Orange lets voters decide: Should the county more closely guard its rural areas?

Concluding a hard-fought, monthslong debate over how to control growth in rural areas, Orange County commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday to let voters decide whether to draw boundaries restricting urban development in the region.

But the end of one process is the start of another, as a high-stakes campaign is expected before the ballot in November. And it remains to be seen if the rural growth measure will be joined by a second, related measure asking voters to impose new restrictions on cities’ annexation of county lands.

At least 75 people spoke at the Tuesday Orange County board meeting, which was focused on the so-called “rural boundary” issue, and almost all were in support of boundaries that would erect higher hurdles for the approval of urban-style housing and commercial projects in rural areas.

“I’m tired of seeing old friends forced to move due to overdevelopment and family farms and mature forests being sold and developed left and right,” county resident Rachel Hildebrand said.




https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/07/30/orange-lets-voters-decide-should-the-county-more-closely-guard-its-rural-areas/