707 WOODBURY will no longer be on the agenda for this meeting!!
Tues 8/27/2024 -9 AM Board of County Commissioners Meeting (BCC)
201 S Rosalind Ave 32801 Commission Cham
July 30, 2024 707 WOODBURY will not be heard on 8/27
Developer has withdrawn his application
Mr. Rivero, the owner/developer of the 707 parcel has withdrawn his application, in anticipation of passage of Orange County Vision 2050. This too will have a large impact at this site, as per page 92 of the current Vision 2050 draft, his zoning allowance will automatically increase to 21.6 units for market rate housing and 36 for affordable housing. He is currently seeking the affordable housing option because it will allow him the 36 unit density he is seeking. More on this to come, so please stay tuned!!
July 15, 2024 General Community Update
BCC meeting changed to 9 am on 8/27/2024!
We received an update that the 707 Woodbury parcel will now be on the BCC agenda for 8/27/2024, with the possibility of being moved out even further. Stay tuned!
A Brief Summary on the 707 Woodbury Parcel
There is a committee in place who is specifically devoted to this issue.
History:
As you may be aware, in 2020 the owner of this parcel, located at 707 Woodbury Road, was seeking to build a 63 unit, 4-5 story apartment complex. He withdrew his application at the last minute because Commissioner Cordero said she would not support it, due to a lot of community opposition. This parcel is adjacent to Discovery Middle School and across the street from Waterford Elementary School
He is now reapplying to build 36 attainable senior apartment units on that parcel.
The definition of attainable vs affordable per the Orange County Housing for All Task Force Report in 2019: Attainable = Household Income $83k - $97k vs Affordable = Household Income $26k - $83k
There was a community meeting held at Legacy Middle School on April 17th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. that provided more information on the new proposal.
Our community was opposed to the original proposal in 2020, and continues to be opposed to the current proposal for the following reasons:
1. The close proximity to an already very busy intersection, which includes two schools, Discovery Middle School and Waterford Elementary. Hundreds of children walk through this very busy intersection to get to school each day. This is a huge safety concern as there have been numerous accidents and near misses at this intersection.
2. Concerns about access to the parcel since there is only access from Woodbury Rd, making this a right turn in only, and right turn out only situation. This would force entering cars to have to go further south on Woodbury into Eastwood and make a u-turn. Exiting the parcel would also force a U-turn either further up Woodbury on the north side, or on Lake Underhill going east, adding more hazard to an already dangerous intersection where hundreds of school children are present.
3. The entrance/exit point in and out of the complex would be halfway between the current Discovery Middle School entrance/exit and the traffic light at Woodbury and Lake Underhill Rd. The very short distance to the traffic light makes it almost impossible to cross over 3 lanes to make a left out of Waterford Lakes and creates the U-turn situation mentioned above.
4. Emergency vehicle access will also be delayed due to the right turn in/right turn out issue. In addition, should emergency vehicles need to access this parcel during peak school/commuting hours, access will be further hindered due to the extensive traffic congestion that occurs during that time.
5. Lack of accessible transportation within a reasonable distance. At the time the closest bus stop is almost a mile away, which is not consistent with the Orange County Future Land Use Plan.
6. Due to the small parcel size, this senior apartment complex will not have sufficient parking to accommodate its residents AND the additional ancillary services a senior population often requires. Despite being a 55+ community, the majority of drivers aged 55-75 still hold a drivers license and would have more of a traffic impact than the developer is claiming.
7. According to the developer, there will be no on-site security or property management. This creates additional safety concerns within the community and the surrounding areas.
8. Lack of cohesiveness with the rest of the community. The majority of homes surrounding this parcel are single family homes, and putting a 36 unit, three-story senior apartment complex in the very heart of the Waterford Lakes is not cohesive with the rest of the community.
9. This really is not that different from the original 63 unit proposal in 2020 with regards to the number of rooms. 24 two bedroom apartments, and 12 bedroom apartments is still 60 rentable bedrooms. So we feel that the traffic impact from this will be greater than anticipated.
10. Again - Safety concerns due to hundreds of students in the proximity of this complex not only attending school but walking to and from each day. There have already been multiple accidents at this intersection.
We are NOT against senior housing per se, rather THIS particular location due to the access, traffic, and safety issues.
Ironically in 2020, when we were fighting this issue, Commissioner Cordero did say that she had a relative who was hit at that intersection, and our district 4 Planning and Zoning commissioner at that time reported getting hit at that intersection while on his bike.
PLEASE EMAIL COMMISSIONER CORDERO TO TELL HER TO STAND WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SAY NO TO THIS APPLICATION! District4@ocfl.net