Winchester Ranch plan for 9,000 homes advances in Sarasota County

SARASOTA COUNTY – A blueprint for a massive development along River Road that will, in the coming decades, pave the way for nearly 9,000 new homes in south Sarasota County began to emerge Wednesday. 

In a series of votes, Sarasota County commissioners unanimously approved a plan for Winchester Ranch, the proposed development on 3,600 acres of mostly rural land south and west of the city of North Port. 

The proposed plan by Winchester Florida Ranch LLLP, which should take about 55 years to build out, is the southern extension of, and will be integrated into, the existing West Villages development, now known as Wellen Park.

Commissioners OK’d what’s called a Critical Area Plan, which serves as a master development road map for Winchester Ranch. It’s the first step in what’s expected to be a long, arduous planning and approval process. 

Charlie Bailey, a land-use attorney with the Williams Parker law firm in Sarasota, attempted to calm potential opposition, saying that people shouldn’t expect to see thousands of homes being built all at once. 

“This is strictly a planning exercise,” Bailey said. “It’s not a permit, rezoning or the construction of the first home or the planning of the first shoveling of dirt. Rather, it’s to establish the framework for development.” 

There will be nine communities in Winchester Ranch. Detailed plans for the neighborhoods will be considered in subsequent hearings. 

Residential density is capped at 1.99 units per acre, and about 2,882 of the 3,660 acres of the proposed development area is designated as rural and semirural. 

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Plans also call for two commercial areas, both designated at 100,000 square feet, one situated toward the interior of the development and another on the southwest boundary of Winchester Ranch. 

Bailey said that these are preliminary estimates and there likely would be efforts in the future to expand commercial development. 

Growth guidelines call for several major roadways cutting through the property, including Preto Boulevard, West Villages Parkway and Keyway Road.

Commissioner Ron Cutsinger said that he was encouraged by the effort to build out a grid system in south Sarasota County. 

“There aren’t a lot of ways to get out of that community with a hurricane coming, so it’s going to be great to see some of those roadways be opened up,” Cutsinger said. 

Recent efforts to separate land west of Myakka River from the city of North Port will have no effect on the Winchester Ranch development. 

That’s because the area in question is in unincorporated Sarasota County and is allowed to move forward under the county’s jurisdiction. 

‘This is how planning should be done’

The 3,600 acres represent the southern third of Wellen Park, which altogether accounts for 10,000 acres. 

Once known as Taylor Ranch, the land eventually was sold and the northern portion was annexed into North Port in the early 2000s. The Taylor family still lives in the area. Justin Taylor, who serves on the county’s advisory Planning Board, helped approve the petition in February. 

Development on what was known as West Villages halted during the Great Recession. 

The vote on Wednesday was the result of nearly two decades of planning, and commissioners lauded the developer for efforts to work with neighbors, the city of North Port and the county. 

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Before he was elected to the County Commission, Alan Maio was a project manager at the engineering consulting firm Kimley Horn. Maio had a hand in some of the early planning efforts and served on the County Commission in 2015 and in 2018 when the development boundaries were approved. 

Maio was in tears ahead of the vote on Wednesday as he spoke of the significant effort to bring the project to fruition. 

“I am immensely proud of (the) 18 years,” Maio said. “I don’t run from that – 18 years.” 

Cutsinger, the newest member of the commission who represents south Sarasota County, said Maio had every reason to be proud. 

“This is planning as it should be done,” said Cutsinger, who lives just a few miles from the proposed development. “This is just excellence.” 

Commissioner Christian Ziegler said he hoped that Winchester Ranch would become as well known as the Palmer Ranch and Lakewood Ranch developments to the north. 

“I am excited to work with them and watch this build out,” Ziegler said. “Residents are going to benefit from it, and they’re already benefiting from it.”

Timothy Fanning covers Sarasota government for the Herald-Tribune. Reach Timothy at tim.fanning@heraldtribune.com or on Twitter: @timothyjfanning. Support the Herald-Tribune by subscribing today.