WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — A Winter Garden resident is raising concerns about traffic and the area’s rural character after the city signed off on a land use change for the planned Johns Lake Urban Village near Marsh Road and Williams Road, close to the Orange-Lake county line.
The development calls for 613 homes, along with retail and office space, and a bed-and-breakfast, on more than 337 acres of agricultural land. A study for the city found the current proposal would add 5,411 daily trips to Marsh Road and surrounding roads.
Anna Birenbaum, who lives in the nearby Waterside neighborhood, said traffic on Marsh Road is already a concern.
“I will definitely see more traffic because of this development,” Birenbaum said.
Birenbaum said her family moved to the area, in part, because relatives live nearby and because they wanted a more rural setting.
“My family came to Winter Garden looking for a more rural experience,” she said. “And with this new large community, Johns Lake Urban Village, urban means the exact opposite of rural. So, it’s a little bit nerve-wracking.”
Officials say the developer will be responsible for improving Williams Road and building a roundabout at Williams and Marsh roads. Birenbaum said she is concerned drivers going to the new development could avoid Williams Road and use Vizcaya Cove Boulevard, a street in the Waterside neighborhood, as a cut-through.
“As somebody that already lives here, I already see myself using cut-throughs to get past the roundabout,” Birenbaum said. “So, I foresee other people doing the same, or even construction traffic with this new community coming up, possibly also using cut-throughs to get through some of these roundabouts or difficult parts.”
Winter Garden Planning Director Kelly Carson said the city and developer considered multiple options and determined a roundabout was the only improvement that would keep traffic continually flowing on Marsh Road.
Carson said most future Johns Lake residents are expected to use Williams Road to access their homes, though they will also be able to use Vizcaya Cove Boulevard. She said Waterside residents will also be able to use the improved Williams Road.
“The majority of residents within the Johns Lake UVPUD will access Marsh Road via Williams Road, with an additional connection to Marsh Road planned through Amber Sweet Lane as future development occurs,” Carson said. “The city requires cross-access connections between subdivisions, because an interconnected roadway network improves overall traffic circulation by providing multiple route options, dispersing traffic across the system, and reducing reliance on a limited number of intersections.”
Birenbaum said she believes Winter Garden should have planned more road infrastructure before approving projects in the area.
“I think that Winter Garden should have really thought about the infrastructure of the roads before they 100% approved these projects,” she said.
Carson said the city is working to balance property owners’ rights with the concerns of nearby residents.
“Any property owner has the right to request approval to develop their property in a manner that is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations,” Carson said. “Through the planned development process, the city works to balance those property rights with the concerns of surrounding residents by negotiating site design, development standards, and mitigation measures for issues like traffic.”
Birenbaum said she is concerned about what continued growth will mean for the area where she grew up.
“I know my son will not see the Winter Garden that I grew up in,” she said.
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