This is an expanded and updated version of an article published in the January 1, 2024 issue of the BSM Beacon. It includes subdivision plans for most of the development applications.
During 2023 I was besieged with questions about the proliferation of new land clearing operations along Burnt Store Road. What is being built, who are the developers and how will all of this impact our quality of life? Those who read Chapter 15 – Arrested Development off Burnt Store Road in Charlotte County of my book Where Do We Live? (https://wheredowelive.com/) will recall the status of development activity several years ago, when the book was published (1st ed. 2017, 2nd ed. 2019, 3rd ed. 2022). Interestingly, what we are currently seeing is a resurrection of many of those “arrested developments” as well as some new concepts. The accompanying map was released by Charlotte County in November 2024. It provides a reasonably good overview of the potential for new development (click on any of the maps below to display an expanded version).
Following is a summary of the major initiatives, beginning just south of Notre Dame Blvd. and continuing down to the County line. I’ll focus first on the five “Committed Developments” listed in the top right box (also shown as solid orange caption boxes on the map). Please note that the subdivision plans included below are based on development proposals and may or may not reflect what is ultimately approved or built.
1-Simple Life – Tiny Homes:
The map indicates that this proposal is for 230 Tiny Homes, located just south of Scham Road with an entrance at 12150 Burnt Store Road. Simple Life Reflections LLC of Jacksonville purchased the 68.43 acres in May 2022 for $1,790,000. This Tiny Home development proposal has received quite a lot of local press this past year. Simple Life currently has two Tiny Home developments in North Carolina and another near the Villages in Sumter County, Florida. Buyers will purchase their Tiny Home then lease a concrete home site pad. Each pad will have tie downs to secure the wheeled trailers in case of excessive wind. In 2022 the developer told Charlotte County that they were having challenges sourcing trailers and requested and received approval for an additional 48 site-built homes of a similar size (500 to 1,000 sq. ft.) on the property. Part of the development plan also involves moving 109 gopher tortoises who currently call this parcel home. No ground clearing had commenced as of March 1, 2024.
2-Coral Creek – D.R. Horton – Coral Lakes:
This 306.51 acre property was purchased by CC Burnt Store, LLC in June 2022 for $18 million. CC Burnt Store, LLC is a unit of D.R. Horton, one of the biggest home builders in America. This property has been the subject of several development plans over the years. The most recent in May 2023 proposes 496 single-family lots, both attached and detached and 27 tracts with the potential of going to 894 units. Street addresses are 12300, 12400, 12450, 13000, 13150 and 13200 Burnt Store Road. The property surrounds the old boat and recreational vehicle storage facility now owned by Charlotte County and encompasses the historic Driggers homestead property and its sand mound. Land clearing commenced in February 2024. Representatives of Eisenhower Property Group in Tampa are involved in this project and are directors of the Community Development District.
3-Burnt Store 295 – Turnleaf Phase 1:
Burnt Store Developers, LLC of Jacksonville purchased 425.96 acres during May 2023 for $21,291,000. A portion of this land is located east of the D.R. Horton land described above. The municipal addresses are 12390, 13250 and 13280 Burnt Store Road with BSR access at the southern end of the property.
Established developers Edward E. Burr, Graydon E. Miars and Christopher G. Rusnuk are officers of Burnt Store Developers, LLC. In September 2023 Charlotte County Commissioners gave approval for Turnleaf Phase 1 consisting of 406 residential lots and 31 tracts to include 438 dwelling units on 295.13 acres of this property. GreenPointe Communities is an affiliated company which is involved, and land clearing commenced in late 2023. Total PD Concept Plan calls for 1,762 dwelling units.
4-Burnt Store 2007 – Taylor Morrison – Starling:
In September 2023 Taylor Morrison of Florida Inc. purchased the Burnt Store 2007 property consisting of 297.16 acres. Taylor Morrison is another of the largest home builders in America. The development is located across the road from the northern part of Heritage Landing at 14100 Burnt Store Road. Phase 1 has been described as Esplanade at Starling in the approval of a preliminary subdivision plat for 384 single family detached units per the August 2022 Planning and Zoning Board meeting minutes. The total planned development for this property is for 1,481 units. Land clearing commenced in late 2023.
5-Eagle Creek / Prince Ranch / Mark Linder – Zemel Land Partners:
There has been a major consolidation of properties along Zemel Road during 2022 and 2023. Zemel Land Partners, LLC of Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota have purchased the lands previously described as Eagle Creek, Mark Linder, Prince Ranch and the parcel between Prince Ranch and Mark Linder. These properties include 26000, 26001, 26091, 26501, 26701, 26901 and 27001 Zemel Road.
