Lake Alfred approves Eden Hills Phase 3 PUD with conditions tied to county road improvements

The Lake Alfred City Commission approved Ordinance 1573-26 to establish the Eden Hills Phase 3 planned unit development (PUD) overlay on roughly 117.23 acres in an area identified as the Green Swamp area of critical state concern.

City Manager Ryan Levingood and staff presented the PUD and conditions, describing the project’s proposed density of about 3.36 units per acre and noting required roadway and utility conditions. Staff emphasized that many of the roads affected (Old Lake Alfred Road and Cass Road) are under county jurisdiction and that the developer and county must complete required improvements before certificates of occupancy will be issued for the subdivision. “There won't be even though there's 306 homes coming out there, the traffic that's being generated by those 306 homes won't come online until those required road improvements are complete,” Levingood said.

The developer’s representative, René Heath, told the commission the applicant intends to begin construction in July and estimated the initial construction phase would take roughly nine to 12 months. “Our goal is to start construction on our development in July, and it will take anywhere from 9 to 12 months depending on certain things that may come up during construction,” Heath said. He added the applicant plans to begin widening and overlay work on Old Lake Alfred Road and Cass Road immediately, with plans already submitted and coordination underway with Polk County.

Residents at the hearing raised concerns about local traffic, narrow road sections and the capacity of utilities (noting previous outages), and staff responded that they have already coordinated with county staff and utility providers. Clifford (Clifton) Bernard, Public Works and Utilities Director, described observed upgrades by utility contractors in the area and confirmed coordination with TECO on power and with county staff on roadway access permits.

The commission also considered joint-review requests related to interconnectivity and pedestrian-path standards under the Unified Land Development Code and approved Exhibit E (joint-review considerations) separately before approving the PUD. The Planning & Zoning Board had recommended approval 4–1 at its review the prior month.

Commissioners approved the motions to accept the joint-review considerations and to adopt Ordinance 1573-26 on first reading with the conditions described; staff noted a development agreement will return for final terms and that the ordinance must be transmitted to the Florida Department of Commerce because the property lies within the Green Swamp area of critical state concern.

Next steps include finalizing the developer’s agreement, confirming construction timelines and securing county permits for required road work.