Push for annexation surprises, irks county leaders who would lose jurisdiction
Orlando is preparing to annex nearly 6,300 acres of the long-planned – and enormous – Sunbridge development being built by Tavistock on both sides of the Orange/Osceola County line.
The proposed annexation of land currently in unincorporated Orange County would give the city control of a hugely lucrative project that will have enormous environmental impacts. But Orlando’s move caught Orange County leaders who would lose their jurisdiction by surprise, vexing some, though under state law there is little they can do to stop it.
“We got this sprung on us,” said Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, an advocate for environmental protection and rural areas. “It’s really troublesome. This is a gigantic development in a very ecologically sensitive area.”
Sunbridge is planned as a mixed-use development with up to 7,370 residential units, 5.4 million square feet of office space, 2.9 million square feet of industrial uses and 880,000 square feet of retail, according to documents provided to the county Feb. 23 by Brooke R. Bonnett, Orlando’s economic development director.
The Tavistock development firm has already obtained most of the needed land-use approvals for Sunbridge, but control of permitting is at stake.
Lee Perry, a climate activist, said the annexation could exacerbate existing environmental challenges.
Others feared the city would be lax about enforcing environmental regulations.
The massive two-phase annexation would bring into Orlando large swaths of land on the north and south sides of State Road 528, including the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center – operated by the city-owned Orlando Utilities Commission – as well as land encompassing both Sunbridge and the International Corporate Park planned development.
An overview of the plan from the city contends bringing the land under its jurisdiction will “further ensure smart, strategic growth that meets the needs of our community with investments in planned infrastructure, civic amenities, housing and commercial developments.”
But environmental groups criticized the proposed annexation as a maneuver around a rural boundary proposal under consideration by a charter review panel that could limit development outside of the county’s urban service area.
The project forms the southern edge of the county’s eastern urban service area. Important natural and rural lands are nearby.
“Why or how this is coming forward at this time, we can all speculate about,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, acknowledging it was a surprise to himself and to staff. “I won’t do that at this time. But it is concerning to me.”
He made his remarks at a Tuesday’s county commission meeting.
“With this annexation, I’ve expressed my concerns to our staff about the long term implications of this situation for this board to control the future direction of growth in southeast Orange County and, I daresay, the entire county,” the mayor said.
Demings pledged county staff would “delve into this and perhaps look to slow the process down.”
The city documents included a feasibility study describing Orlando’s intent to annex property.
Required by state law, the study sets a plan by which the city would provide urban services to the area.
The city will hold the first of two annexation hearings March 11.
Demings said county staff would prepare a response outlining issues and noting concerns.
“My expectation is that communications between the city of Orlando and Orange County need to improve for planning purposes, including impacts on our Vision 2050 plan,” he said referring to the county’s new land-use blueprint.
Wilson said city leaders were “very engaged” with the county months ago while lobbying for millions in Tourist Development Taxes for improvements to Camping World Stadium and the Kia Center, the former Amway Center.
“But here we are trying to get communication about something as impactful and potentially environmentally devastating as unplanned growth like this,” she said in a phone interview. “It just feels like sprawl at the expense of the rest of the county.”
Chuck O’Neal, president of Speak Up Wekiva, Inc., called the annexation “a blatant land grab” by the city.
O’Neal sent an email to county and city leaders, addressing them as “decision-makers” and pleading for the acres to remain under the county’s jurisdiction “to insure compliance with Orange County’s environmental standards.”
News Source: Orlando Sentinel: [email protected]
