Ocoee commission chooses builder for Crown Point tracts

OCOEE — The Ocoee City Commission approved a sale of Crown Point residential tracts to Mattamy Homes at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The company now will proceed with contract negotiations and plans for home development with the city’s staff.

Keith Trace, land development manager for Mattamy Homes, presented samples of appearances of the whole community, community parks and other neighborhood features, elevations, front porch options and varying setbacks for garages and porches, as part of an offer of $7.75 million, including a waterfront park for $250,000. This offer was in line with requirements of a request for quotation, Trace said.

The plan of Mattamy Homes will include two phases: 150 lots on the first closing and the remaining 170 lots on the second closing, 18 months thereafter, Trace said.

The initial deposit would be $50,000 and then $500,000 after the end of a 60-day inspection period, but Commissioner Rusty Johnson requested a $100,000 initial deposit, to which Trace agreed.

Commissioner Rosemary Wilsen said she was impressed with the developer and plans, based on meetings the developer had with neighbors of the community.

Mattamy Homes won the bid at the meeting as one of the top two developers among four vetted by the city staff. Trammell Webb Partners’ real-estate consultants contacted builders, identified the design criteria as similar to those in the Horizon West development in Orange County and asked for offer letters that could then be taken to the city commission. The four offers included Beazer Homes, Surri Homes, Pulte Homes and Mattamy. Staff recommended the top two offers, provided by Mattamy and Pulte, for consideration.

The city initially acquired this property from the Coca-Cola Company and then failed to reach terms of a development contract with Taylor Morrison Homes, which led to the commission’s request for an expedited search by Trammell Webb Partners and city staff.

After the approval of a settlement of boundary lines between the eastern boundary of Forest Lake Golf Course and the western boundary of the Ocoee Pines Planned Unit Development, the commission sold a pair of parcels to Ocoee Pines on behalf of the city, at a reimbursement cost of $37,718. This land is almost a quarter-acre and will be incorporated into either a right-of-way or a park. The commission heard three first readings pertinent to six Ocoee Pines parcels, as well, including the two sold at the meeting. These first readings included annexation and rezoning of all six parcels, in addition to an alteration to the land use plan ordinance covering all of Ocoee Pines. The commission will address public hearings for the final readings of these three measures during the commission’s Dec. 2 meeting.

The Ocoee Pines property includes about 101 acres of land and is generally located northwest of Clarcona-Ocoee Road and southeast of Forest Lake Golf Course. The property is currently vacant, wooded and undeveloped. The property was originally a remnant of a historic 1920s residential subdivision, West Orange Park, that was never developed. The historic plat could have been vested for 352 residential units.

Ocoee Pines was officially approved by the Ocoee City Commission in 2007 with a mixture of single-family residence and townhouse components. One year later, the commission approved a maximum density of 343 dwelling units. The site was partially cleared but never finished, because the previous developer defaulted on the project. Orange County has completed the major roadway realignment improvements for Clarcona-Ocoee Road, which now runs through the subject site. The land-use plan originally indicated townhomes on the northeast portion of Ocoee Pines, but because of the current market conditions, the applicant has modified the plan to include only single-family as the primary residential use. As a result, the overall density has been reduced to a total of 281 single-family residences.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].

IN OTHER NEWS

• The commission unanimously approved the one-year collective bargaining agreement ratified Oct. 16 by the Police Benevolent Association, which police sergeants had passed at a vote of 5-4. The agreement is part of the formation of a union by the sergeants of the Ocoee Police Department earlier this year.

• Pertinent to Christmas lights adorning trees along Lakeshore Drive at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, the commission requested the Parks and Recreation Department return with a design plan, including full costs of lighting, installation and year-round maintenance. A study by the Parks and Recreation Department indicated 14 tabebuia and elm trees were near enough to power sources, with a total cost of $4,200 to $5,600 to light those 14 trees.

• Registration is open for the Toys for Children in Need Program. To register, stop by the Ocoee Police Department with the children’s names and age. In 2013, the event had about 100 participants who helped the Holiday Toys for Kids in Need program. It enabled more than 500 children to receive toys, school supplies, clothing and food baskets. For more information, contact officer Patera Scott-Marsh at (407) 905-3160, Ext. 3024 or  [email protected]

• The commission cancelled the Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 regular commission meetings.