Wildwood commissioners Monday approved the formation of Community Development District 13 for a portion of the Villages of Southern Oaks, south of State Road 44.
The approval was among several regarding the massive Villages development project.
The new district will include two large areas north of the Florida Turnpike and one to the south. The areas are located roughly between U.S. 301 and the Florida Turnpike to the south, between the turnpike and Lake Okahumpka on the north, and east of County Road 468 north of the turnpike.
Like the other dozen community development districts, the new district will construct utilities, roadways, amenities, drainage, landscaping and ponds on 2,465 acres, which will be occupied by 6,300 homes. The estimated cost of the improvements is $293.6 million.
The highest expenses will be $140.6 million for earthwork and the storm water collection systems, as well as $43.2 million for roads and drainage. Another $40 million will be spent on multi-modal trails, golf cart bridges and tunnels, with $31.8 million for landscaping and irrigation in common areas and $29 million for collector roads and drainage.
Wildwood will own and operate the roads, while CDD 13, which will collect amenity fees and a portion of property taxes, will own the rest of the improvements.
The first CDD 13 board will consist of chairwoman Karen Crews and supervisors Brad Weber, Danny Graham, Bobby Gulati and Mike Hoopfer. Commissioner Joe Elliott said CDD 13 is larger than older districts of about 1,000 acres.
Commissioners also approved plats for three Southern Oaks developments, including Unit 17, where 49 homes will be built on 29 acres; Carla Villas with 79 homes on 12 acres; and Laine Villas with 50 homes on six acres. All three projects are near the southeast corner of county roads 468 and 501, north of the Village of Fenney.
The commission also heard the first reading of an ordinance to annex a parcel of about seven acres surrounded by the Southern Oaks development. The parcel is about a half-mile south of SR 44 and a mile east of U.S. 301.
