Darla Sinnard is inviting you to a party. The occasion is the official groundbreaking for Sunkissed Village RV Resort, the newest property in the Jennings Realty family of luxury resorts. You may be familiar with its sister property, Bay Bayou RV Resort in the Tampa Bay area, which is rated by Woodall’s and Trailer Life as among the top 2 percent of privately owned RV resorts nationwide.
Jennings Realty, a fifth-generation family-owned business based in Evanston, Illinois, is partnering with Rymer Companies of Minnesota on the Sunkissed Village project. Darla Sinnard serves as regional manager for the Jennings communities in Florida, a position she has held for over seven years.
Sunkissed Village is located in Summerfield, just five minutes north of The Villages, famed as the top retirement community in the U.S. The location is close to Ocala. “We are close to all the natural attractions in the Ocala National Forest, as well as the horse country around Ocala,” Darla says.
The developers want to be sensitive to the Florida environment and are building an ARVC Plan-It Green Friendly Park which requires meeting a list of eco-friendly criteria. “We plan on being certified as Plan It Green by using energy-efficient LED lighting and energy saving appliances, and other green initiatives,” Darla says. “We have to meet at least nine of the ARVC criteria to receive the certification.”
Artist rendering street view of the inside of Sunkissed Village RV Resort.
Other environmentally aware features guests will find at Sunkissed Village include non-toxic biodegradable cleaning products used in public places, water-saving faucets, toilets, shower heads and water heaters, and recycle bins for cans, paper, glass and plastic as well as for hazardous waste such as batteries. Lights, thermostats and sprinklers will be on timing systems. The landscaping, including the magnificent double row of Washingtonia Palms that line the entrance road, has been designed to minimize water use and discourage erosion and runoff.
Like Bay Bayou, Sunkissed Village will welcome the largest big rigs with spacious pull-through sites and full hookups that offer 50/100 amp electric as well as water, sewer, high speed internet and cable TV service at each of its 267 brick paver sites. Park models will also be available for sale, for those who’d like to make a more permanent home in Florida.
The plans for Sunkissed Village don’t skimp on amenities. A heated saltwater pool anchors the outdoor activity area, which also includes a Tiki bar, grill area and gas-powered fire pit, as well as courts for Bocce Ball, shuffleboard and Pickleball. The huge 8,000 sq. ft. clubhouse houses a fitness center, fully equipped kitchen and rooms dedicated to billiards, games and crafts, as well as upscale bath and laundry facilities.
The Jennings communities are extra welcoming to pets. One unique feature is a dog park with a hot bath where four-footed friends can rinse off after their play sessions.
“It’s a nice feature,” Darla says. “The residents at Bay Bayou really love it. We aim to provide our guests with a complete active lifestyle community, with lots of activities and events available onsite. We’ll have dinner dances, outdoor barbecues, and lots of other special events for residents.”
Darla explains that the activity schedule will be much like that at Bay Bayou, overseen by an on-site activities director. A look at the calendar there reveals organized activities from dawn to late night, ranging from morning yoga to evening campfires, with plenty of arts and crafts classes, bike rides, lunch outings, water aerobics, card games and competitions filling the days.
The March 31 groundbreaking ceremony will take place from noon to 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the RV Swapshop at 14400 S US 441, Summerfield, FL 34491, which sits in front of the resort property. “We’ll have a band, food and soft drinks, plus door prizes,” Darla says. She urges everyone to RSVP before attending.
The Sunkissed Village location is really convenient, she admits. “We have the RV Swapshop, which sells used RVs and does RV repairs out front, and Camping World is just across the road. Plus all the shopping, dining, golf and activities at The Villages are just five minutes down the road.”
Residents won’t have to worry about traffic noise on busy US 441, either. “The resort is located down a long driveway so it will be very quiet,” Darla says.
The March 31 groundbreaking party is open to anyone interested in getting more information about staying or living at the new resort, which will open this Fall. Darla especially encourages anyone wanting to secure a reservation for the 2019/2020 season to come by. Sunkissed is currently accepting reservation of three months or longer.
RSVPs for the March 31 event are required. If you’d like to be there, BE SURE TO CALL (813) 842-6605 by March 24, 2019.