Oakland approves annexation, zoning for Colonial property

Despite opposition from some residents, the Oakland Town Commission passed the first reading of a 7.4-acre piece of land into the town and assigned it a zoning designation at the Aug. 11 meeting.

The parcel is west of Fourth Street at 16610 W. Colonial Drive, but the property mainly is located south of a Florida Department of Transportation water retention area.

The applicant, Cra-Mar Groves, has requested voluntary annexation into the town limit with the intention of building a mini warehouse and vehicle storage. The property is in unincorporated Orange County and zoned for agricultural and residential uses. In the town, it would be zoned industrial, which has angered residents living near the property.

Residents said they bought their homes for the quiet, small-town atmosphere and already have been subjected to the widening of the Florida’s Turnpike near their backyards. Thy stated concerns about traffic, noise and aesthetics.

Matt Cope, representing Cra-Mar Groves, said the storage facility has a climate-controlled interior and there will be minimal exterior noise.

Town Planner Jay Marder said the building must meet the design standards as set forth in the town’s design overlay guidelines, which addresses elements such as the façade, roof line and landscaping.

Mayor Kathy Stark said the commission doesn’t not make decisions lightly when considering land use.

“When we consider things, we consider what is right in the right places, and I do know you folks live in a place that 20 years ago made sense to be residential,” Stark said. “It might not make sense today. We don’t think about it in terms of money, we think about it in terms of is this the right thing to do with this piece of property. … Highway 50 is a commercial corridor.”

The second reading and public hearing of the ordinances will take place Sept. 9.