A controversial zoning petition for a retail development along County Road 466 was rejected unanimously Tuesday night by Sumter County commissioners after strong opposition by neighboring property owners.
The action was a rare denial of a zoning petition by the usually pro-business board. Earlier this month, the county Zoning Board of Adjustment also recommended denial of the rezoning.
The petition would have rezoned four acres to heavy commercial to allow development of several stores anchored by a 30,000-square-foot grocery store plus parking.
Not part of The Villages, the property is across the highway from Laurel Manor Recreation Center near the Hampton Inn & Suites.
“There have been many issues that have been raised,” said Commissioner Doug Gilpin before introducing a motion to deny the zoning change. “We have to consider the maximum impacts of heavy commercial zoning.”
A decade ago, the property was zoned for housing before it was split into multiple ownership.
“With the long history of this property, I don’t see (this) as the fix,” said Commissioner Garry Breeden.
Leesburg engineer David Springstead, who represented developer L&N Land Investments, said the rezoning would provide seven acres for the retail center when combined with land along the highway already zoned commercial.
“Given the opportunity, I believe we can make this work,” he said.
But John Anthony, a Tampa attorney who represents Central State Bank, owner of some adjacent property, said the development would clash with the nearby residential Glen Hollow Farms.
Anthony said the bank is selling its 10 acres so homes can be built.
“What we have here is a number of compatibility problems,” he said of the proposed shopping center.
Glen Hollow Farms resident Michael Pape said residents fear the shopping center would hurt their home values. The center would not be accessible by golf cart, like other nearby retail centers.
Pape runs a landscape architecture firm that has long been associated with The Villages. Other residents of Glen Hollow Farms are attorney Gary Fuchs, Villages technology director Dale Borrowman and Villages Director of Development Tommy McDonough.
Homes in elite Glen Hollow Farms reportedly range in price from $750,000 to $1.7 million.
“We are low-density residential,” Pape said. “We think this is incompatible.”
In a separate zoning case, commissioners also approved a request by Ocala Bedrock Services to add 144 acres to its existing limestone mine near County Road 470 and U.S. 301 at Sumterville.
The Florida Department of Transportation, which uses limestone in road construction, wrote a letter to commissioners encouraging the use of local limestone reserves.
