Residents criticize city growth outpacing infrastructure
By Teresa Sargeant
Reporter
The Apopka City Council last week unanimously approved a major development plan (MDP) for a development of 54 single-family detached units on 9 acres in the Wyld Oaks neighborhood overlay, but residents brought up concerns surrounding the development, such as school overcrowding, traffic and infrastructure.
The major development plan proposes 4101 Golden Gem Road to go up east of Golden Gem Road and north of the Neighborhood District Overlay of the Wyld Oaks development.
The project owner is Kelly Park VB Development. The applicant is Kimley-Horn & Associates.
The Neighborhood Overlay District allows at most 198 residential units to be built in one phase. After 4101 Golden Gem Road is built out, 144 residential units will be left in the Wyld Oaks Neighborhood District Overlay, according to the staff report in the April 2 City Council agenda packet.
The packet also notes that the Wyld Oaks development agreement says a development is being determined based on each district overlay’s total gross acreage.
The 4101 Golden Gem Road plan will include sidewalks along Golden Gem Road and within the development itself.
Commissioner Nick Nesta asked about any alleyways being part of the Golden Gem Road development and about the green space requirements.
City planner Jean Sanchez said a recent site plan revision will mean there will be no alleyways. As for the green space question, Sanchez said that 4101 Golden Gem Road meets the 20% open space requirement by including a 10-acre open space.
In further discussion with Sanchez, Nesta verified that each phase or overlay district in the Wyld Oaks development will tap into the 10-acre open space.
Sanchez also said that other Wyld Oaks developments, Kelly Industrial Park and Madison Oaks, have their own amenities to meet their open space stipulations. Kelly Park Industrial already meets Wyld Oaks’ 5% open space requirement, but due to the size, the city requested that the industrial park provide its own amenities.
Resident Rod Olsen recommended that the city implement a moratorium to impede or stop future developments until the city improves infrastructure for current developments.
“We’ve got to do a better job. Let’s get a moratorium in place. It does not stop anything that’s currently in the books, but it can stop or slow anything more coming into the books, until we can get our legs underneath it,” Olsen said. “We need to get our legs underneath us.”
Agreeing with Olsen, resident Sylvester Hall suggested the city focus on proper transportation and school infrastructure before approving new developments.
“Let’s just be responsible,” Hall said. “We can change as we go. We can improvise. All I’m asking you when you bring a developer in, is if the roads need to be widened, whatever it needs to be to make sure we get adequate traffic for our citizens, is that it won’t be a traffic nightmare.”
Wyld Oaks is a 215-acre mixed-use development currently under construction off the 429 Beltway and the West Kelly Park Road interchange in Apopka. The development will have many amenities intended to accommodate a thriving state and regional population and help alleviate the affordable housing crisis, supporters have said.
Amenities will include up to 200,000 square feet of retail and outparcels, two hotels, 3,000 to 4,000 multifamily and condominium residences, an expansive outdoor entertainment venue, up to 200,000 square feet of office space, the 10-acre park and preserve Yonder, and a section named Wyld Green that will include a multi-use trail network.
Infrastructure that is a part of Wyld Oaks will receive upgrades.
The 2024 demand for Wyld Oaks retail was estimated to be about $1.1 billion, while supply is only $700 million, leaving a gap of about $400 million, a past Wyld Oaks press release stated.
The Apopka Chief is an award-winning weekly newspaper serving the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923.
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