Residents Push Back Against Land Use Change

by Debra Wood


Wood Partners endeavors to build 325 apartments in the Majorca Planned Development off Turkey Lake Road.

Dr. Phillips homeowners are mounting an offense to try to stop a developer seeking a land use amendment for the Majorca Planned Development west of Turkey Lake Drive at Spring Lake to build Rialto 2 with up to 325 multifamily residential units on a parcel of land designated as commercial.
Roy Messinger, with the Southern Dr. Phillips Homeowners Coalition, said 50 area homeowners associations are opposed to the proposal, because “it is incompatible and inconsistent with other residential neighborhoods in the community.”
Future land use map designations were adopted by the county and are overseen by the state. The site includes 24.31 gross acres, reaching into Spring Lake. The currently approved Majorca development would allow up to 23,964 square feet of retail development and 33,360 square feet of office space on the 6.5 acres of buildable lakefront land.
“That made sense when it was approved initially, and it still makes sense today,” Messinger said. “It’s consistent with the rest of the neighborhood.”
According to property appraiser records, in July 2015, Wpff Majorca Land Investor, at the address of Wood Partners of Atlanta, purchased the two parcels of land for $2.6 million.
Wood Partners, developer of The Rialto on Sand Lake Road, wants to change the land use to high-density residential with a maximum density of 50 dwelling units per acre, with plans to build 325 apartments on the site. The building would be six stories, including structured parking, according to Orange County.
“The density would be unlike any other in Southwest Orlando,” Messinger said. “How many apartment units can our market handle?”
Messinger expressed concern about the density in a suburban setting, traffic and increased school enrollment in already crowded schools. He reported that Sand Lake and Turkey Lake roads cannot handle existing traffic.
“The Sand Lake-Turkey Lake intersection is already broken,” Messinger said. “No one can justify adding morning and afternoon traffic to the area.”
Jim Hall, a representative for the owners, did not return calls or emails requesting information.
According to Jennifer DuBois, senior planner with Orange County, to change the land use, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners will have to agree, and then the request would be sent to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review. The board plans to consider the action at its Jan. 26, 2016, meeting. Orange County staff members are recommending in favor of the change.            ª