A 38.5-acre orange grove in Umatilla, Florida, is being rezoned and annexed into the town in preparation for its development. The property owners, a brother and sister, want to see fewer homes built on the site than could theoretically be allowed.
The property is located west of State Road 19 and south of Maxwell Road on the northern side of Umatilla. The city council voted unanimously to rezone 3.5 acres of the site for commercial uses along State Road 19, and the remaining 35 acres of the site for residential use.
They also voted to annex the property and voted in favor of a Planned Unit Development that would limit residential development to a maximum of 85 lots with detached single-family homes and a minimum of 14,500 square feet per lot.
The family owns the property under a limited liability corporation named Glendale Groves. The property has been in the family for about 140 years. They grew Valencia juice oranges until citrus greening disease put them out of business. The land is currently not in use.
At the city council’s public hearing, eight of the property’s neighbors expressed concerns about traffic and school capacity with more development coming in.
The mayor told the assembled neighbors that he was voting in favor of the annexation because he wanted the city of Umatilla to have more control over future development at the site, rather than leaving it up to Lake County’s government.
Glendale Groves is only the latest of several development projects to spring up in recent years in Umatilla. Other projects include a new industrial park, a 131-home community, and a 515-home subdivision.
The city council will vote on a second reading of the rezoning ordinance and the PUD at their June 20 meeting.
Here are some key points from the blog text:
- A 38.5-acre orange grove in Umatilla is being rezoned and annexed into the town.
- The property owners want to see fewer homes built on the site than could theoretically be allowed.
- The city council has voted to rezone the property for commercial and residential use.
- The property will be limited to 85 lots with detached single-family homes.
- The city council will vote on a second reading of the rezoning ordinance and the PUD at their June 20 meeting.
All information obtained from GrowthSpotter.com