiums “would not be compatible or enhance the surrounding area.”
The original plan called for 240 units in three-story buildings. Now, the developer has proposed 176 one- to three-bedroom units in buildings of one or two stories.
“I think it’s a dramatic change from three-story to one- and two-story,” Tedrow said.
She said buffers also were increased to 186 feet on the north side, which will include a storm water collection pond.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Bower praised the developer and said he now supports the project.
“This went very smooth,” he said, adding that the developer was very open to community suggestions.
In recommending approval, Holt also praised the “collaborative effort.”
Pointe Grande is adjacent to the Zora-Wildwood project, where 130 single-family homes are planned on 15 acres.
