According to the Orlando Sentinel, a developer's plans to build 38 homes on 16 acres north of Orlando in Northwestern Seminole County is raising opposition from the neighbors, some of whom live on large, 5-acre lots. The proposed site is near the Black Bear Wilderness Area which is also home to deer, otters, alligators, and, black bears. It’s just too much for this area,” said Blaize McMonagle, a resident of the area and owner of a 3-acre spread. “We understand that there needs to be some development — and we’re not against development — but it’s too high density for this area. We don’t like it having houses right up against us like sardines.”
Members of a Seminole County advisory board agreed, voting unanimously to recommend that county commissioners reject changing the zoning on the old nursery property from agriculture to planned development. County commissioners are scheduled to take a preliminary vote on the project on Feb. 25.
McMonagle, a Republican candidate for the Seminole County Commission, and others would prefer the subdivision south of the St. Johns River and west of Interstate 4 have a density of one home per acre, in keeping with the character of the area.
In the past decade, several high-density subdivisions have popped up in the nearby area, and residents say they’ve had enough. Developer Zachary Miller, who is proposing the Paola Country Estates at the southeast corner of New York Street and Ohio Avenue, pointed out that his development, at 2.35 homes per acre, has less density than new subdivisions nearby.
“We’re trying to be good neighbors,” said Miller, who lives near Sanford. “I know nobody really likes this, but we’ve made concessions for the homeowners in the area.”
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