Seminole County to oppose big development

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Seminole County is taking it's opposition to a large Orange County development to state regulators.

"The Grow" is a proposed 2,900 homes on a 1,200 acre plot in the north east corner of Orange County. It is significant, because it is east of the Econ River, a place Orange County has for two decades set as the boundary for growth.

Seminole Commissioner Bob Dallari says almost 3 thousand homes butting up to the southern end of his County will not be good for residents of Seminole.

"We fell that this type of growth would cause a negative impact on traffic, stormwater, growth, schools, congestion."

Now, Seminole is crafting a letter to state regulators that will likely ask them to put the brakes on the proposal. Commissioner Dallari says Seminole's opposition is simple.

"All this is, in our opinion, is urban sprawl."

Seminole is most worried about traffic. To make the project work, a new bridge would be built over the environmentally sensitive Econ River on McCulloch Road right by the UCF campus. Dallari points out that road is already "F" rated and adding more cars won't make it any better.

"It is not a fix.... We don't see enough infrastructure, regionally going into this area to deem additional housing, additional congestion."

Orange County gave its initial approval after noting that Seminole sends thousands of cars a day into Orange County through the area.

The plans now go to the state DEP, and if approved will return to the Orange County Commission for a final vote. It was originally bumped up to the state level in a 4-3 vote after an 11 hour public hearing.