Greetings Representatives of Rural Settlements:
I have transmitted the attached message (pasted below also) to Mayor Jacobs and the Board of Commissioners and ask that you review this matter because granting this approval may impact your rural settlement, should you receive a similar request.
If you consider this matter problematic to maintaining the integrity of our rural settlements, then please communicate your concerns to the Mayor and Commissioners.
I would appreciate a copy of any of your correspondence as well.
Please feel free to me if I may answer further questions.
Thank You,
George Wiggins
President
Tangerine Improvement Society
Transmittal sent today:
Honorable Mayor Jacobs and Honorable members of the Board of County Commissioners,
The proposed above-referenced PD-LUP Subdivision change from single family home sites within a rural settlement to townhomes is an obvious example of incompatibility on this 129 acre tract of land which has been approved for 98 single family home sites. In addition, the request includes variances to allow additional building height (40 ft) for three story townhouse buildings with absolutely no justification for these variances.
I drive by this beautiful forested property twice a day and do not see anything like townhomes within many miles of this site. The closest townhome is in Errol Estates in Apopka that I am aware of. To place town homes on a rural settlement area is inconceivable even though the County’s Planning staff report indicates a finding of consistency with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which I understand they have rendered this determination based on the fact that townhomes are not exclusively prohibited in the Comp Plan for a rural settlement. However, the comp plan still speaks to having compatibility, and I would think this criteria would weigh heavily in making a decision to change the original PD approval.
As a neighboring rural settlement (Tangerine) not far from this site, we have a major concern over granting this request due to the precedent it will set for our rural settlement. Over the last 10 years there have been numerous PD approvals for developments that have not come out of the ground in Tangerine and we do not want to see any of these become townhomes in rural northwest Orange County. We did not move to this area to look at townhomes, and neither is there any expectation by our residents of seeing future developments of townhomes.
PLEASE DENY THIS REQUEST TO CONVERT THIS PD APPROVAL FROM SINGLE FAMILY HOMES TO TOWNHOMES.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist in this matter further.
George Wiggins
President
Tangerine Improvement Society
Dear Rural Settlement Resident,
This email serves as a reminder that there is an Orange County Public Hearing scheduled regarding the Gassmere Reserve Planned Development (PD) Land Use Plan (LUP). The project is located in the Zellwood area and is proposing a change from single-family homes to townhomes in the rural settlement.
Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Orange County Administration Building
201 S. Rosalind Avenue
Orlando, Florida 32801
Board of County Commissioners Chambers located on the 1st floor.
This Public Hearing was continued from November 29, 2011.
If you should have any questions, please contact me at 407-836-5883.
Thank you.
Christopher R. Testerman, AICP
Director of Government Relations
Orange County Administrator’s Office
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