Citizens press for answers at Horizon West Town Hall

HORIZON WEST  District 1 Orange County Commissioner S. Scott Boyd's third and final Horizon West Town Hall provided direct insight on Southwest Orange County from some of the highest-ranked officials in six major sections of Orange County government.

May 12 at Harvest Bible Chapel, Planning Division Manager Alberto Vargas, Transportation Planning Manager Renzo Nastasi, School Board Member Pam Gould, Parks Manager Matt Suedmeyer, Fire Rescue Planning & Technical Services Division Chief David Rathbun and Sheriff's Office Capt. Carlos Torres updated locals on the latest developments in their respective fields.

But questions from watchful residents – after the presentations – divulged some of the most valuable information of the night.

Questions about seating and parking capacities at the Ficquette Road off-site stadium for West Orange High's relief school prompted Suedmeyer to say room for expansion there is within the plan. He estimated 180 paved on-site spots – plus grass parking – would be available, with a shuttle from the school near Ficquette Road's intersection with Winter Garden-Vineland Road. Afterward, he said the number of spaces would be more like 204.

A resident said around 200 parking spaces and reports of 1,250 seats would not be enough, given estimates of 5,000 attendees at West Orange High for its football game against Dr. Phillips this past fall. She also questioned the sensibility of using synthetic turf when West Orange High recently needed a costly fundraiser just so student-athletes had a home field. Gould said maintenance at that site would be a 50/50 cost split between OCPS and county government, based on legal decisions about the relief school.

Another resident asked what county officials had been doing about Reams Road roundabout, noting citizens had asked about it at last year's Horizon West Town Hall but gotten seemingly no results. Boyd said a simulation of that roundabout as one lane by blocking the inside lane – part of a tapering effect – would be in place in early June. By contrast, a different citizen said two-lane traffic circles work but drivers in the area do not understand them, making it “an IQ test.”

The intersection of Reams Road with the Walt Disney World entrance at Center Drive and widening Reams Road also arose in questions, to which Nastasi said a traffic signal at Center Drive was already a done deal and that Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs' INVEST program would help fund some Reams Road projects. Boyd said widening to the west, near the Reams and Ficquette roads intersection, likely would require five to seven years to acquire funding and right-of-way. Nastasi also mentioned a Tiny Road expansion, which could be even further out.

Other traffic concerns pertained to Sheriff's Office monitoring of speeding motorists and reckless driving, such as illegal passing. Residents also wanted to know how to track crime in their neighborhoods. Torres said the law enforcement presence has been there, even if marked cars are not always visible, and deputies continue trying to keep drivers safe. He admitted OCSO had needed time to catch up with technology and has been undergoing website remodeling to make specified crime data easier to find. He also suggested contacting the local crime prevention deputy.

Based on increasing populations, someone asked Torres whether OCSO would have a substation in Horizon West soon, especially considering the Sector III substation is in Ocoee. Torres said the capacity of growth and feasibility had not yet warranted a separate substation.

When asked how OCSO could cover schools in the area properly with OCPS safe plans not due until October – after the school year starts – Torres said OCPS now has a police force. A representative said OCPS needed to collect updated data, often unavailable until after school begins.

Data for Horizon West Sportsplex have been updated, and the process is currently in a funding period of about one year for $2 million related to design, within a project costing up to $45 million, Suedmeyer said. Boyd reiterated progress in this project has remained a top priority in his last seven months in office, trying to overturn every stone to fund development.

Summer development review process changes to save six to 12 months in processing concerned constituents, who asked whether it meant developments could be approved more easily in Orange County. Boyd said the level of scrutiny would not decrease, just the amount of waiting from step to step.

A citizen asked what restaurants and developments to expect in Hamlin for Horizon West Town Center, so Boyd asked Boyd Development Corp. owner Scott T. Boyd (no relation), whose company oversees the project. Scott T. Boyd said to expect about 15 restaurants, 12 retailers and others to announce their presence in Hamlin sometime this summer or fall.

On a similar note, a constituent said Horizon West lacked job diversity, based on lots of development, restaurants and retail but few jobs that could realistically finance the swath of expensive homes in the region. Gould said the West Orange Chamber of Commerce and nearby municipalities have been discussing how to handle exactly that.

For the full slideshow presentation from this meeting, visit ocfl.net/district1.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].