Apopka residents fight to keep developers from felling trees

APOPKA, Fla. — Residents of an Apopka neighborhood have been fighting for years to keep developers from cutting down acres of trees to build homes along Sandpiper Street.

On Thursday, about 30 of them tried to persuade city leaders not to rezone the 58-acre area to allow a planned development of 49 homes.

Developer Allan Goldberg said he plans to preserve as many trees as possible, but room is needed to build the homes and install sewer lines.

“I love the trees as much as anybody and we are going to try to save as many as we can,” he said.

Under the current plan, about 35 percent of the trees would remain, but for residents opposed to the development, that number wasn’t good enough.

“I think it’s not good news for our neighborhood,” Ellen O’Connor said.

Residents have been fighting development of the property for 11 years.

If leaders approve the rezoning of the property during a meeting Wednesday, developers would only lack the permits needed to start work.

Cox Media Group