A big apartment project in Tavares that got stuck last year is back on track thanks to a new law. The Idamere Crossings project will bring 200 apartments and some shops to the corner of State Road 19 and Lane Park Cutoff Road. The developer, Aamir Waheed, switched to this plan after people complained about traffic from his earlier idea for 120 townhouses.
This new law, the Live Local Act, lets developers build apartments in areas zoned for businesses without the usual rezoning process. But there’s a catch: 40% of the apartments have to be affordable for at least 30 years. Waheed says his apartments will meet that requirement and will be a great addition to Tavares, offering an excellent location on the lake at an affordable price. The complex will have a pool, playground, and three-story apartment buildings.
There’s a new rule coming soon that might affect future apartment projects like this one. The city council is considering a noise ordinance that would require builders to do studies to make sure the apartments aren’t too noisy inside. Waheed isn’t worried about noise at Idamere Crossings though. He says the main noise will be from traffic on State Road 19, and he’s putting up a wall to block that out. The apartments won’t be near any factories or anything like that, so noise shouldn’t be a problem.
The project still needs some things done before it can break ground. They need to do an environmental study and finalize the plans with an architect and a planner. Waheed expects construction to start around mid-2025. This will be the second big apartment complex built under this new law in Lake County. The other one is in Minneola and will have 300 apartments in the first phase, with room for more in the future. This project is a sign of the growing need for affordable housing in Lake County.
The Live Local Act is a new tool that could help meet that need, but it also raises concerns about noise levels in areas that weren’t originally zoned for residential development. The coming noise ordinance is an attempt to address those concerns.