Firelight East (formerly described as Residences at Burnt Store East)
In March 2023 Zemel Land Partners sought approval from the Property and Zoning Board for 344 residential units and 20 tracts on 338 acres on the south side of Zemel. No site activity has yet commenced. In the map below Zemel Road is on the right and the top of the map is west.
Firelight North:
Zemel Land Partners have submitted a plan for the land they own on the north side of Zemel, east of Burnt Store Colony and touching on Burnt Store Road near the new fire hall.
Firelight North – Phase 1 shown below is concentrated in the south part of the parcel above and includes 219 homes of an eventual 999.
6-Heritage Landing:
Lennar continues to develop new homes on the 890.74 acre property. In 2022 they decreased the proposed maximum number of single family homes from 860 to 810 and increased the multi-family units from 950 to 1,000. They are currently in Phase IIB and have also recently received permission for the Little Pods A project to build seven four-unit coach homes, for a total of 28 units, on 4.43 acres.
7-Heritage Station:
Heritage Station by Maronda Homes is on property currently owned by Wilmington Land Company, which has the same business address and directors as Zemel Land Partners, LLC. The development has a north turn lane on Burnt Store Road but no southbound exit lane at present. Current plan is for 190 single family homes on 85.49 acres. Roads and services have been installed for a portion of the development. HOA fees are anticipated to be less than $200 per month reflecting the basic amenities needing funding.
8- Other Large Land Holdings of Interest:
Bryan Paul Inc. has an expired development proposal for 25 acres just south of Simple Life at 12260 Burnt Store Road.
JPC Burnt Store Preserve LLC bought 80.53 acres at 12421 and 12441 Burnt Store Road in 2015 and have a concept plan for 219 units. This land is on the west side of Burnt Store Road across from the former storage and nursery businesses which were expropriated by the county for the road expansion project. A sign on the property indicates it is for sale.
TKF Land Company LLC of Tennessee has owned several parcels just north-east of Heritage Landings at 13416, 13424, 13570 Burnt Store Road since 2006. It is described on the map at the beginning of this article as South Charlotte Properties LLC, though that company is shown as dissolved in corporate databases.
Daniel B. Light (90%) and Burnt Store Road-Ret, LLC (10%) of Illinois own several parcels of land south of Shotgun Road across from Heritage Landing. The addresses include 14400 Burnt Store Road. Currently a parcel of 265 acres of this property is for sale.
Jaxson Fischer LLC purchased 40.31 acres at 17150 Burnt Store Road (the hurricane damaged boat storage field) in July 2021 for $1.0 million. This land is south of the Burdette Coward flower distribution property.
Newfoundland Six have owned the next 37.177 acre parcel containing a telecommunication tower for many years plus two 40 acre parcels east of this property and Burdette Coward. The addresses are 17160 and 17250 Burnt Store Road.
There is a real estate sign positioned at the corner of Vincent and BSR advertising 160 acres for sale. This represents two 80 acre parcels located well inland from BSR and east of the Charlotte County water treatment plant. The properties are surrounded by the Yucca Penn conservation land on the north, east and south.
9-Infill of Existing Developments
Burnt Store Meadows, Village and Lakes have seen a remarkable increase in building activity on their vacant lots over the last three years, including many spec homes. Some of the large builders listed above are active in these communities.
There are a myriad of potential issues relating to these developments, including traffic congestion and road access, disturbance of the natural flora and fauna, flood risk, strains on infrastructure such as water and sewer service, and lack of retail, commercial and medical infrastructure to support all of these new residents. Charlotte County is currently updating its out of date 2006 Burnt Store Road Plan to address some of these concerns and local citizens’ groups such as the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition (which PGI Section 22, BSLPOA and ten other Burnt Store Road communities participate in) are working hard to hold everyone accountable. Another key factor will be the economy and housing market. It took various Heritage Landing property developers four tries over almost 50 years before that property finally hit a sweet spot in the market and took off. One key difference this time around is the number of deep-pocketed players such as Lennar, Taylor Morrison, and L.R. Horton who have anteed up big money for these land parcels. This suggests that these communities are more likely to proceed, even if several of the developments above are only on their second iteration. It will be interesting to see what the impact of the introduction of thousands of new houses along the corridor will have on the values of existing homes. Given the lack of marina or golf course amenities in these proposals, the future looks bright for the Burnt Store Marina amenities. Regardless of how this plays out, Burnt Store Road in its relatively undeveloped form looks to soon be a thing of the past.
In future articles I plan to provide updates on other Charlotte County development proposals along Burnt Store Road, Jones Loop and Tuckers Grade and the Lee County stretch of Burnt Store Road.
Sources: Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Board Minutes; Charlotte Board of County Commissioners Minutes; Charlotte County Property Appraiser Website; various media reports and commercial realtor listings