ORANGE COUNTY -- So will it be a State Road 408 extension, a State Road 50 widening, or both?
That's the question East Orange County residents are asking.
- CFX wants to expand SR-408, FDOT wants to expand SR-50
- SR-408 extension would cut through homes
- Fla. Turnpike Enterprise hosting public meeting Thurs. night
They say they're getting mixed signals from multiple agencies about the area's future infrastructure, and people's homes meanwhile hang in the balance.
"I was shocked. I hadn't heard of it," said Thomas Pastore.
Pastore, a resident of the Deerwood community off of Colonial Drive and Pel Street, recently found himself at a loss for words when he saw CFX's final recommendation released to the public describing potential expansion for State Road 408.
It would be a seven-mile stretch from where it ends right now at Colonial Drive all the way to State Road 520. The new extension would travel right in the middle of Pastore’s community.
"They're instilling fear in this community right now by saying they are going to do imminent domain. We're going to lose a considerable amount of homes," Pastore said.
Now neighbors are left scratching their heads because the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise have their own plans for the area -- a potential widening of Colonial Drive, known as the Colonial Parkway, which would essentially do the same thing as the State Road 408 extension.
"The public is going to separate meetings, public hearings, public informational meetings from both agencies! And both of them are saying 'Oh look, I've got a good plan for you. Oh, look! I've got a good plan for you.’ The public is confused," Pastore said.
No fewer than three decades, the Central Florida Expressway Authority kept up work on State Road 408 extension. Originally, it had the road utilizing State Road 50's right of way. Then last May, FDOT notified CFX of issues they had with the plan.
"There is internal animosity between these two -- they are like two children in the play yard fighting for king of the hill. And it's at our expense," Pastore said.
Others are wondering why the Central Florida Expressway has even considered expansion here.
"CFX shouldn't even be in the picture,” said Sally Baptiste, a long time Orange County resident. “If the FDOT and the Florida Turnpike Enterprise are going to do something to widen Colonial Drive... OK, do that! CFX, stay home -- you are not needed!"
CFX says the numbers suggest that there is a need for one project or the other, but not both.
We reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation as well, and they weren't immediately available for comment.
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise has a Public Information Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 10 at the DoubleTree near the University of Central Florida at 5:30 p.m.
As for Thomas Pastore, he doesn’t' believe that any of these projects are needed right now.
"I come from New York City. I can tell you what a real traffic backup is," he said.