The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of application AA‑202500002, known as Pine Ridge Reserve, sending the proposal to the Board of County Commissioners with conditions including a requirement to place the conservation easement and perimeter buffers on the recorded plat.

The proposal would change 221.9 acres on the Pine Ridge Unit 3 master plan from golf course use to single‑family residential, allowing up to 80 homes and preserving roughly 84 acres as a perpetual conservation easement, the applicant said. The commission’s recommendation includes a condition that the conservation area and a 20‑foot perimeter buffer be shown on the plat and maintained in perpetuity, plus a buffer requirement for community buildings adjacent to residential lots.

The plan’s lead presenter, James Dix, president of DIX Developments, and consulting planner Avis Marie Craig told the commission the project mirrors Pine Ridge’s existing one‑acre lot character, uses advanced onsite wastewater treatment for each large lot and would create private roads, sidewalks, trails and a community pavilion. Professional engineer Chuck Pigeon cited a Phase I and Phase II environmental assessment with 48 soil borings; he said tests found no contaminants above applicable standards, except for naturally occurring low‑level arsenic. Deputy Director Joanna Coutu summarized staff recommendations and conditions, and noted engineering will require turn‑lane warrant analyses and roadway repairs where off‑site roads are in poor condition.

Why it matters: the site is a long‑platted portion of the Pine Ridge master plan and carries vesting documents that, the applicant and consultant said, limit application of newer RMU rules. The proposal would convert an unused golf course — closed for several years — into housing while recording a large conservation area intended to remain in perpetuity and provide passive recreation and native planting.

What the commission decided: after staff presentation, public comment both for and against and discussion among commissioners, the board voted to recommend approval and attached about a dozen staff conditions. The commission added a motion amendment requiring the conservation easement and the 20‑foot buffers, as shown on the master plan, be placed on the face of the plat and recorded in public records; the commission also added a condition to require a buffer where community buildings and parking abut residential lots. The commission’s recommendation will go to the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 at 5:01 p.m. in Inverness.

Public reaction and key concerns: speakers supporting the plan — including members of a group identifying as Pine Ridge United — said the golf course is no longer economically viable, praised the conservation easement and called the plan consistent with Pine Ridge character. Opponents, including members of the Pine Ridge Property Owners Association and other residents, said the golf course was part of the original master‑planned community, raised traffic and infrastructure concerns on El Cam/Alameda, and questioned whether rezoning recreational/park‑dedicated land sets a precedent. Several speakers urged stronger protections for wildlife and mature trees.

Conditions and technical steps noted on the record: staff and the applicant agreed on multiple conditions, including (non‑exhaustive): showing the conservation easement and perimeter buffers on the plat and recording them; a five‑year approval period (the applicant requested five years; standard is three); requiring roadway resurfacing for specified off‑site streets before certain large lots can be developed; providing a turn‑lane warrant analysis for North El Cam Road entrances; compliance with Citrus County land development code standards for sidewalks, drainage, tree preservation and parking‑area buffering; and utility and concurrency requirements (water capacity, drainage and advanced septic systems where county sewer is unavailable).

Technical and historical context offered in the hearing: consultant Avis Craig summarized Pine Ridge’s planning history, noting plats and vesting dating to the 1970s and binding letters that the applicant says entitle the property to the mixed‑use/master‑plan rights. Staff said a previous version of a similar project (85 homes) was denied by the Board of County Commissioners in January 2024; this submittal reduced density to 80 homes and included additional concessions, such as removing a gate from the plan and recording a conservation easement.

Next steps: the commission’s favorable recommendation and added conditions will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision on Aug. 26. If the BOCC approves, the applicant must still satisfy permit, roadway and utility requirements, including any DEP or water‑utility sign‑offs, before development can begin. The applicant requested a five‑year vesting/approval period to complete design and permitting work.

Votes at a glance: The Planning and Development Commission recommended approval of AA‑202500002 (Pine Ridge Reserve) — motion passed unanimously (6‑0 in favor; commissioners recorded as present at roll call are listed below).