Apopka officials are exploring a potential trail connection in the northwest part of the city that could link regional trail systems while advancing conservation goals. 

City planner Jean Sanchez introduced the early-stage concept during Wednesday’s City Commission meeting, describing it as an opportunity to improve east-west connectivity across State Road 429. 

“The focus is a potential connection across State Road 429 … which currently acts as a barrier to the east-west movement,” Sanchez said. 

If pursued, the trail would function as a connector between existing and planned regional systems, including Lake County’s Neighborhood Lakes Trailhead to the north and, potentially, the West Orange Trail to the south, which feeds into Florida’s Coast-to-Coast Trail network. 

Sanchez emphasized that the proposal remains conceptual. 

“At this stage, there’s no concept design yet,” she said. “This is simply an introduction to the opportunity … as that coordination continues.”  

From a planning standpoint, the connection would address a documented gap in the city’s active transportation network and support broader efforts to create more walkable, bike-friendly infrastructure. It could also enhance access near the Kelly Park Interchange, an area targeted for mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development. 

The concept is being explored in coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which is evaluating whether parcels in the study area meet criteria for inclusion in the state’s wildlife corridor priorities. 

That designation could open the door to funding tied to conservation and mitigation programs. 

Sanchez said the effort builds on a regional partnership model involving local governments, FWC and the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), similar to an approach used at Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area, an estimated 2,000-acre conservation area located in southeast Orange and Osceola counties. 

There, transportation impacts from the Osceola Parkway extension were offset through a mitigation strategy that included land acquisition, long-term land management and the incorporation of wildlife crossings and trail connections. 

“What we’re exploring here is whether a similar approach could apply where trail connection also supports wildlife corridor objectives,” Sanchez said.  

The mitigation plan at Split Oak Forest has drawn criticism from environmental groups, who argue it allowed development on previously protected land, Central Florida Public Media reported.  

Against that backdrop, Sanchez said Apopka’s concept remains in an evaluation phase, with FWC determining whether the targeted parcels meet eligibility standards for conservation funding and corridor designation. 

If deemed viable, the city would move toward a higher-level feasibility analysis and potential partnership agreements. 

“They’ve got $25 million that they need to spend on mitigation for the Split Oak,” Mayor Bryan Nelson said. “There’s an opportunity for us to get CFX dollars that need to go to these kinds of projects.”  

Nelson added that the effort could complement the state’s Florida Forever land conservation program and potentially preserve hundreds of acres while expanding recreational access. 

“It could be up to 600 acres of land that we will be able to put into conservation,” he said.  

Sanchez noted that, if the project advances, the city would return to the commission with a more detailed concept and partnership framework.