Ocoee commission approves Arden Park, Westyn Bay projects

OCOEE — The Ocoee City Commission approved two proposals Oct. 7 that will add both commercial and residential projects to the city.

Commissioners endorsed Arden Park North Phase 2, a residential development of an 85.45-acre parcel at 9421 Clarcona-Ocoee Road between Hobson and Ingram roads. Lake Sims and wetlands compose 10.34 acres of the parcel.

Arden Park North Phase 2 will add 205 single-family homes, resulting in a net density of 2.73 units per acre. Construction will be done in two phases. It will include park features, vegetation screen walls and a trail around Lake Sims.

The site is currently undeveloped with mostly planted pine wetlands and 100-year floodplain areas. All streets of Arden Park North will be private and gated, with a guard house at the main entry and a road network maintained by the homeowners association. Six-foot cement walls, metal lattice fences and PVC fences will enclose the development.

Amenities include a playground with benches, picnic tables, trash cans, and a pavilion overlooking Lake Sims. The status of recycling throughout the community is unclear.

The project is part of the larger Arden Park PUD, which was approved originally in 2006 and amended in 2013.

The development includes “an enhancement plan for wetland and floodplain areas around Lake Sim.” No houses will be built on the 100-year floodplains. The plan will affect 51.17 acres of wetlands.

“Preservation of natural corridors is very important,” said Todd Clements, landscape architect for the project. “We intend to save a lot of the trees. Lake Sims is important to us as a natural area to be preserved.”

A pond will discharge into Lake Sims and Trout Lake, affecting Trout Lake, in particular.

Invasive and exotic vegetations exist within the wetland and floodplain areas of the development. A maintenance program will ensure removal and replacement of all invasive and exotic vegetations.

About one-third of residential lots have been purchased.

The commission also approved the Westyn Bay Commercial Planned Unit Development, rezoning the plot from commercial to planned unit development in the process. The parcel consists of 20.85 acres of forest at the southwest corner of Ocoee Crown Point Parkway and Ocoee Apopka Road. The plan of Kimley Horn & Associates Inc. includes 44 single-family units on 9.88 acres of residential land, 6.59 acres of commercial land and 4.37 acres of drainage tract. 

The next step in the development process will be a preliminary subdivision and site plan, which will require public hearings before both the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Commission.

Mayor S. Scott Vandergrift was not in the commission chambers when the Westyn Bay vote took place.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].