Community meeting reveals concerns

Highway congestion, building heights and retail locations dominated a discussion between Orange County staff and residents of Winter Park, Maitland and unincorporated Orange County on April 12.

About 50 people congregated in Lake Sybelia Elementary School’s cafeteria with one thing on their mind: Ravaudage, a 33-acre multi-use development proposed to be built just west of Orlando Avenue between Winter Park and Maitland.

The goal of the forum was to address the worries and frustration shared by neighbors of the project. Developer Dan Bellows was at the center of it all.

Sydgan Corporation, led by Bellows, has been planning the project for more than 14 years. He’d already taken questions at six public meetings regarding potential issues with the project.

A public hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 21, before the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission. The project’s rezoning request is scheduled to come before the Board of County Commissioners in May.

Though the meeting remained orderly, aggravated tones could be heard in the majority of resident voices piping up throughout the room. An expected increase in traffic on already-congested Highway 17-92 and Lee Road dominated discussion.

Since there is no opportunity to widen 17-92, Bellows said he is limited to the amount of development at first and won’t be able to proceed until completing a mobility study. Eventually, as the development process moves further along, Bellows will be required to build a minimum of two north-south roads and two east-west roads.

Lou Blanchard, a resident of the north side of Lake Killarney, grew visibly frustrated over Lee Road being described as a six-lane road during the discussion of traffic. “I don’t know why they keep saying Lee Road is a six-lane road. It’s four lanes: two east, two west, with turn lanes. But they count the turn lanes. I’ve been through this before.”

Concern also arose when building height was briefly discussed. Previously, a property was requested to be 12 stories tall. Since that wasn’t consistent with the surrounding buildings, both Winter Park and Maitland objected to that height, reducing the request to eight stories.

“Personally, I don’t see an eight story building being built,” Bellows said. That proposed height could still be tapered down from there.

Currently, nothing has been approved as to what businesses will be built on the Ravaudage property. Only zoning is being discussed. The square footage allows for one single-retail outlet greater than 75,000 square feet to be developed, opening up the possibility of a Walmart or a Super Target.

At the end of the meeting, residents stuck around with questions and concerns for Orange County staff.

“A couple of comments I heard from the audience were just uncertainty associated with the eventual development,” said Jon Weiss, director of growth management. “Given the status of the project, I can appreciate their concerns, but as we’ve heard, it’s just part of the process and we’ll see where it goes.”

Bellows was hopeful by the end of the meeting. “All the questions were valid, and the county staff did a great job answering everybody’s concerns. Hopefully that puts people at ease and makes them understand that we’re dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s.

“It’s going to be a continued process that will unfold for everyone.”