Despite Orange County being in a state of emergency for Hurricane Milton, Mayor Demings proceeded with the scheduled Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, October 8, which included the public hearing for the Hartzog Road Attainable Housing Project.
During the nearly two-hour public hearing, Commissioner Wilson and local Horizon West residents strongly criticized Mayor Demings for holding the session, arguing that residents should be preparing for the approaching storm instead of traveling downtown. This sentiment was echoed by District 6 Commissioner Mike Scott, who expressed his preference for helping the community prepare.
Based on impacts to the area, the development will pay more than $11 million in fees to Orange County to mitigate the impact of the complex. Transportation impact fees, calculated based on the type and amount of development, will be used to expedite the acquisition of rights-of-way and the construction of Avalon Road in Village I. A Proportionate Share Agreement was also implemented to address a deficient segment of Avalon Road, from Western Way to Water Springs Boulevard.
- Transportation Impact Fees: $8,172,204
- Proportionate Share Agreement: $3,245,340
Numerous changes and concessions were made by the developer following previous meetings with Commissioner Wilson, the Planning & Zoning Commission, the County Commission, and Orange County staff. Additional infrastructure improvements, beyond the impact fees and Proportionate Share Agreement, will be at the developer’s expense. Key improvements include:
- A 2-acre public park along Avalon Road
- An additional left turn lane from Seidel Road onto Avalon Road
- A new traffic signal and crosswalk at the community entrance along Avalon Road, which will also serve the entrance of The Promenade at Horizon West
- Reducing the complex by 41 units, from 1,410 to 1,369
There are also ongoing discussions with the County about donating land for a fire station at the cow pasture on Avalon Road and Seidel Road.
Based on the Staff recommendation, a condition mandating the attainable housing state was added onto the property:
At least 75% of all multi-family units available for rent on the Property shall be reserved for residents earning between 50% and 100% of the Median Family Income (AMI) for the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
After public feedback, Commissioner Wilson questioned the applicants transparency throughout the process, citing many residents still upset of the past community meeting. Commissioner Wilson pushed to gain support to continue the hearing into the future and for additional wetlands protections that would follow the new Orange County wetland code that would require 100-feet setbacks instead of 25-feet.
The project was approved by the Board in a 5-1 vote, with Commissioner Wilson being the only vote against.
During public comment, several residents granted their time to Sarah Hibbs, allowing her to speak longer and go in-depth on the poor location selection of the project. Hibbs led a petition against the project citing the inappropriate location and lack of adequate infrastructure, which gained over 400 signatures. After the hearing, Hibbs praised Commissioner Wilson’s advocacy for Horizon West residents, stating:
Massive Thanks to Commissioner Nicole Wilson!! She stood up and fought like hell for our area yesterday against the leviathan for the Affordable Housing Projects.
While the vote turned out as expected, I appreciate her thoughts and effort supporting her constituents, doing a great job, and being an excellent leader.
Kudos, Commissioner Wilson! You are appreciated!
Despite strong opposition from local residents, the project had support from the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, Orlando Regional Realtor Association, and other organizations.
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