Leesburg commissioners have approved a plan for 825 homes in Leesburg after the developer addressed neighbors’ concerns about traffic.
Prior to the vote on Monday, attorney Tara Tedrow, who represented RHV Edson Avenue LLC/EPC Holdings 938 LLC, who is the developer behind the Silver Springs project, told the commissioners that they had met with neighboring property owners and modified their plans for the development to address the neighbors’ concerns including no access to the development from Number Two Road which would not be able to handle an increase in traffic. The developer also agreed to locate the larger lots around the exterior of the subdivision with a substantial buffer along Number Two Road. The Leesburg Planning Commission had recommended passage of the development as had the city’s Planning and Zoning Department.
During the discussion of the project, Commissioner Jay Connell asked Dan Miller, director of the Planning and Zoning Department, how many homes could be put on the property under the current Lake Count zoning. Miller said the current zoning would allow one house per five acres which would mean that there would be 67 or 68 homes on the parcel. Connell then said that that would mean the rezoning would add 750 more homes than would be allowed under current zoning. He pointed out that the city had approved over 30,000 residential lots which have not yet been built on. He went on to say that at the present growth rate it would take 50 years for those lots previously approved to be built out.
“The traffic is absolutely horrible trying to drive through town,” Connell said.
He urged the other commissioners to vote against the development.
The commission voted three to one to approve the development with Connell casting the lone dissenting vote. Commissioner Allyson Berry was not present.