ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County commissioners met Tuesday to discuss a possible challenge to the city of Orlando’s plan to annex thousands of acres of land.
Commissioners will decide if the county wants to enter a “conflict resolution procedure” with the city of Orlando over the Sunbridge development.
The process is established in state law to settle annexation disagreements.
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Tuesday’s vote is happening after Orlando voted this month to annex land to the city as part of an agreement with Tavistock Development.
The Sunbridge development is more than 20,000 acres and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he was left in the dark about any discussions with the city.
He said the county has spent years conducting its own permitting plans with the developer.
The county’s attorney sent a letter to the city of Orlando, asking it to pause its proposed ordinance, but the city moved forward.
In the letter, the county wrote, “The study reveals several deficiencies. Namely, police is 9 miles away; fire is 8 miles away.”
A spokesperson for the city of Orlando defended the plan in an email last month, saying it would create “a more efficient consolidation of development in this area.”
The message went on to include, “It’s important to note, a majority of the proposed annexed property has development plans already approved by Orange County and development on those properties will remain consistent with those approvals.”
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