Lake County advances 212-unit complex following Clermont water capacity confirmation

Lake County advances 212-unit complex following Clermont water capacity confirmationA developer successfully navigated regional drought concerns by securing a utility agreement with the City of Clermont, ensuring sufficient water supply for a new multifamily project within the Central Florida Water Initiative area.

The Lake County Planning and Zoning Board approved land use and zoning changes for the 17.89-acre Hartle Hill Apartments on June 3.

Public opposition cited ongoing drought conditions, reduced aquifer recharge, and water consumption restrictions tied to the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI).

The applicant confirmed the City of Clermont verified available water capacity and updated a utility agreement to service the site.

The Lake County Planning and Zoning Board approved land use and zoning amendments on June 3 for the Hartle Hill Apartments, a 212-unit multifamily complex, after the developer demonstrated sufficient water capacity to overcome regional drought concerns. The 17.89-acre project, located within the Lake Apopka Basin Overlay District, faced public pushback regarding water availability. Resident Cindy Newton cited ongoing drought conditions, reduced aquifer recharge, and regional restrictions tied to the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI), arguing that the density increase was unacceptable given current water consumption concerns. In response, Tara Tedrow, an attorney representing the applicant, confirmed that the development team had recently verified service availability with the City of Clermont. "We actually just went back to the City of Claremont to double-check that we had available capacity and that there would be no issue from their standpoint for service to this project," Tedrow told the board, noting the consultation occurred two weeks prior. She added that the project's utility agreement was updated to ensure sufficient capacity was legally documented. Addressing the regional water restrictions, Tedrow noted that while the CFWI aims to lower water consumption, it is not an initiative for "no water consumption." The project has been designed to meet the standards of the Clermont Joint Planning Area (JPA), and the utility agreement binds the developer to the submitted concept plan, ensuring the city's water infrastructure can handle the specific density proposed. The board unanimously approved both the future land use amendment and the rezoning requests for the site.