Lake Margaretta Estates, a planned residential community from Orlando-based American Land Development, received approval from the Leesburg City Commission for the development of its second phase.
Located south of County Road 48, just west of Howey-in-the-Hills, plans for Lake Margaretta Estates Phase 2 include up to 75 detached single-family homes.
Developer Robert Zlatkiss, CEO of American Land Development, sought to annex the 25-acre property into the City of Leesburg and change its future land use from Lake County Rural Transition to City of Leesburg Estate Residential. Upon approval, the project area was also rezoned from Lake County R-1 Rural Residential to City of Leesburg PUD zoning.
The development phase passed by a 4-1 vote at the Leesburg City Commission meeting on Monday, with Commissioner Jay Connell in opposition.
Ahead of the meeting, Lake County Commissioner Kirby Smith — on behalf of the Board of Commissioners — wrote to Leesburg Mayor Allyson Berry detailing concerns and voicing opposition to proposed annexation for Lake Margaretta Estates Phase 2.
In the letter, Smith highlighted the city’s annexation of “a significant amount of property” along Number Two Road for Phase 1 of Lake Margaretta Estates and the Eagletail Landings community from Trinity Family Builders in recent years.
Given the recent annexations, Smith wrote that the Board of County Commissioners is requesting that Lake Margaretta Estates provide up to 50% open space instead of the proposed 35% open space.
“Lake County is opposed to the annexation of this property into the municipal limits for the purpose of increasing residential density in the area,” he wrote.
Commissioner Connell pointed to the Smith’s letter and concerns regarding traffic on two-lane County Road 48 as the reasons for voting against the project.
“With the [Metropolitan Planning Organization] having no long-term plans to address South [U.S. Highway] 27, the county commission asking us not to do it and 48 being another two-lane road, I just don’t think we need to continue to annex property down in this area and continue to add to a problem that we acknowledge we have,” he said.
In May last year, the Leesburg Planning Commission voted 3-2 against the project and its accompanying rezoning — despite a staff recommendation for approval — for the same reasons.
City commissioners shared concerns about access to surrounding roads but ultimately voted 4-0 in August to approve the development with some minor changes, such as the addition of fountains or aerators to the ponds across the subdivision.
Recreational requirements stipulate the Lake Margaretta Estates PUD must include at least 2.7 acres devoted to two separate recreation areas, a swimming pool and cabana, on-site parking, a gazebo and children’s playgrounds.
There are also requirements for a separate dog park and trails around planned retention areas, with current development plans indicating the subdivision could contain up to five small neighborhood parks.
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