Villages adds more than 1,200 acres in Leesburg with hopes of high-density development

The Villages has added more than 1,200 acres to its cache of land in Leesburg with the hopes of getting clearance to build at least 6,100 dwelling units.

Commissioners heard the first readings of five ordinances that clearly seemed to indicate the mega-retirement community is gearing up to start developing the new land it purchased off County Road 48. Two area residents spoke out against the planned high-density development of the acreage, citing everything from potential floodplain issues to having their rural lifestyle ruined by the encroachment of so many homes, commercial businesses and other establishments that are part of the lifestyle residents seek in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

Resident Eric Sutch, who lives on 20 acres on Youth Camp Road near the proposed expansion, said he’s against the plan but won’t be moving, regardless of how the commission rules on the requests.

“In the words of Charlton Heston, ‘My cold, dead hands,’” Sutch said, referring to a speech the legendary late actor made in front of NRA members in 2000 when talking about having his guns taken away. “We paid our property off a couple of years ago and then I went to the trouble of going to attorneys to get it all in the works where I could hand it over to my son. Because this is basically the only thing my wife and I have to give to our son.”

The 1,200 acres The Villages is seeking develop more than doubles the amount of land owned by the Developer in Leesburg. A year ago, the owners of the sprawling retirement community finalized a deal to purchase 1,127 acres of land along County Road 470 from the city for about $7.54 million. That property, which eventually could hold about 2,800 houses, hasn’t yet been developed.

The latest purchase also would seem to indicate that The Villages has its eye on other property in Leesburg as well. That’s because a large parcel sits between the two the Developer currently owns and obviously will be needed to connect them.

The Leesburg purchase also seems to flow along with the massive development in the Villages of Southern Oaks. Those parcels, which eventually could contain 45,000 to 60,000 homes, commercial real estate and several buildings across from the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, eventually will take the community as far south as Bushnell.

The ordinances requested by The Villages, which will be ruled on by commissioners in January, would:

• Allow for the annexation of 226.7 acres located east of County Road 48 and south of Austin Merritt Road. The property would be zoned for mixed-use development.
• Grant a large-scale comprehensive plan amendment to the overall property, which has been designated as a portion of the Villages of West Lake. That change would allow for 6,185 dwelling units, 1 million square feet of commercial/retail space and 100,000 square feet of government/office use. It also would allow for mining on the Villages of West Lake parcels.
• Rezone the land to age-restricted development from planned unit development, commercial/industrial planned and agriculture.
• Give approval to the development agreement for The Villages property, which creates two separate areas, A & B, and a binding written agreement between the city and The Villages Land Company for long-term development. It establishes the density, land uses and processes to be followed during the development, as well as design standards for The Villages project and others that could be built under the age-restricted designation.
• Establish the maximum density in the city’s age-restricted development at 30 units per acre, with the exception of a town center and medical campus, which calls for a 3.0 floor area ratio. Allow The Villages Land Company to pursue agriculture and silvicultural uses on the property. Recreational vehicles, short- and long-term rentals and sales would be permitted, as would wireless communications towers and antennas.
• Allow for residential (single-family detached, single-family attached and multi-family); medical campuses; town centers; retail; office; hotel; convention/performing arts center theater; independent-living, assisted-living, skilled nursing and memory-care facilities; hospice; civic and community facilities; stormwater, wastewater and water treatment facilities, recreation, parks, golf courses and multi-use trails.