Developer seeks to build office park on Apopka-Vineland Road

Although the small turnout of residents at an Orange County Planning Division community meeting held Wednesday, May 8, at Sand Lake Elementary School voiced concerns about traffic and congestion in the Vineland area, a proposed project met little other opposition. 

Applicant Momtaz Barq, with Terra-Max Engineering Inc., is requesting to change the current zoning of a 1.21-acre property from Country Estate District to Planned Development District. 

The Future Land Use of the two parcels totaling 52,810 square feet is office. 

The subject property, which totals  is located north of Sixth Street and west of South Apopka-Vineland Road, across from the Hidden Valley community and in the Buena Vista North Overlay District.

The applicant plans to develop 8,600 square feet for medical/dental office use and 15,500 square feet for general office use. The maximum height of the buildings would be 35 feet. 

The applicant is asking Orange County for one waiver, which Barq said has to do with landscaping in front of the building. 

According to a traffic study done by the applicant, the project would generate about 262 daily trips with 25 afternoon peak trips.

“My concern is that already there is a lot of traffic … they’re trying to build across the road another PD … it’s like spot development,” one resident said. “They’re getting little parcels all along Apopka-Vineland Road. If they keep on building different offices and retail or whatnot, it’s going to just end up being more of a cluster, and traffic is going to turn into something like International Drive or the Sand Lake intersection. … If you keep giving the approvals for all these plans and developments, then it’s going to make our residential lives miserable to get anywhere.”

Once the application is reviewed by Orange County staff, it will next move on to the Development Review Committee.

Those who wish to provide public comment on the project can next voice their thoughts at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting or a Board of County Commissioners meeting, both at future dates to be determined.