Commissioners approve McKinney Grove rezoning with conditions for irrigation and burn-management notification

The Clermont Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 4 approved the large-scale comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning for McKinney Grove, a roughly 357-acre property previously entitled in Lake County for up to 660 single-family units and about 520,249 square feet of nonresidential uses. The annexation captured approximately $8,300,000 in residential impact fees for the city; commissioners approved ordinance 2025-041 (comp plan transmittal/land-use) and, after adding conditions, approved ordinance 2025-042 (rezoning).

Nick Gonzales of Development Services presented the item as a staff-initiated annexation follow-up, showing the property south of Hartwood Marsh Road and noting alignment with the Wellness Way North future land-use designation and the Wellness Way master plan. Gonzales said portions of preliminary and final plats are proceeding through county approvals and that residential construction activity had already started in phases. The staff recommendation was to adopt the city's PUD based on the county entitlements with minor code-reference adjustments.

Public commenters raised many of the same concerns voiced earlier for Ivy Ridge: traffic and capacity on Hardwood Marsh Road, the absence of a secondary water/irrigation infrastructure, potential impacts to adjacent conservation lands (the Warria Tract) and rare native plants, the need for buffers and understory plantings, and worries about fire-management practices and prescribed burns near new homes. Rosie Mulholland, speaking for the Florida Native Plant Society, urged the city to allow a coordinated plant rescue effort on the south portion of the site that has not yet been cleared.

Commissioners questioned public-notice procedures and asked staff to confirm whether signs and notice postcards were posted and mailed. Staff said standard notice procedures were followed and transmittal to state agencies would occur after council review; staff acknowledged a sign near active grading may have been moved by construction equipment.

The commission first approved the large-scale comprehensive plan amendment (ordinance 2025-041) by roll call. On the rezoning (ordinance 2025-042) Commissioner May proposed, and the motion maker and seconder accepted, two added conditions: the project must include secondary irrigation infrastructure ("purple pipe" plumbing for nonpotable irrigation) and must include burn-management notification language and enhanced perimeter buffers to protect adjacent public lands and residential properties. Commissioners approved the rezoning with those conditions on roll call. One commissioner voted against the comp plan amendment earlier; the rezoning passed with the agreed additions.

Commissioners and staff emphasized that annexation transfers future regulatory authority to the city but cannot retroactively change vested approvals that were lawfully granted by Lake County; however, the city can require compliance with city landscape, irrigation and public-safety requirements going forward.

Provenance: Staff presentation and entitlements are recorded at 01:10:31; public comments and conservation concerns are documented beginning at 01:16:10; the comp plan vote appears at 01:35:56 and rezoning action with added conditions at 01:47:09.