Orange County sets date for Bird Island discussion

The County Commission will consider establishing a designated swim area/vessel exclusion zone near Bird Island.

By Michael Eng
| 3:03 p.m. May 3, 2022

West Orange Times & Observer
News

The Orange County Commission now has a date to discuss an ordinance designed to address ongoing problems on Bird Island near Windermere.

The commission will consider the ordinance — which would establish a designated swim area/vessel exclusion zone adjacent to Bird Island (also known as Egret Island) in Lake Butler — at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 24.

The public is encouraged to attend and offer comments during the public-comment portion of the hearing.

Bird Island is only 10 acres. Its only inhabitants are birds and other wildlife, but the human intrigue and stories surrounding the island are plentiful.

But for years, tales of underage alcohol use, partiers leaving trash and the illegal use of rented Jet Skis and other watercraft have become local lore. The area also has been the site of fatal crashes.

For more information about this ongoing issue, see our previous coverage:

No date set to revisit Bird Island ordnance, April 30, 2022

Windermere to ask county to re-address Bird Island, April 21, 2022

County decision could solve Bird Island dilemma, Feb. 18, 2022

The controversy of Bird Island, Sept. 2, 2020

author

Michael Eng

As a child, Editor and Publisher Michael Eng collected front pages of the Kansas City Star during Operation Desert Storm, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would pursue a career in journalism. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri — Columbia School of Journalism. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife and three children, or playing drums around town. He’s also a sucker for dad jokes.