Blog Post
Understanding Community Meeting Notices & September 17, 2019 Meeting Topic
Sep 16, 2019
Orange County Planners Work to Support Good New Suburbanism Design in Horizon West Town Center
As residents of one of the fastest growing master-planned communities in the nation, we frequently receive Community Meeting notices for public meetings about planned development in our area. Sometimes meetings are held to discuss zoning changes. Other times, the meetings are about developer requests to add more units than were previously planned or other project deviations.
With constant growth and change happening around us in Horizon West, it can feel both exciting and overwhelming.
So, how do you know what changes are happening when meeting notices are filled with cumbersome lingo only County Planners can understand? Here are some tips as well as a deep dive on the topic for the September 17, 2019 Community Meeting on a “Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment.”
Seek to Understand Change Request Notices
When large changes or large projects are up for discussion, we will be talking about them in the HORIZON WEST Happenings Facebook Group. Make sure you are connected and following the group so you can learn more and discuss your thoughts with other local residents.
If you have further questions or concerns about proposed changes, the best way to learn more is to simply attend the planned Community Meeting, listen to the presentation, and ask your questions directly to the Orange County officials and/or developer (or developer’s representative) at the meeting. This not only gets your questions answered, but asking your questions publicly helps other attendees learn more, too.
If you cannot attend the meeting, you can contact the Case Planner assigned to the case. His or her contact info is always listed on the top left side of the notice as shown below.
From our experience, the Orange County Case Planners are extremely helpful. They will explain the situation to you in plain language by phone or email. And, if you are unable to attend an official hearing on a matter you feel strongly about, you can submit written comments to them.
September 17th “COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TEXT AMENDMENT” Meeting
According to the meeting notice, “staff will present the proposed Comprehensive Plan text amendment to the Future Land Use Element, Horizon West Town Center Policies.”
If you are like us, you probably need more information to understand what that means. So, we have done the legwork of reaching out to Orange County officials, and we would like to shed some light on the topic here.
What is the Amendment About?
In order to more adequately explain the change, we must first review a few details about how development works in Horizon West. As a master planned community, development operates a little differently here as compared to other parts of Orange County. Horizon West operates under its own Comprehensive Plan. This plan was adopted over 20 years ago and contains the special policies and standards that set guiding principles for development and design. In addition to the Comprehensive Plan, Planned Development Code (PD Code) sets specific performance standards for things like setbacks, building heights, open space requirements, parking requirements, walkability scores, etc. These requirements are all in place to provide the framework for Horizon West to ensure the lifestyle envisioned long ago when landowners and land planners established the village-centric concept of Horizon West.
The five villages of Horizon West fall under Village PD Code. The Town Center of Horizon West (a.k.a. Hamlin area) falls under a separate code —Town Center PD Code. The codes are different because these areas are designed to serve different purposes. For example, the Town Center is intended to be the employment and commercial center for Horizon West, whereas the Villages, by design, are focused on different mixes of residential unit types and mixed-use buildings with smaller commercial units to mainly support the needs of each village’s residents who are close enough to walk/bike or drive without getting out on main roads.
The proposed amendment involves making a change to the Comprehensive Plan that would allow applicants (a.k.a. developers) to submit their Town Center development plans to Orange County in a different way and following a different methodology of development code standards. Not to worry though, with this change they will still be required to adhere to guiding principles for Horizon West Town Center in the Comprehensive Plan, just as they are today.
Then why is this change being proposed?
Being established years ago, the Town Center PD code is currently very, very complex and, therefore, very difficult to implement and enforce. Further, the County recognizes that the policies are not as flexible as they need to be to allow for today’s improved standards of good new suburbanism design. As a result, many waivers have been granted to allow developers to deviate from Town Center PD Code in the name of better design choices that benefit us all.
EXAMPLE - Shoreside Way:
Without submitting and approving waivers, the vision of Shoreside Way in the Hamlin town center area wouldn't be possible. The proposed amendment would create a process that enables good design decisions like this one to be submitted and moved forward with without extra waivers which can add up depending on the details of the proposed design. These waivers take extra time and money and even though they can be for a great reason, the perception of our County Commissioner approving a stack of waivers makes it feel like the developers may be asking to do something they shouldn't.
The image above shows the area to the west of Hamlin Groves Trail. Once built out - businesses will line both sides of this internal "main street" as shown in the diagram below.
The image below is looking across Hamlin Groves Trail to the area to the east of it which will also have commercial buildings continuing to front both sides of this internal "main street" - creating a connection through that corridor that is a smaller scale walkable experience.
This is an example of a great new urbanism inspired design decision that we will all benefit from that required waivers. Without the waivers, according to the well intended Horizon West Town Center code, all of the businesses would have been required to front Hamlin Groves Trail in this area and Shoreside Way would have been nothing more than a parking lot street. And on the east side, the entire area between Publix and Pizza Press and its neighboring businesses would have been a massive sea of a parking lot, behind all of the buildings fronting the main road.
This is an example of a great new urbanism inspired design decision that we will all benefit from that required waivers. Without the waivers, according to the well intended Horizon West Town Center code, all of the businesses would have been required to front Hamlin Groves Trail in this area and Shoreside Way would have been nothing more than a parking lot street. And on the east side, the entire area between Publix and Pizza Press and its neighboring businesses would have been a massive sea of a parking lot, behind all of the buildings fronting the main road.
