Commissioner seeks to block Lake Pickett project in rural east Orange County

Opponents of a project that would bring more than 2,000 homes to a rural part of east Orange County could be making progress in their fight.

A judge ruled earlier this month that the county’s planned amendments weren't in compliance with the county's development pattern. But halting the project was a recommendation, not a final judgment.

Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla on Tuesday morning asked the Board of County Commissioners to rescind last year's vote that approved construction of "The Grow."

It was revealed during a lengthy discussion at Tuesday's meeting that the board's procedures prevent Bonilla from making such a motion.

Bonilla didn’t have the authority to make the motion because she wasn’t on the board when the vote was made.

The mayor and commissioners asked the county's attorney to review other options.

Activist Janet Brewer was among two dozen project opponents who attended Tuesday's meeting wearing red shirts that read "Stop Urban Sprawl."

Watch Commissioner Bonilla's news conference below:

"We want our rural lifestyle, and we're not going to give up until there's absolutely no other choice for us," Brewer said. "But we will continue fighting. Our community, we're very strong."

The project would be built on land bordered by East Colonial Drive and South Tanner, Lake Pickett and Chuluota roads, east of the University of Central Florida and the Econlockhatchee River.

Residents told Channel 9 they're concerned that the proposed development would clog the area's narrow roads and harm its natural lands and wildlife.

Jackie Smith, who moved to the area six years ago to live life at a slower pace, fears the traffic that the development would bring.

"We would not be able to get out of our tiny neighborhood," she said. "We need to just make some good decisions."

If the project is approved, six homes will be built on each acre.

Cox Media Group