By Jim Carchidi
May 18, 2026
A mixed-use plan on the Lake-Orange county line received preliminary approval from Winter Garden officials last week. Approximately 337.25 acres at the southern edge of Johns Lake is slated for development with 613 homes, a boutique resort, and community spaces.
The proposal
Images courtesy of City of Winter Garden
Plans submitted by McKinnon Corp. – owned and operated by former Orange County Commissioner and developer Scott Boyd – include a mix of 613 residential designs ranging from townhomes, cottages, and lakefront estates. A 40-room boutique resort will centerpiece a 31.6-acre resort district with a wedding chapel, restaurant, and an event venue. Each area will be connected by a network of trails.
Examples of home designs and park and resort amenities under consideration for the Johns Lake development.
McKinnon Corp. previously received approval for the 358-acre McKinnon Groves subdivision, currently in production. Boyd also resides on Johns Lake and has stated an interest in maintaining the natural surroundings and low-density development of two homes per acre.
The new Johns Lake community will be built in phases with about 50 units per phase. Approximately 85.2 acres of open space is designated for natural preservation with 13.65 acres for a future park. And the resort district will offer a boat dock for resident use, but not as a commercial marina.
City leaders at the May 14 commission meeting heard the first reading of an ordinance changing the land designation from No Zoning to Urban Village Planned Unit Development: a flexible designation for walkable, transit-friendly communities with mixed uses. The reading was approved despite concerns expressed by Winter Garden residents.
The concerns
The Johns Lake proposal was presented for feedback at a community meeting in January. West Orange Times reported 70 residents posed objections, citing possible traffic impact to Marsh Road: an already busy connector between Lake and Orange counties.
According to a traffic impact study conducted for the proposal, the mixed uses will produce a total of 5,411 daily trips. Approximately 408 will happen during a.m. peak hours and 538 during p.m. peak hours. Winter Garden Planning Director Kelly Carson stated during the May 14 meeting that a previously-planned elementary school, which represented an additional 592 a.m. trips, had been removed to ease traffic impacts. The land designated for the school was incorporated into the future park space.
As conditions of the rezoning, McKinnon Corp. will also add a roundabout at Marsh and Williams roads and bring sections of Williams Road up to city standards. Carson pointed out that a suggested widening of Marsh Road was not possible due to insufficient right of way and the perception that a wider road will lead to increased speeds. The city previously lowered Marsh Road speed limits to 25 mph in the interest of safety and to discourage motorists from using it as a cut through to SR-429.
Next steps
The ordinance is expected to pass at the second and final reading, scheduled for the May 28 commission meeting. Construction is not expected to begin for about two years with an approximate five-year timeline for completion.
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About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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1 Response to Winter Garden approves rezoning for 337-acre Johns Lake development
Will you be building 3 bedroom ranch style homes in the lake John winter gardens new development? When would they be completed?
Posted by Lorraine Shaughnessy on Friday, May 22nd, 2026 at 10:23pmLeave A Comment