Orange County Board of County Commissioners has approved a 6-month development application suspension to allow for the implementation of Vision 2050, the new county comprehensive plan to regulate development. The Vision 2050 plan sets policies for land use, mobility, public services and is being implemented through the adoption of Orange Code, a new Form-Based Land Development Code.

Being a master planned community, Horizon West has it’s own comprehensive plan and is excluded from Vision 2050 and the suspension.

Form-based code focuses on the physical form and characteristics of buildings and public spaces, not just land use and density found in conventional zoning codes. Benefits of form-based code include easier implementation, development regulation, simpler to understand, streamlines permitting, and protects property values.

The county will temporarily suspend the acceptance of new applications for comprehensive plan text and map amendments, rezonings, and special exceptions. This suspension will give staff to prepare for the new Comprehensive Plan, prevents application submissions that can’t be processed prior to implementation, and focuses resources on processing existing applications.

The suspension ordinance has no affect on applications submitted prior to the suspension date, does not affect Planned Development Change Determinations or building permits, and does not affect Master Planned Communities including:

• Horizon West
• Lake Pickett
• Avalon Park DRI
• Innovation Way
• I-Drive District

The suspension will expire 6 months from date of implementation and was passed unanimously by the BCC.