Whose idea was it?
Orange County is currently in the process of overhauling its entire 58-year old zoning code to move toward something called “form-based code.” Form-based codes strives to achieve development compatibility through good design, and with less emphasis on older strategies that mainly focused on separating different land uses from one another. The new form-based code, which will be known as Orange Code, won’t be finalized in time to support the fast and upcoming proposed development in the Horizon West Town Center, so County Planners sought another solution.
After being approached by a developer’s group about the possibility of a project within the Town Center using form-based code standards, the County staff was intrigued with the idea. They analyzed the options of either amending the existing code to allow form-based standards or allowing any one particular project to "opt in" to a form-based development approach. It was decided that the latter option made more sense since so much development has already occurred under the current code.
So, now, Orange County Planning staff has proposed a Comprehensive Plan Policy Amendment which would allow new development within the Town Center to be reviewed and approved through a Planned Development - Regulating Plan (PD-RP), in lieu of a Planned Development - Unified Regulating Plan (UNP), which is required today. The PD-RP will allow developer applicants to propose form-based development standards for their submitted design proposals.
What does it apply to?
The amendment under discussion only applies to Town Center PD Code. And, as explained above, the Town Center PD Code is separate from the Village PD Codes, so no changes will be made to the standards used for development in the other 5 Villages or their Village Centers.
So, is it good or bad?
After talking with Orange County planning and further research, it certainly appears to be a step in the right direction to help along the town center vision so many of us have patiently waited for and we now see coming to life. According to a document released by the Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI), a non-profit professional Organization, “Form-based codes include specification of what uses are permitted in a building or place, but focus on the physical character of development, particularly how it relates to the public realm that everyone shares. A growing number of communities across the country and in our region have found that form-based codes are a more precise and reliable tool for achieving what they want, preserving what they cherish, and preventing what they don’t want.”
Under the form-based code model, developers will be responsible for writing what they propose and negotiating the details of their choices with Orange County directly. County Officials will still review against the existing Comprehensive Plan, codes and design standards. In fact, with the form-based code model will receive even more scrutiny from the County. Applicants will be required to include items like Green Infrastructure Plans and Connectivity/Intersection Density Analysis, which are not required today.
What happens next?
In order to allow any project to by-pass the existing code and opt-in to using form-based codes, the first step is amending the Comprehensive Plan policies to recognize that as an allowable option. This is the primary topic of the September 17th Community Meeting. Public input will be heard at the meeting and then the official public hearing process will proceed as usual.
Should I attend the Community Meeting?
Yes! We always encourage our fellow Horizon West residents to attend Community Meetings as often as possible. It’s extremely helpful to hear from those responsible for managing Horizon West’s Comprehensive Plan to understand what’s happening around us.
As an added bonus, the September 17th meeting will also include a presentation from the first applicant that would end up using the new form-based codes in Town Center development. They will be sharing their plans for a 534-acre project located between the Orange/Lake County Line and C.R. 545 (Avalon Road), and north of Schofield Road near Valencia Community College's property.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 6:30pm at:
Independence Elementary School Cafeteria
Independence Elementary School Cafeteria
6255 New Independence Pkwy
Winter Garden, FL 34787
Links to More Information
Horizon West History - includes links to the Orange County Website — Horizon West Special Planning Area
Share This Story...
Khan Family Celebrates New Beginnings in HW
CAMPS with the convenience of being CLOSE TO HOME, RIGHT HERE IN Horizon West!
Horizon West residents have a new, state-of-the-art fire station to support their emergency needs. Orange County Fire Rescue Station 44, located along Reams Road, opened its doors in February 2024.
HW resident Randy Haveson's new book offers an empowering message and practical insights, providing a pathway to overcome obstacles, silence self-criticism, and embrace a life filled with joy.
Horizon Westers will be able to see more than fireworks in the skies this summer! New nighttime show featuring drones “Disney Dreams That Soar” to Run May 24 – Sept 2 at Disney Springs
Rotary Club of Horizon West to host 2024 Golf Tournament on Friday, May 10, 2024 to benefit local community projects. Secure your spot today!
Ana’s Little Free Library was established and donated by Horizon West resident Jamie Swick as a loving tribute to her mother, Ana Ravelo-Ortiz. Ana was a mother, teacher, friend and mentor to many.
Honoring Bears Who Care Charity Co-Founder with Who’s Who of Horizon West Award
Walt Disney World is dedicating nearly 80 acres of land for a new affordable housing community. Images, videos and links related to this project are available on our website
A Magical Invitation: Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Cinderella” March 14-17, 2024
Publishers of the annually printed magazine:
To advertise with us email
info@HorizonWestMagazine.com
or call
407-574-2477
X1
Subscribe to Newsletter >>
© 2014 - 2024
Horizon West Magazine, Living in Horizon West and the Best of Horizon West are community offerings created by Scribblefish Media LLC - All Rights Reserved
Privacy &
Cookies
Policy
|
Contact
Us
We assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an “as is” basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.
