CHULUOTA, Fla. -- A controversial development for eastern Seminole County faces a critical test Wednesday before it can become a reality.
- Developers want to build homes, restaurants, amphitheater on 669 acres
- Residents are worried about changes to their rural, quiet way of life
Developers with River Cross will face questions from the county's Development Review Committee over their application for the project.
River Cross would transform 669 acres into more than a 1,000 homes and apartment units, restaurants, offices, an amphitheater and plenty of green space.
The location would be just west of County Road 419, near Chuluota and the Orange County line.
Residents are concerned about the development's impact on traffic, the environment and changes to their rural way of life.
"It's kind of relaxing when driving home from work and when you don't have that anymore you do miss that and don't want the development," said Chuck Griffin, who is concerned about traffic from the proposed development.
"If there's going to be more development, I think there needs to be better infrastructure with the roads so people can come and go," said neighbor Lori Frost.
The county needs to sign off on the development and change the rural boundary line before the project can move forward.
"The River Cross Planned Development offers a holistic plan, in which the underdeveloped portions, including both natural lands/conservation and open space are of equal importance to the developed portions," developers wrote in documents obtained by Spectrum News 13.