Richland Communities has made recent progress on two different residential projects planned within Lake County.
Earlier this month, the Tampa-based developer received approval from Minneola City Council to move forward with its Shepherd’s Landing mixed-use community and had construction begin on its Cypress Reserve residential community in Groveland.
Located on 261 acres south of Florida’s Turnpike in Minneola, approximately 1.25 miles east of US 27, Shepherd’s Landing will be bisected by Scrub Jay Lane headed north to south and Sullivan Avenue headed east to west.
Council members approved annexing approximately 194 acres of the property into the City of Minneola and changing the future land use designations from Lake County Rural and City of Minneola General Commercial to Mixed Use Residential Development.
The entire project site will also be rezoned to a Planned Unit Development, or PUD, allowing developers to decrease the approved commercial square footage and increase the approved residential square footage in its place.
According to current plans for the development, Shepherd’s Landing is expected to contain 47,044 square feet of commercial space — a sharp drop from the 2,812,669 square feet of commercial uses previously approved for the property — and over 25 acres of open green space. A dedicated 10-acre utility tract would also be set aside for a future city-owned wastewater treatment facility.
Residential neighborhoods within the development would include a mix of options for various household sizes and income levels. The community will have approximately 652 detached homes and 443 attached units.
The project was tabled for two weeks during the Jan. 20 Minneola City Council meeting before being approved at the most recent meeting on Feb. 3.
“There was some cleanup in the PUD that needed to occur between staff and us, but we were able to get it accomplished over that two-week period and bring it forward to council in a clean format,” Richland VP Matt Young said.
To receive city council approval for Shepherd’s Landing, Richland also entered a development agreement that requires construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Sullivan Road and Scrub Jay Lane. The agreement also limits on-street parking to one side of the street and provides right-of-way maintenance, among other responsibilities.
Young said the roadway improvements Richland has agreed to complete will help link together other projects in the area for a more connected Minneola.
“I think the excitement there is that the transitional zoning between Founders Ridge to the south and Minneola Ridge to the north will be a great complement to the Minneola City Center and the surrounding buildout of Minneola,” he said.
Out near the Green Swamp in Groveland, construction of the 673-home Cypress Reserve community is underway.
Richland purchased the 13 properties for the project back in 2018 for $6.1 million. Despite concerns over traffic and impacts to the region’s freshwater supply and wildlife, the development received unanimous approval from the Groveland City Council in December 2022.
The project, located on 486 acres south of State Road 50 on the west side of Max Hooks Road, northeast of Montevista Road, has gone through several interations since it was first approved in the early 2000s. The final, approved version calls for 607 single-family homes and 66 townhome units — all under contract to Tri Pointe Homes, Risewell Homes (formerly Landsea), and Toll Brothers.
Nevada-based Tri Pointe Homes is taking 185 single-family lots, comprising 149 50-foot lots and 36 65-foot lots, according to Tri Pointe Orlando Division President Joel Underwood.
Underwood said all homes within the development will be single-family detached, with front entry, and pricing will be finalized as the company gets closer to its model opening later in 2026. The homes will range from 2,000 to 3,800 square feet, and floor plans will have a minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms and a maximum of 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.
Amenities in Cypress Reserve will include a community pool, pickleball and tennis courts, a kayak launch, and indoor gathering spaces. Underwood said he anticipates opening the homes for sale in the fourth quarter of 2026.
“We are excited to partner with Richland Communities to deliver this community,” Underwood said. “The amenities that will be provided in addition to the planned development of South Lake Park will deliver a premium lifestyle to Lake County.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at jwilkins@orlandosentinel.com or 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
