Lake County commissioners have approved a major rezoning for the Panther Run development near Clermont, clearing an early hurdle for a project that could bring thousands of homes, commercial space and new public facilities to the fast-growing Wellness Way area.
The project covers more than 2,200 acres, an area nearly four times the size of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. If fully built out, Panther Run could include up to 2,624 homes, more than 1 million square feet of commercial and employment space. The plan also sets aside open space, including trails, parks, wetlands and areas designed to support the Wellness Way network.
The approval came Tuesday after residents raised concerns about traffic, wildlife, roadway capacity and whether the Clermont area can handle more growth.
“Everything. It’s too compact. It’s too full,” Clermont resident Kristen Morrow said. “The animals are now living in my apartment over here. Like they don’t have anywhere to go. It’s just. It’s got to stop.”
Morrow said roads in the area are already struggling to keep up with demand.
“It takes me 10 minutes to get to work, or it should. It takes me about 30 minutes,” she said. “I lived here 29 years of my life, my whole life.”
The development is planned in the Wellness Way area, a portion of south Lake County that has seen significant interest as Central Florida continues to grow. Supporters say the project could help bring infrastructure and services to an area where more people are already moving.
Clermont resident David Dewey said he sees both positives and negatives.
“Good and bad,” Dewey said. “I mean, I think that you make a lot of road improvements and a bunch of other improvements around this area. I think it’ll be good for the community, the surrounding community.”
According the county staff report, The developer would be responsible for extending County Road 455 to Sawgrass Bay Boulevard as a four-lane divided road.
The county’s report says the project still needs additional transportation review before construction can proceed. School concurrency, utility approvals, drainage studies and detailed site plans will also be required for each phase.
During the meeting, Developers say about 72.5% of the property will remain as lakes, wetlands, parks, trails and other open space, including a wildlife corridor.
Still, Tuesday’s rezoning approval does not mean construction can begin immediately. The project must still go through site, engineering, environmental and building approvals before work can move forward.
The developer said construction could begin as early as 2027.