Planning board recommends rezoning for Mountain Lake Drive parcels to allow R-6 residential development

The Lake County Planning and Zoning Board on March 5 recommended that the Board of County Commissioners rezone about 4.04 gross acres along unimproved Mountain Lake Drive from Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) and Agricultural to Urban Residential (R-6) to permit residential development.

Christopher Boyce, compliance and monitoring specialist with Lake County, presented case PZ2024-018 and the parcel maps, identifying the site as south of Cervinto Avenue along Mountain Lake Drive in the Mount Plymouth area. Applicant Andrew Cager Jr. said the proposed rezoning would align zoning with the property's future land-use designation and with the surrounding R-6 neighborhood.

Neighbors raised questions about infrastructure, floodplain and septic systems. Cindy Newton flagged the absence of a Mount Dora service letter in the record and described delays and costs associated with obtaining public-records files. Joanne Maynard, president of the Mount Plymouth Landowners League, asked whether the site lies in the floodplain, whether the owner will bring in fill, what finished-house elevations will be, whether a retention or stormwater pond will be used, and how many dwelling units the overall Mountain Lake Drive project will contain.

Applicant Andrew Cager Jr. told the board the proposed homes will meet state requirements for septic and water and that most lots will be larger than one-third of an acre. "As far as the houses are concerned, they're all going to be built according to the flood plain issues," Cager said, adding the homes will use stem-wall foundations and be built above base flood elevation. County staff reminded the board that reconfiguration or density exceptions for preexisting lots remain subject to public-works, health and floodplain regulations during development review.

The board moved and seconded a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners to rezone the parcels to R-6; the motion carried (transcript records the motion as approved, exact vote count not specified). Staff and the applicant said final development approvals, including septic, road and stormwater controls, will be addressed in follow-up permitting and plan-review steps required by county and state agencies.

The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final decision. Additional technical details requested by neighborsincluding precise finished elevations, the total number of dwelling units and any proposed stormwater measureswere not specified in the staff report and will be part of later development-review and permitting processes.