Neighbors are banding together in opposition to developments in rural east Orange County. They say there are problems that first need to be addressed.

  • Save Orange County fights mega developments in east Orange County
  • Group accuses county leaders of ignoring the will of the people
  • Wants the county to deal with infrastructure issues before allowing growth

Nearly 10,000 have signed a petition through the group Save Orange County, opposing mega-developments along Lake Pickett like the planned agrihood community called The Growth.

“What we don’t like is that there’s been poor planning and uncontrolled growth, all over the area, and now they want to do it out here,” said Jimmy Hester, who has lived in east Orange County for the last 15 years.

Hester said they’re concerned the dual housing projects will mean tens of thousands of cars clogging roads, and wildlife endangered in the process.

“We moved out here for a certain lifestyle, the rural lifestyle,” he said.  “Once you cross over that Econ rural boundary, it’s like flipping a light switch into peace and tranquility.”

East Orange County is unique, dotted with few developments that stretch to the St. John’s River. Christmas began as a fort; Bithlo a lumber town in the early 1900s. But since then, development has stagnated.

In addition to concerns over urban sprawl, neighbors said they continue to deal with on-going issues, from water quality to lack of infrastructure.

Neighbors complain about a stench that drifts at night from an abandoned dump in Bithlo, closed for more than 20 years.

While nearly $12 million is being poured into widening the State Road 50 bridges over the Econ River, Hester and others said it’s putting a band aid on a bigger problem in east Orange County.

“Orange County, our commissioner, the staff, has absolutely ignored the will of the people,” he said. “We want them to pump the brakes on development, do something compatible and consistent with the area.”

And for now, he said he’ll continue to fight the developments, gathering signatures as he goes.

“The problem is, the developer is paying for the appetizer, but the taxpayers are paying for the meal,” said Hester. “And we don’t want to be left with that.”

We reached out to Orange County District 5 Commissioner Ted Edwards over the course of the past two days, but he did not opt to speak with us regarding the issues.