Jacksonville-based holding company GreenPointe Holdings broke ground Feb. 27 on the 426-acre TurnLeaf planned development along Burnt Store Road, west of Interstate 75, that will bring 1,735 single-family homesites to south Charlotte County.
In April 2024, the Board of County Commissioners approved rezoning for the parcel allowing single-family, twin villas, townhomes and multifamily housing units for all of the developments’ phases. It approved the final site plan in July 2024.
Burnt Store Developers LLC purchased the land in May 2023 for $21,291,000, and later the three parcels were consolidated into one zoned for Planned Development after approval from the Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Board.
Burnt Store Developers, an established developer, and GreenPointe Holdings, a diversified holding company, are related but separate entities.
The entrance to TurnLeaf will be on the east side of Burnt Store Road, with another to the north and an emergency access entrance to be built later.
Attorney Derek Rooney, who represents the developer, said last year that 14.82 acres of wetlands and uplands were preserved in addition to an area containing an archeological site.
The first construction will be for model homes, and there will be a variety of design options for the one-story and two-story homes on 40-, 50- or 60-foot-wide homesites.
“We are excited to break ground on TurnLeaf, a community just minutes from the expansive beaches of the Gulf,” GreenPointe Holdings’ Southwest Division Regional President Jim McGowan said.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the development team, including civil engineering firm Barraco and Associates, Lee Mar Building and Construction for civil and site work and Gulf Coast Utility Contractors, which is charged with underground utilities work.
“At GreenPointe, we pride ourselves on crafting amenity-rich lifestyle communities, and TurnLeaf is a shining example of that commitment,” McGowan said. “With its unparalleled location, new homes from premier builders and an impressive array of recreational amenities, TurnLeaf is poised to redefine [Southwest] Florida resort living.”
An active adult community also is planned for the development.
Amenities will include a 5,500-square-foot community center with a pool, fitness center, pickleball courts, a yoga lawn and indoor and outdoor dining and gathering spaces.
GreenPointe Holdings has 17 other planned developments up and down the east and west coasts of Florida including one in the Panhandle.
When developed out, TurnLeaf will join thousands of other homes being built along the Burnt Store corridor.
There has been a pushback from residents living in about a dozen communities along the corridor who formed the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition. The organization has been urging the county to amend the 2005 master plan designed by developers for the corridor.
Concerns raised at commissioners meetings included traffic congestion, flooding, wastewater, potable water supply and destruction of wildlife habitats.
Mary Ellen Kiss, a founder of the BSCC, said that there is other area development taking place, including some 2,500 homes in the Tuckers Grade area of Punta Gorda.
An east/west corridor is planned that would connect Burnt Store Road with Tuckers Grade and an alternate access to I-75, she said.
