Deltona rejects neighborhood addition

A request to expand a neighborhood on Deltona’s east side failed to gain approval, even though the number of homes would be smaller than prior proposals.

When the City Commission acted June 17 on the developer’s plan to add scores of new homes to Fernanda Place, the vote was not close: 7-0 against. 

“I have issues with safety and with our wetlands,” Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. said, as he joined in voting to deny the proposal to add Phase 3 to the now-two-phase residential community.

The request to increase the number of homes in Fernanda Place, located next to Pine Ridge High School, took the form of rezoning 43.55 acres east of the school. The land on the east side of the school is now zoned Agricultural, but the Orlando developer, Poulos & Bennett LLC, sought Residential (R-1) zoning, which would carve the tract into 101 single-family-home lots. This portion of Fernanda Place, known as Phase 3, would augment the subdivision’s other two phases, which have a total of 252 dwellings.

With the current Agriculture zoning, developers may build only one home per acre, or less than half the number of homes sought.

Even though the revamped rezoning request called for markedly fewer homes than prior proposals to create a planned-unit development for 167 or 150 dwellings, the commission was not inclined to compromise.

Critics of the addition voiced concerns about traffic on Howland Boulevard and surrounding roads and streets, possible school overcrowding, and environmental impacts.

“You’re going to bring another 100 families,” Tara D’Errico told the City Commission. “This is your opportunity to say no, and I encourage you to take it.”

Jennifer Sutton, who lives in the older section of Fernanda Place and who has been active in the neighborhood’s homeowners association, told the commission the rezoning would be “urban sprawl.”

“Under Phase 3, I believe that’s exactly what they’re doing,” she said.

Another issue cited by opponents of the additional housing was the lack of ingress and egress of Fernanda Place to roadways, so that first responders could answer calls for help. Currently, there is only one way into and out of the neighborhood via Fernanda Drive, which extends eastward from Howland Boulevard.

“My concern is the safety of the residents,” Commissioner Maritza Avila-Vazquez said. “I just cannot see a firetruck, … having the space to turn.”

Besides Fernanda Drive, access into the neighborhood may be possible from Osteen Cemetery Road, on the east side of the Phase 3 property, a planner for the developer said. Emergency units — fire, medical rescue and law enforcement — would have gated access from Osteen Cemetery Road, Poulos & Bennett planner Jesse Anderson said. Part of Osteen Cemetery Road, however, is a private road, according to a neighboring property owner.

“We are very much comfortable with our concept plan,” Anderson said, adding the plan may be changed before development actually begins.

When the roll was called on the first reading of the rezoning, the commission voted unanimously to deny the change.

The landowner or the developer may submit a fresh proposal, if desired.