Commission denies rezoning for Tranquility Ridge Village after intense neighborhood opposition

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously denied a rezoning request for a 31-acre proposal called Tranquility Ridge Village, which would have rezoned rural-residential property to a community facility district for a campus with independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing units.

Planning and Zoning Director Mike Fitzgerald said the proposal is consistent with the urban low-density future land use in technical terms and that municipal utilities were available from the Town of Lady Lake. The planning board had voted 3-2 to recommend denial. Dozens of residents from Edwards Road and nearby rural properties packed the hearing and told commissioners the narrow dirt roads, flood-prone terrain and rural/agricultural character make the site inappropriate for a large continuing-care campus and the associated construction traffic and employee shifts. Several speakers said Lady Lake had previously denied other proposals for the site.

Applicant representatives argued the project would fill a demonstrated county need for senior housing and care, would be professionally operated and would upgrade roads and utilities at the developerexpense. Developer counsel and project representatives said if approved the project would be served by municipal water and sewer from Lady Lake and that road improvements would be made to county standards. Planning and zoning staff said a tier 1 traffic study would be required at site-plan stage.

After public comment and applicant rebuttal, the board voted to deny the rezoning application. Commissioners who opposed the proposal cited inadequate road capacity on Edwards Road, continuing questions about municipal service/annexation, and a preference that the use be located at a site with better access to major roadways and municipal infrastructure.