A neighborhood of 350 single-family homes and duplexes is planned south of County Road 44A, less than a half mile west of U.S. 301 and Wildwood’s downtown.
Special Magistrate Lindsay C.T. Holt Tuesday recommended approval of a comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning for Wildwood III at a meeting of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board. The City Commission may consider the project later this month.
The zoning would change from mixed use to medium density residential, reducing the number of allowed homes from 10 to nine per acre. The maximum number of permitted homes would be about 500.
With 14 acres of wetlands located on the 55.7-acre site, the lack of non-wetland frontage on the property makes it unsuitable for commercial development, which prompted the zoning change to only residential.
Cedar Creek Equity Investments of Eustis and Sunscape Farms LLC are the developers of the property, located at the southeast corner of county roads 213 and 44A.
Gopher tortoises were found on the site and will need to be relocated in coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before development begins.
Wildwood III is expected to add 63 students to the city’s schools.
An analysis by Walsh Traffic Engineering estimated the project would generate 2,617 daily trips. It was determined that left or right turn lanes are not needed at the project entrances.