APOPKA, Fla. \u2013 Construction is already a familiar sight around Apopka\u2019s rapidly developing Kelly Park corridor. New neighborhoods are taking shape, roads are seeing more activity, and longtime residents are watching the landscape change.<\/p>\n
Now, another 55 homes could be coming to Golden Gem Road.<\/p>\n
A proposed residential development called Saddlebrook Meadows would transform approximately 20 acres at 3585 and 3603 Golden Gem Road into a neighborhood of single-family homes.<\/p>\n
Apopka city commissioners are scheduled to consider the project\u2019s rezoning and major development plan Wednesday, Oct. 21.<\/p>\n
For homeowners who already live nearby, the proposal raises questions about how much additional growth the surrounding roads and infrastructure can accommodate.<\/p>\n
A quiet neighborhood facing more development<\/p>\n
Luis Morin Dos Santos has lived in the area for approximately two and a half years. He told News 6 that his family chose the neighborhood partly because of its affordability and peaceful surroundings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a quiet place,\u201d Dos Santos said.<\/p>\n
He appreciates living away from the busier parts of the city, with convenient access to nearby highways and the area\u2019s more rural character.<\/p>\n
But he has also watched development expand around his neighborhood, including construction near Kelly Park Road.<\/p>\n
When asked how he feels about another 55 homes potentially being built nearby, his answer was simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cConflicted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dos Santos pointed to the existing roadway as one of his biggest concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a two-way, two-way street,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While he recognizes that development can bring benefits, including the possibility of higher property values, he worries about additional vehicles, construction noise and the cumulative effects of multiple developments being built in the same area.<\/p>\n
His concern is not necessarily about one subdivision. It\u2019s about how quickly the entire area is changing.<\/p>\n
Dos Santos said he has not personally experienced flooding or drainage problems at his property, but he is concerned about the neighborhood losing the quiet atmosphere that attracted his family in the first place.<\/p>\n
What exactly is being proposed?<\/p>\n
According to city planning records, Saddlebrook Meadows would include:<\/p>\n
55 single-family homes on approximately 20 acres.<\/p>\n
Residential lots with a minimum area of 7,500 square feet.<\/p>\n
A proposed maximum density of five homes per acre.<\/p>\n
Approximately 35.5% of the property designated as open space, exceeding the city\u2019s 20% requirement.<\/p>\n
The proposal involves changing the property\u2019s agricultural zoning to a Kelly Park Interchange mixed-use designation with a neighborhood character overlay.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Planning Commission recommended approval of both the rezoning and major development plan during its September 22 meeting.<\/p>\n
However, those recommendations do not constitute final approval for construction.<\/p>\n
In written responses to News 6 on Monday, the City of Apopka confirmed commissioners are scheduled to consider the second reading of the rezoning\/master plan and the major development plan on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Even if commissioners approve those items, the developer would still need to obtain approval of a separate Construction Site Plan through the city\u2019s Development Review Committee before construction could begin.<\/p>\n
No confirmed construction start date has been provided.<\/p>\n
What does the city say about traffic and drainage?<\/p>\n
News 6 contacted Apopka officials with questions about the potential impact of 55 additional homes on Golden Gem Road and surrounding neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the city had reviewed a traffic-impact study and whether roadway improvements would be required, officials responded that the city\u2019s Public Works Department had reviewed and approved the submission.<\/p>\n
However, the city did not provide specific projected traffic figures, findings from the review or details about whether roadway improvements would be necessary.<\/p>\n
News 6 also asked whether existing drainage, stormwater, water and sewer infrastructure could accommodate the proposed development without negatively affecting neighboring properties.<\/p>\n
The city said it was still awaiting a response from Public Works.<\/p>\n
Under Apopka\u2019s development regulations, new projects must comply with stormwater-management standards designed to limit the impact of development on surrounding properties.<\/p>\n
Among those requirements, the peak stormwater runoff discharge rate after development cannot exceed the pre-development rate during a 25-year, 24-hour design storm.<\/p>\n
That standard is intended to address how development changes stormwater runoff, but it does not guarantee that flooding will never occur during heavier rainfall or other conditions.<\/p>\n
News 6 is seeking additional information about the specific drainage plans, proposed stormwater facilities and engineering analysis for Saddlebrook Meadows.<\/p>\n
Asked what financial responsibilities the developer would have, the city confirmed that impact fees would be required. Officials did not specify the anticipated amount or identify any additional improvements the developer would be required to fund.<\/p>\n
Growth along Kelly Park Road has already raised infrastructure questions<\/p>\n
The Saddlebrook Meadows proposal comes as development continues around the nearby Kelly Park Road corridor.<\/p>\n
In August, News 6 reported that Apopka was confronting a funding problem involving the planned widening of West Kelly Park Road.<\/p>\n
City documents at the time identified questions about how to cover the remaining cost of the roadway project, including the limits of developer funding commitments.<\/p>\n
The proposed road widening and Saddlebrook Meadows are separate projects. The earlier funding issue does not establish that the proposed subdivision\u2019s traffic review is inadequate.<\/p>\n
However, both highlight broader questions about how Apopka plans, funds and builds public infrastructure as residential development continues.<\/p>\n
For residents such as Dos Santos, those questions are becoming increasingly relevant as more construction moves into the area.<\/p>\n
School capacity adds another consideration<\/p>\n
News 6 also contacted Orange County Public Schools to determine how the development could affect nearby schools.<\/p>\n
The district identified Zellwood Elementary, Wolf Lake Middle School and Apopka High School as the schools assigned to serve the proposed development.<\/p>\n
According to enrollment figures provided by OCPS as of October 15, two of those three schools were already operating above their listed capacities:<\/p>\n
Zellwood Elementary: 572 students enrolled; capacity of 630.<\/p>\n
Wolf Lake Middle: 1,149 students enrolled; capacity of 1,112.<\/p>\n
Apopka High: 3,297 students enrolled; capacity of 3,227.<\/p>\n
OCPS also confirmed that school-capacity determination APK-26-009 found that capacity was not available for the proposed development.<\/p>\n
The district said it recently rezoned portions of Wolf Lake Middle into Kelly Park K\u20138 and portions of Zellwood Elementary into Wolf Lake Elementary in anticipation of continued growth.<\/p>\n
News 6 is seeking clarification on what the school-capacity determination means for the project\u2019s remaining approval process and whether additional mitigation would be required.<\/p>\n
The finding does not, by itself, establish that children moving into the proposed neighborhood would be denied school enrollment.<\/p>\n
What happens next?<\/p>\n
Apopka\u2019s City Commission is scheduled to meet Wednesday, October 21, at 6 p.m. in City Hall\u2019s Commission Chambers at 120 E. Main St.<\/p>\n
The rezoning and development plan are among the matters scheduled for consideration.<\/p>\n
For Dos Santos, the upcoming meeting is an opportunity for city leaders to listen to people who already live near the proposed development.<\/p>\n
He believes the city should make a greater effort to gather feedback from surrounding homeowners, including those unable to attend commission meetings.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot everybody can go to those meetings, so just do a survey of the area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As more homes are proposed across this part of Apopka, Dos Santos hopes city leaders consider not only the additional housing but also the roads, schools and neighborhood character that residents will continue to depend on.<\/p>\n
News 6 will continue following the proposal and the city\u2019s responses to questions about traffic, drainage and infrastructure ahead of Wednesday\u2019s vote.<\/p>\n
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