Courtesy of the city of Apopka
Key Points
- The Apopka Development Review Committee deferred approval of a 312-unit Floridian Town Center apartment project due to unresolved planning and safety issues.
- The project must address outstanding comments from Planning, Public Works, and Fire before returning to the DRC and advancing to city commissions.
- The DRC approved the final plat for 78 lots at Crossroads at Kelly Park Phase 2A-2, which does not require City Commission approval under Florida law.
The Apopka Development Review Committee (DRC) on Wednesday declined to advance a proposed 312‑unit apartment project at Floridian Town Center after planning staff recommended denial, citing unresolved planning, utility and fire-safety comments.
The Floridian Town Center Multifamily Phase 1 major development plan must return to the DRC after the applicant submits a response letter and addresses outstanding comments from Planning, Public Works and Fire. The project could then advance to the Planning Commission for a recommendation and the City Commission for final consideration.
The apartments are planned off Southfork Drive. Project plans show multiple apartment buildings and on-site amenities.
Keith Farling of LJA asked the committee to approve the plan on the condition that the remaining technical comments be resolved during construction‑plan review, but staff said those issues must be addressed before the project moves on to public hearings.
City engineer Dale Smith said the project’s entrances would connect to the already constructed portion of the roadway, but the plat has not been approved and usable water and sewer infrastructure is not yet available.
“The lift station doesn’t have the pumps in it,” Smith said. He said the water system has remained stagnant and must be flushed and rechlorinated before the development can connect to it.
Fire Department representative Jeremy Holderfield said questions remained about the auto-turn analysis and the placement of fire department connections near hydrants.
Farling also disputed a staff parking comment, saying an applicable ordinance requires 1.45 spaces per unit and that the proposal exceeds that standard. Planning staff asked him to submit the ordinance for comparison with the project’s approved master plan.
In other business, the committee approved the final plat for Crossroads at Kelly Park Phase 2A-2, which would establish 78 lots along Soapberry Avenue. The city surveyor and legal counsel also approved the plat, which is ready for the city administrator’s signature. Bobby Howell, the committee’s planning and zoning representative, said City Commission approval is not required under Florida law.
The DRC also reviewed three special-event requests: Harvest Haunt, scheduled for Oct. 16-18 at Edwards Field; Walk for Life, planned for Oct. 17; and 12Ks of Christmas, scheduled for Dec. 19 at the Northwest Recreation Complex.