613-home development in Winter Garden clears first hurdle

The next “Oakland Park” is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved Thursday, May 14, the first reading of former county commissioner Scott Boyd’s McKinnon Corp.’s plans to rezone properties on Marsh Road and Williams Road to build the Johns Lake Urban Village Planned Unit Development.

The rezoning request is for 17729 Marsh Road as well as 1400, 1401 and 1756 Williams Road. The property currently is not zoned and has an Urban Village designation.

The Johns Lake Urban Village Planned Unit Development is a proposed community planned for 613 homes on about 337.25 acres in Winter Garden near the Lake-Orange county line. 

The development proposal consists of 613 single-family homes and townhomes, a city park and two special districts. 

Special District 1 will consist of parks, a bed and breakfast that includes 40 rooms, event space, agricultural uses and accessory retail/service uses in support of the property’s primary use. 

Special District 2 will be reserved for a future Winter Garden city park. 

Of the more than 337 acres, 85.26 acres will be open space, 16.86 will be active recreation and 3.65 acres will be dedicated for the future city park.

“It builds upon demonstrated success of the area, including the low-density development; promotes the preservation of natural features, including mature trees, native vegetation and open space,” said Kelly Carson, the city’s planning director. “For anyone who’s actually been on the property, you know it is an absolutely gorgeous piece of real estate, and the owner is also going to live in this community. He already owns a house on the site. His family has owned this for quite some time, and so he has a very vested interest in maintaining that natural beauty and character.”

Carson said the developer took “a lot of cues from other low-impact development subdivisions (such as) Oakland Park and some other neighborhoods in the city.”

During a community meeting held in January, Geoff McNeill, a consultant on the project, said Oakland Park was the benchmark project used to work from and inform the work done on the master planning and development for the Johns Lake property. 

In terms of phasing, the development will be phased with no more than 50 units per phase, and there will be multiple builders, including custom builders. Although there might be one or two national builders, the focus is on custom builders to create varied elevations to avoid a “cookie-cutter community,” Carson said. 

With 613 homes proposed, Carson said that is 1.82 dwelling units per acre, which is less than half the allowable density.

The residential units will be mixed and varied, with several small townhome and cottage lots up to lakefront estate homes that would be a minimum of 90 feet wide.

Special District 1 will include a 40-room bed and breakfast, as well as at least six cottages nestled among the trees. It would include a restaurant that would be available by reservation only, as well as some event space and buildings. 

“We did put in some provisions about making sure the noise remains inside the building,” Carson said. “Any amplified noise would have to be inside the building so as not to bug the neighbors.”

A dock also would be available for those who live on the lake to pull a boat up and dock it so they can eat at the restaurant, but it is not permitted to be a commercial marina. 

When the developers and city staff hosted a community meeting, Special District 2 had plans for a potential future Orange County Public Schools elementary school, but after hearing concerns regarding the traffic from the school, the developers decided to remove the school from the plan. 

Residents and community members provided feedback on the project including concerns regarding traffic, the environmental impacts, docks and park access. 

The current proposal will create 5,411 daily trips, with 408 total trips in the peak hour in the morning and 538 trips in the peak hour at night. 

By removing the school site, there will be 1,816 fewer daily trips, with 592 fewer in the morning and 128 fewer at night. 

Carson said the developer is required to do several off-site improvements, including a roundabout at the intersection of Marsh and Williams roads. The developer also is required to develop Williams Road to city standards and connect the segment of Williams Road that goes to the Waterside community. 

Furthermore, the developer also will be required to pay for 31.2% of the cost to construct a new northbound turn lane at the intersection of Marsh Road and Stoneybrook West Parkway. 

Another requirement will be developing Amber Sweet Lane to the city standard. In addition, the developer will have to pay 21% of the cost and dedicate a 12-and-one-half feet of right of way to develop Amber Sweet Lane to the Lake County line. 

Chuck Piper, the owner of the property south of Amber Sweet Lane across from the Johns Lake development, said although he is in support of the Johns Lake project, he does not agree with also having to give 12-and-one-half feet of right of way to develop Amber Sweet Lane as the previous owner of the property already provided 25 feet for the right-of-way. 

“This road that’s being built on the north side of (my property) is not really necessary for my project, but I do understand there’s interconnectivity issues the city would like to see,” Piper said. “I just don’t want to be unjustly placed in a situation where I’m having to pay for more road or having to provide more right of way than I should. Other than that, this is going to be a great community. I’m looking forward to seeing it flourish.”

The city will not widen Marsh Road because of site limitations. Moreover, when a road is widened, it creates more traffic on the roads, Carson said.

Carson said regional projects currently under construction and planned in the future will assist with traffic flow in the area of the Johns Lake project. She said the 2027 completion of the new Independence Parkway, which will connect Wellness Way to Avalon Road and ultimately State Road 429, will have a significant impact. 

After Carson’s presentation, Mayor John Rees questioned whether the city could put a toll on Marsh Road to charge those coming from Lake County because of the number of people coming from Lake County. 

Winter Garden City Attorney Kurt Ardaman said the city has begun discussions with the Central Florida Expressway Authority to look into potential opportunities.

The second reading of the proposed rezoning will take place Thursday, May 28.