County OKs Rex Groves RV Park

A decision on the Rex Grove RV Park led all November action taken by the Orange County Commission.

After months of debate, the Rex Groves RV Park on Nov. 19 finally earned its special-exception approval — albeit with one major concession.

The applicant Robert Ziegenfuss, represented by Old Florida Groves leaders Preston Hage and Jake Schrimsher, agreed to lower the campsites from 249 to 199. The project is located at 5872 Rex Drive, Winter Garden, in the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement.

The applicant also offered 13 additional conditions of approval: 

• Exit lanes from the property shall be right out only, and 6-inch-tall curbing;

• A 6-foot-tall opaque fence installed along the entire western boundary;

• The quiet pool and associated amenities to be set back 50 feet from the western boundary;

• The dog park will be fenced with double-gated access;

• The owner will keep an updated record regarding lengths of stays; maximum stay will be no more than 28 consecutive days and cannot exceed 56 total days within a year. No permanent residents will be allowed;

• The RV park amenities and facilities usage and events will be limited to guests residing overnight;

• There will be staff on-site 24 hours per day, and there will be a secure method for after-hours entry;

• No full-facility PA system will be permitted;

• Fireworks and sparklers will be prohibited;

• Off-road vehicles and ATVs will be prohibited;

• Golf carts will be prohibited on Rex Drive and any public road;

• Check-in to the RV park will be no earlier than 10 a.m.; and

• The pine forest and citrus grove areas and agritourism activities must be maintained in good condition.

The applicant also will be required to participate in the cost of improving several roads, including Avalon Road from Schofield Road to Stoneybrook West Parkway; Summerlake Park Boulevard/Porter Road from Porter Road to Summerlake Groves Street; and Tilden Road from Avalon Road to Winter Garden-Vineland Road.

Settlement residents spoke both in favor of and against the project. 

“Our goal is to keep the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement as rural as possible,” settlement resident Laurie Forrester said. “While an agritourism facility coupled with a campground may sound counter to this goal, I believe this is one of the best uses for this parcel compared to the other permissible agritourism options that would not require special exception.”

Although she is a longtime RVer, settlement resident Jane Ferguson spoke against the proposal.

“Two-hundred and 49 campsites is huge,” she said. “That’s a very large campground. … This definitely is not an agritourism overall kind of a place.”

Ferguson said because of its proximity to Disney World, the project would result in more traffic from visitors leaving the campgrounds daily to visit the theme parks.

Mayor Jerry Demings raised concerns regarding water and wastewater servicing the project. The applicant will have to come back before the commission to satisfy those issues.

IN OTHER NEWS
• Commissioners approved a request to increase the scope of the Lake Vista Village Planned Development from 1,438 resort hotel/timeshare units to 2,204 hotel rooms and 70,730 square feet of event space and 240,000 square feet of tourist commercial uses. The project is located on 49.7 acres north of World Center Drive and east of Interstate 4.

• The commission continued the proposal for an amendment to the Orlando World Resort Planned Development to 2 p.m. Jan. 28, 2025. The proposal is to increase the intensity of the project from 136 timeshare units to 342 timeshare units and increase the building height from 35 feet to 75 feet. The project is located north of West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, east of State Road 192 and south of Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. It had been continued twice before.