Princeton at College Park passes Orlando Commission

One of the most controversial College Park developments in recent memory finally passed last Monday to the dismay of some College Park residents – but not without a potential legal battle on the horizon.

Orlando City Commissioners passed the plans for the Princeton at College Park apartment building earlier this month by a vote of 4-1, after the 226-unit project’s planned size was brought down to 206 units.

The multi-story development will sit on a strip of land formed by Princeton and Smith streets. The location raised concerns among residents who feared the project would worsen existing traffic problems and hurt the character of the area.

Over the span of two City Council meetings more than 55 residents have spoken out against the project.

“We have an oasis of relative, relative urban peace here in College Park,” resident Steve Isham said at the Sept. 29 meeting. “Why would you sacrifice that? Why would you trade this precious sanctuary for asphalt, concrete, overcrowding and traffic jams? I and many others do not want the rampant growth that plagues other areas through Orlando.”

Mayor Buddy Dyer cited property rights as the biggest reason for his vote of approval, adding that developers should expect the city to follow the rules it has in place.

“We have spent a lot of time in the past 10 years talking about smart growth, urban infill and transit-oriented development,” Dyer said.

“I feel like we need to adhere to what we have on the books or we’ll have no development.”

But a group of College Park residents called Rethink the Princeton won’t be giving up without a fight.

Resident Mary Travis said residents will likely take legal action, hoping to have the vote appealed by the circuit court.

“We plan to move forward,” Travis said. “We have quite a good case. The wishes of the community were not considered.”

Attorney Karen Consalo, representing the residents, said the City Commission overstepped their bounds by voting on the large-scale project.

“We believe this plan violates exiting comprehensive plan policies,” Consalo said. “[Future Land Use Subarea Policy S 4.6] is designed to protect this exact area of town. Why? Because Edgewater Drive is unique. It is charming. It is a vibrant business and residential area and the people who live there and work there do not want to see a development that going to hurt that very charm.”

Consalo added that all development should be a “logical transition in mass, scale and height,” according to the policy.

“This development is so far out of whack with the prevailing mass and scale and height that it violates this subarea policy very clearly,” Consalo said.

The attorney pointed out that the project may be characterized as mixed-use, but doesn’t introduce any new commercial uses.

The City Commission’s failure to listen is part of much greater issue, Travis said. Other developments are springing up throughout the Orlando area, from Baldwin Park to College Park, she said.

“It’s time somebody did something,” Travis said.