Gotha feelings mixed on Fire Creek

GOTHA Locals packed the Gotha Middle School cafeteria Oct. 27 for the fourth community meeting on the Fire Creek at Gotha proposed development, a contrast from prior meetings.

Also in contrast was the representation of opinions, varied both with a community leader speaking after the presenting developer and among the dozens of commenting citizens.

“The look will reflect Gotha’s past,” developer Bob Holston said of his proposed construction in the plat within Sutter and Seventh avenues, Eighth Street and Moore Road. “You’ll hardly know it’s there.”

Most speakers agreed that the home designs in the plans were lovely, but the density of the 29-acre plot and two included roundabouts were divisive topics.

Holston said the proposed density — about 1.83 homes per acre — would be lesser than all but one adjacent parcel. But many residents rejected the inclusion of most of the surrounding properties, saying they were grandfathered or part of Ocoee when their density was decided.

Almost all said they would have no issue with the project if the density were one home per acre to represent the current Rural Country Estate zoning, not the rezoned density this project would require. Holston said one home per acre would not be financially feasible, but many responded that was of no concern to the majority of their neighbors, who opposed the development.

Some said they feared this density would set a precedent, based on the parcel being a significant portion of remaining free acreage in Gotha. Others argued it would not set a precedent.

Disagreements on whether Gotha Middle, Olympia High and Thornebrooke Elementary were past or before capacity shaped arguments as to whether Gotha could afford the proposed 53 single-family homes without overcrowding schools.

"If you don't fill your schools with local kids, they're going to fill those seats up,” Holston said, drawing discrepancies from the crowd.

Holston called roundabouts an eye toward the future, citing statistics showing roundabouts as safer in reductions of injuries, deaths, crashes and speed. He said county engineers liked the roundabouts and agreed with many residents the roundabouts would lessen the risks of driving through the intersection of Park Ridge Gotha and Moore roads.

But some said roundabouts would actually increase speeds and danger, and resident Neal McFarland said county staff had told him they have not approved Holston's roundabout designs. Others said they would encounter near misses virtually every time they approach that intersection, conflicting with neighbors’ reports that a few recent crashes were outliers.

Even the opinion of the crowd was diversified: One man said Gotha needed the roundabouts and did not see a problem with the project, gaining raucous applause. Another said the roundabouts were unrelated to the true issue of zoning and meant to be a distraction from a development that does not fit, earning equal applause.

Other concerns were preservation of nature, someone other than a Gotha resident (such as Holston) developing the land, increases in Gotha traffic volume in recent years, building a school on the lot someday instead, the Hempel Avenue and Sixth Street intersection where the other roundabout is planned, water and sewer hookups from the development and Gotha no longer being a rural area.

Although this project received Board of County Commissioners transmittal to the state level July 28 for further comments before another set of meetings, the county Planning and Zoning Commission and Local Planning Agency recommended denial June 18, based on altering Gotha’s rural character.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].