Courtesy of city of Apopka
Key Points
- The Apopka City Council passed the first reading to rezone about 197 acres for the Ondich North gated community on Dec. 17 by a 4-1 vote.
- Ondich North will have one unit per acre and include tree preservation areas and four miles of trails at its location near Ondich Road and S.R. 429/S.R. 453.
- Commissioner Nadia Anderson opposed the project, citing growth and infrastructure concerns, while others supported it for its rural compatibility.
The Apopka City Council passed 4-1 the first reading of an ordinance to change the zoning of an estimated 197 acres for a development that is part of the growing Kelly Park Interchange (KPI) District.
The ordinance’s second reading is scheduled for the Jan. 7 City Council meeting, which follows the first reading that took place Dec. 17.
Ondich North is a planned gated community located at the northwest corner of Ondich Road and S.R. 429/S.R. 453. The development would include 50% open space, with 40% as tree preservation areas and 4 miles of trails.
“This is intended to be a higher-end community,” attorney Elesa Sowell, representing the Ondich North developer, told the City Council. “It’s a very nice transition. You have the KPI right along Ondich Road, which is the boundary of the KPI. This is allowing this really nice gradual transition into a more rural area.”
Sowell said the community would have “one-to-one development,” meaning one unit per acre.
Citing growth concerns as the reason for her vote, Commissioner Nadia Anderson opposed the ordinance, which would change the zoning of 196.83 acres from citrus rural to planned development.
She said Ondich North is a “great project” but “adding 196 residents right now … is not a good idea,” citing constituent feedback.
“I’ve been contacted by a lot of the residents,” she said. “Right now, it’s important that we slow growth down. If we approved this development, then we will be actually adding to the issues and the problems we have right now. I think we need to focus more on infrastructure right now, because with the impact that this subdivision would have, I don’t think right now our system can actually handlethis.”
Commissioner Diane Velazquez voted in favor of the ordinance, saying that the development is compatible with the existing rural character.
“Isn’t it that they’re building this area kind of compatible with what’s already out there, which is pretty much rural, so they’re kind of keeping the same character in that area back there and up as I drive, we drive up there,” she said. “So I’m in favor of the projects.”
A 4-1 City Council vote on July 2 annexed the property into the city. A future land use amendment to mixed-use-use was unanimously adopted on Nov. 5.