A 1.7-mile sewer line could encourage development south of the Florida Turnpike on the west side of U.S. 301.
Special Magistrate Lindsay C.T. Holt Tuesday recommended approval of a site plan for the 14-inch-wide line at a meeting of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board. The City Commission could consider the site plan later this month.
The line, extending from north of Clay Drain Road and past the turnpike, will serve the One Hundred Oaks development, where 305 homes are planned on 100 acres.
Holt recommended plat approval for the One Hundred Oaks project last month. A conditional use permit and rezoning were approved in 2022.
The site is less than a mile north of Warm Springs Avenue, which ends on the east side of U.S. 301.
Two wetlands and a pond are on the One Hundred Oaks property and a portion is in a floodplain. A tree mitigation program will be needed because the site has an abundance of live oak trees.
Developed by M2RE Partners Wildwood LLC, the neighborhood of single-family homes along private roads would include a community garden, grill area with picnic tables, playground and nature trails.
Another project north of One Hundred Oaks may connect to the sewer line, but has been delayed due to Wildwood’s wastewater issues. Projects that would add wastewater volume face delays.
Last fall, Holt would not approve a special use permit for the 30-bed Wildwood Micro Hospital planned by Orlando Health due to its impact on the city’s wastewater capacity.
One Hundred Oaks was approved before the restrictions went into effect.
Due to rapid growth, Wildwood is building a new wastewater treatment plant and upgrading its current plant to increase its daily wastewater capacity to 4.5 million gallons. The new plant won’t be completed for a couple of years.