Sutter County approves rezoning and development agreement changes to enable 'Latitude Margaritaville' Lakeside at Sutter Point

The Sutter County Board of Supervisors on March 24 voted unanimously to approve a package of zoning and development‑agreement changes that will allow the Lakeside at Sutter Point Phase 1 project to proceed as an active‑adult community under a Latitude Margaritaville lifestyle brand.

Development Services representative Neil Hay told the board the actions before them included a tentative subdivision map amendment, a zoning‑map amendment to reconfigure medium‑density residential and park acreage, an addendum to the project's environmental impact report, and associated findings under CEQA. Hay summarized the Phase 1 build‑out as roughly 1,100–1,200 units planned or anticipated and said the current changes will reduce the number of lots in Phase 1 by about 33 compared with the 2020 approvals.

George Carpenter, representing the Lennar/Wind partnership, described the developer's proposal to consolidate smaller clubhouses into a single, roughly 14‑acre amenity center at the north end of the lake and to brand the community around a Margaritaville lifestyle. Carpenter said the change will reallocate lots — “we're losing 85 lots up in the north part where the new amenity center is going to be, and then a combination of 52 lots” elsewhere — and noted mass grading and infrastructure work is already in place.

Sean McDermott, a planning consultant for Lennar, walked supervisors through the amenity program: a sales center that would convert to a resident work/play center, a Latitude Bar and restaurant, a resort‑style lagoon pool (approximately 14,000 square feet), a lap pool (about 5,000 square feet), covered year‑round pool space, a fitness center, a multi‑purpose theater, sports courts including 18 planned pickleball courts, and a dog park dubbed 'Barkaritaville.'

Hay told the board the staff report includes an addendum to the EIR, the small‑lot tentative map, and the ordinance to rezone the parcels; he also emphasized that the county has been reimbursed by the developer for development services on the project. Carpenter said a draft fiscal‑impact analysis showed "millions of dollars of surplus" for Sutter County and described tens of millions in infrastructure already in the ground that could serve later phases.

Supervisors praised the project's potential economic development and expressed eagerness for a groundbreaking once implementation agreements and urban‑services plans are finalized. Board members asked staff to return with the remaining entitlements and implementation agreements, which Carpenter said the team aimed to bring back within about 60 days.

The board then adopted the ordinance amending the Sutter County zoning map for the parcels in Lakeside at Sutter Point and approved related actions by roll call (all supervisors voted "Aye"). The board also approved a related ordinance to allow the director of Development Services to authorize up to 20 model homes for Phase 1 — a change from the previous three‑model limit — and adopted a first/second amendment to the Tier 2 development agreement to clarify conditions of approval and allow issuance of permits for model homes and the sales center. Those measures passed on unanimous roll calls as well.

The county will next process implementation agreements and return to the board for the remaining entitlements and any required urban‑services plan approvals.