The City Council on Sept. 17 unanimously adopted two different future land use maps for Paulucci Acres, a 618-acre mixed-use development with over 1,000 homes planned for the city’s northern region.  

The first ordinance changed the future land use designation of a 39.85-acre property from county low density to city residential, low suburban. The property is located on the east side of Vick Road, about a quarter mile north of the Vick Road and West Lester Road intersection.  

The second ordinance changed the designation of a 5.78-acre property from residential, low suburban to commercial. The second property is located on the south side of Ponkan Road and west of Jason Dwelley Parkway.  

Paulucci Acres LLC owns the two properties. The applicant on record is Daniel O’Keefe, partner with the law firm Shutts & Bowen.  

At the Sept. 17 meeting, Elesa Sowell, a partner with Shutts & Bowen, read a list of permitted uses for the commercial parcel, ensuring the development will be neighborhood friendly. 

The permitted commercial uses on that list include coffee shop, restaurant, grocery store, child care facility, performance art or martial arts school, barbershop and beauty salon, laundromat and dry cleaning, and medical offices.  

Commissioner Nick Nesta thanked Sowell for listing the permitted commercial uses for the 5.78-acre property.  

“This was one of my biggest hiccups last meeting … I needed a list,” he said. “Give me something of what this looks like.”  

During public comment, resident Ace Woodham requested soil sampling at the proposed Paulucci Acres site because a grove and a cattle ranch once were in that area. He said there are no clear guidelines or control over how and where soil samples are taken on a property.  

“They don’t know where it’s going where or anything else,” he said. “There’s no rhyme or reason of why they picked that spot to do a soil sample.”  

Resident Rod Olsen pointed out that passing the land use amendment of the 39.85-acre property could add 139 units or 56 students to the current population and said the devlopment needed infrastructure to support the additional residents.  

Sylvester Hall said he was concerned about government transparency, in this case how Paulucci Acres development would impact Rock Springs Ridge homeowners including himself. Rock Springs Ridge is a 1,320-home subdivision off Rock Springs Road that’s near the proposed Paulucci Acres site. 

“Be straight up front and let us know. Let the residents know what you plan on putting there,” Hall said. “That way they can come out and say, ‘Hey, I’m for it’ or ‘I’m against it.’ But don’t just sneak it in here because you know too many people ain’t watching, because soon as I find out, all 1320 residents of Rock Spring Ridge is going to know who supported it and who didn’t.”  

The Apopka Planning Commission recommended approval of Paulucci Acres’ two future land use maps on Aug. 12. The City Council passed the first reading of the two maps on Sept. 3.  

If completed, Paulucci Acres would include nearly 618 acres located north and south of West Ponkan Road, with about 1,052 residential units and two commercial parcels that will total about 10 acres, according to documents from Shutts & Bowen.  

About 145 acres of Paulucci Acres would be dedicated to a city park, Sowell said at the Aug. 12 Planning Commission meeting, adding that the park would be constructed more toward the beginning of the Paulucci Acres development.