Leesburg growth: Planning and Zoning Commission weighs1,211-home development near turnpike

Frank Stanfield
·2 min read

LEESBURG — Leesburg Planning and Zoning commissioners on Thursday will be weighing a request for 1,211 homes on 506 acres near Florida’s Turnpike.

Denham Village, owned by Denham Revocable Trust, is asking for a revision of its planned unit development plan.

“The current ordinance, which was passed in 2016, allowed for 1,999 total units…,” said Planning Director Dan Miller. “The new request will allow for 1,451 total units, which is a reduction of 548 units.”

The breakdown calls for 1,211 single-family homes and 240 apartments.

The property, which looks like an inverted triangle on the map, is west of County Road 33, north of the turnpike, and south of County Road 48. It backs up to the Plantation retirement community, which runs along U.S. 27.

The access points are on both CR 33 and CR 48.

It is not related to the 600-home Lake Denham Estates farther north on U.S. 27.

The area is suddenly the object of intense interest from developers, including The Villages.

Commissioners recently approved the annexation of 464 acres west of CR 33, south of Florida’s Turnpike and east of CR 48 for the Banning Ranch development. The project is being built in phases. The first two phases called for 278 homes. The approval was for phases three and four for 530 units.

Also approved were 371 apartments for Tierra Vista. The development’s 135 acres are south of the Turnpike and east of CR 33. It was the second reading for that development.

Banning Ranch is just across CR 48 from the vacant land that used to be called Secret Promise Ltd.

The Villages recently purchased the 3,700-acre Secret Promise, which sits on the county line with Sumter, with plans to build about 6,800 homes on 1,400 acres.

Leesburg sold 1,200 acres of a former wastewater treatment site to The Villages for $7.5 million in 2017, which opened the way for the developer to link up with oncoming growth from Sumter at County Road 470 and the turnpike.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Denham Village seeks development near Florida's Turnpike. Here's what we know