Orange City planners and a developer are working on a proposal to build 80 apartments on a vacant parcel across from a big-box store.

The intended site of the multifamily project is a 5.41-acre plot that will be accessed by extending Harley Strickland Boulevard eastward from its current end near Veterans Memorial Parkway, along the northern side of the Home Depot property. The project has been christened Bristol Manor. The pending development agreement would require the developer, Wendover Housing Partners LLC, of Altamonte Springs, to pay the costs of extending the road.

“The Developer shall be responsible for the design and construction of Harley Strickland Boulevard, subject to review and approval of the design by the City. The Owner has dedicated the right of way for the Harley Strickland Boulevard extension to the City and, upon completion and acceptance of the extension by the City, the City will accept ongoing maintenance responsibility,” the document reads.

The concept of the first project known as Bristol Manor was first submitted two years ago. The Bristol Manor planned-unit development (PUD) features 40 one-bedroom units and 40 two-bedroom units intended for retirees and aging workers. The site plan is now under review by Orange City’s professional planners.

The pending version of the development agreement rules out classifying Bristol Manor as an affordable-housing project under Florida’s Live Local Act. That 2022 state law provides property-tax exemptions for as long as 30 years for qualifying affordable-housing projects.

In keeping with the heightened concerns about flooding, following Hurricane Milton in October and hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, stormwater is a major issue in the discussion about Bristol Manor. A planning staff report on requested PUD rezoning and the possible effects of stormwater from the Bristol Manor site notes “the site’s stormwater currently flows to the northwest of the site and discharges into Duck Lake and southern depressional areas, which are located within a landlocked basin. The project proposes two (2) dry ponds for stormwater retention. One pond will be for the multi-family project set and the second pond is proposed off-site and located south of the Harley Strickland Boulevard extension.”

While Orange City will assume ownership and maintenance of the extended Harley Strickland Boulevard, the developer or future owner of Bristol Manor will be responsible for the stormwater system.

Amenities for the residents of Bristol Manor will include a community garden, a dog-walk area and a gazebo. 

The development agreement requires environmental surveys to determine if any endangered, threatened or protected species are on the land “within 90 days of start of construction.” City officials want the gopher-tortoise survey “before any site development order is issued.”

A 2022 field visit by an environmental consultant “identified two species listed on the Florida’s [sic] Endangered and Threatened list: the gopher tortoise and the Little Blue Heron,” city officials noted.

If gopher tortoises are on the land, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may require a relocation permit if the developer cannot ensure there will be a minimum 25-foot buffer for tortoise burrows.

Environmental surveys may also be required to determine if the eastern indigo snake and the scrub jay are present on the site. Both species are under the protection jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In addition, Orange City’s Technical Review Committee issued a memorandum dated Nov. 5, 2024, regarding wetlands.

“The wetland line is located off-site to the north, but was delineated in September 2022. An updated wetland delineation survey is required, in addition to the other environmental surveys and permits recommended in the 2022 Wildlife Assessment Report,” the development agreement reads. 

The TRC is calling for “an updated wetland delineation survey to be reviewed during site plan application. No wetland or its associated 25-foot wetland buffer shall be impacted by development.”

The applicant further proposes to “remove a historic 37” Hickory [sic] Tree,” which requires City Council approval. The planning staff recommends that the council deny that request.

After the Technical Review Committee finishes its work on Bristol Manor, the development proposal will be submitted to the Orange City Planning Commission for its recommendation. Following the Planning Commission’s discussion and review, the proposal will go to the City Council for final action.