Leesburg commissioners heard first readings of three ordinances on Monday night that would clear the way for a meditation center owned by the Vietnamese American Buddhist Association to become part of the city.
The first ordinance clears the way for the center, located on 21.05 acres west of U.S. Hwy. 27 and Plantation Boulevard, to be annexed into the city. The second one amends the city’s comprehensive plan by changing the future designation on the property from Lake County Urban Low Density to Leesburg Institutional. And the third amendment changes the zoning of the property to planned unit development.
The second reading of all three ordinances will take place at a future meeting and be voted on by commissioners at that time.
The project site is larger than 10 acres, so it is considered a large-scale comprehensive land use plan amendment. That requires the city to notify the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for a review per Florida Statutes.
The proposed use for the property is for it to continue to grow as a meditation center. Several cabins are planned on the site but none will be set up for permanent living arrangements.
The meditation center property partially wraps around a neighborhood located just off U.S. Hwy. 27 on Palm Way, Palmetto Drive and Plumos Drive. The center also is surrounded by property designated for residential, utility and non-agricultural uses. Wooded areas are located on the opposite side of U.S. Hwy. 27. And a small motel and entertainment center are a short distance away on U.S. Hwy. 27.
The Leesburg Planning Commission gave its blessing to the three ordinances during a regularly scheduled meeting last month. The Metropolitan Planning Organization has indicated that the facility won’t create much of an impact on traffic. And the city has determined that a “positive fiscal impact” will come from the annexation and development of the property in the form of increased tax revenue added to the general fund.
