Growth management, roadway maintenance, city beautification, and parks and outdoor spaces were among the concerns identified in a community survey that was taken for the city’s strategic plan initiative, which aims to address what the city should focus on to nurture.  

Besides the survey, which collected 75 responses so far, the city held three community forums over two days this week. The first forum took place Wednesday, Aug. 13, followed by two more on Thursday. All took place at the Apopka city Hall council chamber, lasted about 90 minutes, and had the same presentation and discussions. About 5-10 people attended each forum.  

The introduction of the strategic planning process was livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel, although the active shareholder discussions were not livestreamed until the livestreams went back online. The national accounting and consulting firm BerryDunn is facilitating the initiative and led all three forums.  

A strategic plan is a document that helps put focus on some of the areas where the community’s resources should go, according to Charlene Petit Homme, project manager and lead facilitator for BerryDunn, during the Thursday morning forum.  

A strategic plan is also a “living document” intended to help guide decision-making and the budget, and a “tool for transparency” in which community members informs BerryDunn what it wants from their local government.  

“You all let us know what you want from a community perspective, and ideally that is implemented into the plan, so that you all can hold your government accountable,” she said.  

Attendees were encouraged to think about Apopka data presented and how they fit into it. The city’s median age is 38, with a median household income of about $83,461. The current population sits at around 60,279 in 2025 – a significant boost from a population of around 55,000 from the last census in 2020. The average household size is three people. The homeownership rate is nearly 75%, versus about 25% of the population who rent.  

“The key takeaways here is that this growth, Apopka’s growth, is a little bit faster than Sanford, but it’s not as intense as Winter Garden, so it gives you a little bit more of some breathing room as you start thinking about planning for infrastructure and housing needs as well within your community,” Petit Homme said.  

The city also continues to collect feedback on the Vision Apopka SocialPinPoint page and distribute the community survey, The survey asks respondent their thought about what the city’s priorities should be in its strategic plan, what the city government does well and could do better, the city’s biggest challenge over the next five years, and the city’s quality of life. 

“The strategic plan is the right direction by incorporating our communities [,] families and businesses,” Yolanda Frazier posted on the Vision Apopka page. “Definitely I would like to join.” 

Comments left on the SocialPinPoint site cover a wide range of topics ranging from traffic safety and more community activity programs to green space usage, infrastructure and building development.  

“Downtown needs a revamp!” a user named “Apopkan” posted. “And new restaurants, shops are needed. It sucks having family over and having to drive 30-40 min to eat something!”   

The final strategic plan is expected by October, with a draft review in December.  

The city is revising its five-year strategic plan because of the pandemic’s effects on the community’s way of life. This includes the rise of remote work, more home deliveries, and increasing interest in outdoor recreation such as walking and bicycling, Mayor Bryan Nelson said in a June interview with The Apopka Chief.  

“Things have changed,” he said in the interview. “We’ve gone through COVID … So we just want to make sure that the vision lines up with what our constituents want it to look like.” 

The strategic planning is a different initiative from the city’s latest rewrite, which was adopted in 2009, Nelson said. The comprehensive plan covers housing, future land use, infrastructure, sustainability element, open space, and so forth.  

The city is using a $20,000 Duke Energy grant to help offset the cost of the strategic plan.  

The current strategic plan revision differs from the Grow Apopka 2025 initiative, which was completed in 2016 with significant community input, including several community meetings. The new project will address changes that have occurred over the last decade, according to Nelson. 

For further details about the strategic plan initiative and to give feedback, go to Apopka.gov/plan.