As rapid expansion of The Villages continues unabated south of State Road 44, Wildwood commissioners Monday approved three ordinances to pave the way for that growth.
They gave final approval to an ordinance to create a new community development district south of County Road 470.
They voted to send revised plans for a patchwork of six areas near SR 44 and near County Road 470 to the state for review before they come back for final action. They also approved an ordinance to rezone those properties for age-restricted development.
Middleton Community Development District A south of CR 470 across from the Coleman federal prison will include 8,280 homes on 2,485 acres.
Designed to provide homes for workers and their families, the development’s infrastructure is expected to cost nearly $400 million over the next six years for roads, multi-use paths, bridges, tunnels, landscaping, buffer walls, storm water management and wildlife mitigation. Sewer and water extensions will be needed.
The all-residential development will be near property designated for a downtown area and a new high school.
Estimated completion date for the infrastructure projects is 2028 and they will be financed by the landowner with reimbursement through special assessments or revenue bonds. The landowner is listed as the Buffalo Hide & Cattle Co., a Villages-related entity.
A petition to establish the district submitted by Kelsea Morse Manly, manager of The Villages Development Co., stated that the CDD is the best option to govern the development because it would relieve Wildwood of responsibility for administering the infrastructure projects, which she described as “a very significant and expensive undertaking.”
As he did last month, Wildwood Commissioner Marcos Flores recused himself for voting on the district because his wife will serve as vice chair of the Middleton CDD A board.
Board members include Scott Renick, chair, who is The Villages commercial development director; Lorraine Flores, vice chair; and Brandon Matulka, secretary-treasurer, who is the senior manager of land and title for The Villages. Also serving as board supervisors are Lane Munz, whose family owns and operates Galaxy Home Solutions, and Bob Trinh, CEO of The Villages Health.
Commissioners also voted to send a comprehensive plan amendment for a patchwork of properties for state review and approved another ordinance rezoning them to age-restricted zoning so they can be developed as part of the Villages of Southern Oaks.
Totaling 643 acres, most of the properties are located south of SR 44 not far from Brownwood and near CR 470 not far from the Lake County line.
One area is northwest of Lake Okahumpka, extending to SR 44 and Meggison Road. Another is west of Morse Boulevard and south of the Village Green greenhouses. A third area is south of County Road 526 and three other areas are north and south of CR 470 near the Lake County line.
