ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 A Central Florida nonprofit founded in memory of a little boy is pitching a major new housing development designed for people living with disabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeed that began to sprout after our son\u2019s death,\u201d said Tim Kuck, co-founder of Nathaniel\u2019s Hope.<\/p>\n
Tim and Marie Kuck created Nathaniel\u2019s Hope after losing their son, Nathaniel, who was born in 1997, lived with disabilities and died in 2001. The couple says the idea behind the proposed \u201cHopetown Project\u201d has been years in the making.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe seed for the Hopetown Project actually goes back to the time when we had our son,\u201d Kuck said. He added that about six years ago, the organization began looking for land.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Nathaniel\u2019s Hope and Orange County government leaders presented the Hopetown concept during a public meeting.<\/p>\n
The project is proposed for a large wooded and wetland area near Young Pine Community Park, just north of the Orange County landfill. Plans call for a disability-focused community spread across roughly 100 acres, including:<\/p>\n
About 200 apartments<\/p>\n
Around 30 homes<\/p>\n
An assisted living facility<\/p>\n
Supporters say the goal is to create housing and services tailored for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Neighbors cite traffic, wildlife and notice concerns<\/p>\n
Several neighbors attended the meeting, with many raising concerns about an already congested traffic area.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt actually blocks us out from getting into our neighborhood,\u201d one resident said.<\/p>\n
Others said they worry about impacts to wildlife in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we drive there we have to slow down for bear, deer,\u201d another neighbor said.<\/p>\n
Homeowners also told county leaders they believed the wooded area had been designated for conservation when they purchased their properties \u2014 and that they were told it would not be developed.<\/p>\n
Some residents also questioned whether the public was properly notified about the meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that was very off-putting was with lots of residents we found thru lots of renters in our community. They were the only ones who got letters,\u201d a neighbor said.<\/p>\n
Orange County officials pushed back on the notification complaint, saying notices were mailed broadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the whole list \u2014 1,351 notices that were sent \u2014 all the names and addresses,\u201d a county representative said, adding that some people may not have received them: \u201cWe didn\u2019t get it either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the concerns raised, when the county asked for a show of hands, there appeared to be a \u201cdecent amount\u201d of support in the room for the Hopetown proposal.<\/p>\n
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