Orange County is hosting a community meeting on Monday, March 18 for the Hartzog Road Attainable Housing Community. The meeting will be held in the Horizon High School Cafeteria from 6pm to 7pm.

This request is a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendment to apply the Village FLUM designation, expand the Village H boundary, a concurrent request to rezone to PD (Planned Development District) and assign the Horizon West Special Land Use Map designation of Apartment District, to allow for up to 1,410 mixed-income multi-family dwelling units with over 1,000 of the units reserved for individuals and families with incomes in the range of 50%-100% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

• Panther Lake Elementary School
• Water Spring Middle School
• Horizon High School

As of March 1, 2024, Panther Lake has 711 students enrolled with a capacity of 791 (90% capacity), Water Spring Middle has 819 students enrolled with a capacity of 1,238 (66% capacity), and Horizon High has 2,339 students enrolled with a capacity of 2,627 (89% capacity). According to OCPS calculations, the complex is estimated to generate 415 new students.

Will public transportation (Lynx) be provided to the community?
At this time there are no public bus routes from Lynx that operate in the vicinity of the community.

How much parking will be available?
The number of parking spaces has not yet been provided. A waiver is being requested to allow parking areas to be located within 750 feet of the uses they serve in lieu of the 150 feet requirement. An additional waiver is being requested for an alternative parking ratio in lieu of the 1.5 space requirement for 1 bedroom units and 2 spaces for 2 bedroom units or larger. The proposed ratio has not been provided.

Where will entrances for the community be?
The community will have three entrances. One off of Avalon Road, and two off of Hartzog Road.

What experience does The Michaels Organization have?
The Michaels Organization operates 549 apartment communities through the United States, with 23 communities in Florida. Nearby communities include Abbey Lane Apartments in Winter Haven and Park Springs in Plant City. The Michaels Organization is privately owned and is the 13th largest apartment owner in the country.

I can’t attend the meeting, how can I provide input?
If you can’t attend the meeting, email Orange County Planners Jason Sorensen ([email protected]) and Jennifer Dubois ([email protected]).

After the community meeting, what are the next steps?
The request will be presented during the Board of County Commissioners meeting on March 26. The BCC reviews requests based on compatibility and consistency with the goals, objectives, and policies of Orange County. A 9-page Justification Statement was submitted with the request. Public comment will be available at during the hearing. The six Commissioners and Mayor will then vote on the request. If approved, the Future Land Use Map will be transmitted to the state for final review.

After the community meeting, residents unable to attend the upcoming BCC Hearing can provide feedback directly to the Board of County Commissioner’s and the Mayor, who will vote on the matter.

• Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings ([email protected])
• District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson ([email protected])
• District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore ([email protected])
• District 3 Commissioner Mayra Uribe  ([email protected])
• District 4 Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero ([email protected])
• District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla ([email protected])
• District 6 Commissioner Michael “Mike” Scott ([email protected])

If the BCC approves the request, the Future Land Use Map will be transmitted to the State Land Planning Agency for review.

For more information on the upcoming meeting, visit orangecountyfl.net.