City review begins on revised redevelopment plan that includes 340 homes, a new golf course and expanded open space on the former country club property.
Walden Lake residents will soon have another chance to weigh in on a revised proposal that would bring back golf to the former country club property while adding 340 new homes, 220 fewer than previously proposed.
Walden Lake, LLC has resubmitted a major modification request to the City of Plant City, seeking approval to redevelop approximately 319 acres of the community’s former golf course and country club. The proposal includes a new nine-hole golf course, clubhouse, 280 single-family homes, 60 villas, community amenities, parks and walking paths.
It also asserts updated floodplain modeling included with the application could allow a majority of existing Walden Lake homes currently located within the Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain to apply for removal from the floodplain, potentially lowering flood insurance premiums for those property owners.
A revised traffic study submitted with the application estimates the new plan would generate 1,286 fewer daily vehicle trips than the proposal submitted in 2023, including reductions during both morning and afternoon peak travel periods.
Residents will have an opportunity to learn more and ask questions during a community open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, in the cafeteria at Walden Lake Elementary School. Representatives of Walden Lake, LLC and Plant City Country Club, LLC, a private entity owned and managed by lifelong Plant City residents and business owners Luke Keene and Taylor G. Clark, are expected to be in attendance at the event.
According to Margie Martin of Martin Communications, Inc., Keene and Clark envision the property restored and thriving again, “a place that honors Plant City’s roots while giving the community somewhere to gather and grow.”
The application, submitted by land-use attorney Jacob T. Cremer and Nicole MacInnes of Barbas Cremer, was deemed complete by the city on July 7, according to Planning and Zoning Director Robyn Baker. Under Florida law, the city must approve, approve with conditions or deny the application by Jan. 3, 2027. The proposal is currently eligible for the Planning Board’s Oct. 28 meeting cycle before ultimately advancing to the Plant City Commission for a public hearing.
“This application represents a new beginning for Walden Lake,” said Martin. “After years of inactive golf courses and a closed country club, Walden Lake LLC submitted an updated plan designed to restore golf, create new community amenities, preserve significant open space, update FEMA floodplain models to address stormwater impacts, comply with new codes and revitalize underutilized property within the Walden Lake Community.”
The revised proposal significantly reduces residential density compared with earlier plans and remains below the development rights already allowed under the property’s existing entitlements.
According to the application, the existing Walden Lake planned development encompasses approximately 2,080 acres and was originally approved for 4,558 residential units, along with commercial, industrial, school, golf course and open space uses. The developer argues the current proposal does not seek any land uses beyond those already approved and vested under the existing planned development.
The application commits to preserving at least 40% of the property as open space, approximately 128 acres, and estimates that nearly 60%, or approximately 192 acres, will ultimately remain open through golf course areas, wetlands, stormwater facilities, floodplain preservation areas, parks and pathways.
According to a fact sheet provided by the developer, the plan “has carefully considered the existing stormwater conditions of the overall Walden Lake community and has been tailored to improve those conditions,” with claims the updated watershed model following redevelopment will demonstrate that a majority of Walden Lake homes that are currently existing within FEMA floodplain can apply for removal.
The resubmission comes after more than seven years of revisions and litigation between Walden Lake, LLC and the city. Earlier this year, a circuit judge ruled the development retains its Planned Unit Development (PUD) status and recognized the developer’s vested rights. The court’s decision does not determine whether the current proposal will ultimately be approved or denied.
The Walden Lake Community Association Board of Directors has not taken an official position on the project, said Dr. Alan Blanton, chair of the association’s Development and Advisory Committee. He said the board’s governing documents limit its role to maintaining common areas and enforcing community covenants rather than advocating for or against land-use proposals.
The association has retained attorney Matt Kornhauser of Hoover Slovacek LLP to represent residents’ interests during the review process.
Speaking as an individual homeowner, Blanton said residents have raised concerns about the potential impact of additional residential development within the community, generally centered around the preservation of property values, protection of property rights and quality of life, including concerns about stormwater management and flooding, traffic congestion, infrastructure capacity and both community and public safety.
“Speaking only for myself as a homeowner, I believe the appropriate course is to allow the City’s Planning and Zoning Board to evaluate the application based on the applicable legal standards and evidence presented during that process,” he said. “I also expect that the interests of Walden Lake residents will continue to be represented by the Association’s retained special counsel as appropriate.”
The proposal now enters what is expected to be months of public review, with city planners, advisory board members, residents and elected officials all playing a role in determining whether the long-vacant golf course property will be redeveloped into a mixed-use community centered around a revived golf course and hundreds of new homes.
Is golf returning to Plant City? Time will tell.
