A plan to build another subdivision with hundreds of homes in Apopka’s rapidly growing Kelly Park corridor is advancing through the city’s development pipeline.
The Apopka Development Review Committee had only a brief discussion on March 18 during a review of the third submittal of the Springhaven construction site plan from 1828 Engineering of Maitland. Ashton Woods will be the exclusive builder in the subdivision, formerly known as Chandler Hills.
The project calls for 392 single-family homes on 117 acres (net density of 3.44 dwelling units per acre) across 19 parcels of land along W. Kelly Park Road. Around 3 acres are designated for right-of-way dedication, leaving a total developable area of about 114 acres.
Jon Droor, vice president of land acquisition and entitlements at Ashton Woods, previously told GrowthSpotter the “excellent proximity to the Kelly Park growth corridor and 429” makes the location attractive for development.
The company said it hopes to break ground this summer on a community that will feature higher-end homes for move-up or second-time move-up buyers. The development won’t include the company’s Starlight brand, which focuses on building affordable, move-in-ready, new construction homes designed for first-time homebuyers.
Plans show a centrally located amenity tract of 2.12 acres with pickleball courts, a playground, a dog park, a gathering area and mail kiosk. An amenity tract of 1 acre on the southeastern edge of the development includes a pool and cabana. A 12-foot-wide multipurpose trail runs along the northern edge of the community.
The development is proposed to have 26.75 acres (23.5%) of open space, which includes a mix of amenity tracts, open space, landscape buffers and stormwater ponds.
Springhaven, formerly known as Chandler Hills, consists of 117 acres across 19 parcels of land on the south side of West Kelly Park Road in Apopka. (Orange County Property Appraiser)
Construction would take place in two phases: the 239 units in the eastern and central areas would be built first followed by the remaining 153 units on the west side and the amenity tracts. The company said it’s too early to say how long the buildout will take, but it hopes to have a sales office open in summer 2027.
According to application materials, all lots are at least 115 feet deep, with 34-foot-wide rear-loaded lots accounting for 162 of the lots. The remaining lots will be front-loaded, 130 of which will be 55 feet wide and 100 of which will be 60 feet wide.
The development team also includes Johnston’s Surveying of Kissimmee, Bio-Tech Consulting of Orlando as environmental consultant, Devo Engineering of Orlando as geotechnical engineer and Traffic & Mobility Consultants of Orlando as traffic engineer.
Current zoning for the land is Agricultural (A-1), but Ashton Woods wants it changed to Kelly Park Interchange Mixed-Use (KPI-MU) to allow for residential development. Most of the land is currently developed with multiple plant nurseries. The bulk of the land is owned by the Yoo Shik Um Irrevocable Trust, but several other local property owners own some of the parcels.
Wyld Oaks, a 230-acre development rising at the intersection of Kelly Park Road and Golden Gem Road, will have a main street with restaurants and bars. (Rendering provided by Wyld Oaks)
Springhaven would be located east of the roughly 200-acre Crossroads at Kelly Park master-planned community, which is between Round Lake Road and Effie Drive. Construction kicked off in 2023, and at full buildout, the development is expected to include 630 multifamily units, 670 single-family homes and a 4.9-acre commercial outparcel.
Crossroads at Kelly Park is just north of Wyld Oaks, a 230-acre master-planned community from developer Joseph Beninati at the intersection of Kelly Park Road and Golden Gem Road, just west of State Road 429. The community is planned to include about 6,000 residential units, two hotels, multiple parks (including a new dog park concept) and 1.5 million square feet of industrial space. It will feature about 300,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space along with 20,000 square feet of medical office space occupied by AdventHealth, which expects to break ground on an ER this year.
Brian Bell can be reached at bbell@orlandosentinel.com. Have a tip about Central Florida development? Email Newsroom@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.