The annexation of roughly 2,967 acres of land adjacent to Wellen Park by the city of North Port took a major step forward, following votes by both the city of North Port and Sarasota County.
Plans call for as many as 6,500 homes to be built on the property.
The North Port City Commission approved hearing a pitch for annexation on behalf of Winchester Florida Ranch LLLP on a 3-2 vote, with commissioners Demetrius Petrow and David Duval in dissent.
Petrow said the city was putting the cart before the horse on the matter.
“We’re going way too fast,” Petrow said. “To this day, we have not had any presentation from the staff on the consequences (of annexation), how it’s going to be developed, as far as the infrastructure.”
Duval was concerned that annexation
pitches are privately submitted text amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan and unified development land code.
Wellen Park resident John Meisel, the only elected representative on the board of the West Villages Improvement District, questioned whether the sprawling ranch even qualified for annexation and referred to the 202.46-acre Myakka Pines Golf Club an enclave.
Winchester Ranch borders the golf course on three sides.
“You cannot create an enclave through the annexation process,” Meisel said.
Attorney William Merrill of the Sarasota-based Icard Merrill law firm reminded the commission that the vote only allowed his client to apply for annexation.
County Commission approves talks
Then, on Oct. 7, the Sarasota County Commission unanimously adopted a pair of responding resolutions to begin negotiating interlocal boundary service agreements with the city of North Port.
“This is long overdue with the growth in North Port,” said County Commissioner Tom Knight, who noted that the city has changed a lot since the days of the Biscayne Boulevard intersection with Tamiami Trail being controlled by a blinking light.
“This is not politics,” he added. “This is good governance.”
County Commissioner Teresa Mast agreed, adding that the agreement will let the city and county deal with huge infrastructure issues and have a clear delineation of which government provides services in that area of south Sarasota County.
Commission Chairman Ron Cutsinger, who along with Knight represents North Port, stressed that the vote is only the beginning of the process.
“There’s a lot of work ahead,” he added.
What is Winchester Ranch?
Winchester Ranch is the portion of the former Thomas Ranch within the West Villages Improvement District and owned by Mattamy Homes through Winchester Florida Ranch, LLLP. The original tract,once almost 3,700 acres, was outlined in the 2021 Winchester Ranch Critical Area Plan.
The plan, approved by the County Commission in 2021, allows for nine communities to be developed on Winchester Ranch, with residential density capped at 1.99 units per acre.
Officials estimated at the time that the buildout of the subdivisions could take more than five decades.
In 2023, Pat Neal of Neal Communities, developer of Boca Royale Golf & Country Club, announced plans for the first of those communities — now known as Boca Royale at Wellen Park — though it is not part of the envisioned development district.
Sarasota County had once approved almost 9,000 homes on the property.
Those homes were to have been in Sarasota County, but in 2025, when it became apparent that the Englewood Water District would not be able to meet the water and sewer needs for future development, the developer started exploring annexationso water and sewer services could be providedby North Port through the West Villages Improvement District.
The district was established by the Florida Legislature in 2004 as a special government to build infrastructure, including roads and stormwater drainage, on the former Thomas Ranch property.
Why are developers now seeking to build fewer homes?
In a June workshop presentation to the North Port City Commission John Luczynski, senior vice president of development for Wellen Park, explained why fewer homes are now anticipated.
The workshop presentation covered the projected fiscal impact of Wellen Park and Winchester Ranch on both the city and Sarasota County.
In June, Luczynski said that as development in Wellen Park has evolved, the combined number of homes constructed on both Wellen Park and Winchester Ranch by 2040 may be only 250 homes greater than the 22,250 homes once envisioned for Wellen Park alone.
He later added that the anticipated residential buildout for Wellen Park without Winchester Ranch would barely surpass 16,000 homes.
As the original Wellen Park villages have been crafted, the open space has increased from 30% to 50%.
Also, the developer has been working with Sarasota County on the possible creation of a regional park.
Luczynski later said that the 2,433 acres of Winchester Ranch earmarked for residential use would add only 6,500 homes to the overall area.
What’s next?
The amendments will be submitted and vetted by city staff and the planning and zoning advisory board.
Ultimately, the North Port City Commission — which will include at least one, if not two new members following the Nov. 3 election — will be asked to decide whether to annex the acreage.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 6,500 new homes could reshape nearly 3,000 acres in Sarasota County
