A 73-unit, single-family home development, Orchard Park, is under construction on 36.44 acres of abandoned grove land at the northeast corner of 58th Avenue and 1st Street SW. Some details are still a bit sketchy but the subdivision it expected to be complete by year’s end, according to project engineers Schulke, Bittle and Stoddard, LLC.
Orchard Park is the most recent Indian River County project for developer Showcase Designer Homes, LLC. Known for its custom, high-end designs, the Hobe Sound company has built homes in The Shores and The Estuary in Indian River Shores, and developed Ansley Park, an upscale gated community on the mainland.
The County Commission previously approved a “very similar” project at the same location under the same name in 2006, but a sunset provision attached to the approval kicked in when the project came to a halt before construction commenced, a victim of the housing market crash.
When the market regained momentum, Showcase Designer Homes put Orchard Park back on the table. All permitting and paperwork had to be re-written and re-submitted according to current building standards and codes, and the project was approved by the County Commission, sans a sunset provision, in September 2016.
The plan calls for the 73 homes to be built around four stormwater ponds, a density of 2 units per acre, although its zoning classification allows for 3. Minimum lot size will be 9,375 square feet for interior lots, 10,000 square feet for perimeter lots. Maximum building coverage for all lots is 40 percent, allowing a maximum building house footprint of 3,750 square feet for interior lots and 4,000 square feet for perimeter lots.
There are no wetlands, native uplands, or protected or specimen trees on the site, so no preservation, set-aside or mitigation requirements apply.
Access will be a 2-way gated connection off of 1st Street SW. An eastbound left-turn lane and a westbound right-turn lane will be provided on 1st Street SW at the entrance. When the property to the north is developed, access from 4th Street will be accommodated.
Project cost and unit price ranges are not currently available. Ansley Park homes range from the $300,000’s to the $500,000’s. Homes in The Estuary and The Shores list at $1 million and up.
