By Rod Olsen
Editor's Note: Rod Olsen is a former HOA President of Rock Springs Ridge and an Apopka resident who often contributes his opinions at the Apopka City Council meetings during the public comments section and in frequent op/eds to The Apopka Voice.
For months, the Apopka Mayor and City Council have ignored the citizens’ requests to put a moratorium on new growth until we have the infrastructure in place to manage it.
They continue to ignore the fact that Apopka's infrastructure has not and is not meeting our community needs, as evidenced by:
- Ongoing City flooding
- City Staff indicated that "the code was not followed."
- The lack of reclaimed water pressure
- The replacement of the faulty water meter has still not been completed.
- Installment of back-flow preventers
- Record increase in public utility rates due to the City's failure to provide necessary new, upgraded, or improvements in plants and related equipment to keep pace with our growth.
- Record increase in public utility rates due to the City's failure to ensure proper preventative plant and equipment maintenance is performed timely and appropriately.
- The Golden Gem Pond debacle
- Blue-green algae in Lake Apopka
- Multiple Staff, Key Staff, departures
- Unbridled growth is attributed to the continued rubber-stamp approval of new development.
I have and continue to advocate for our Mayor and Commissioners to implement appropriate and timely measures to ensure that the City of Apopka grows smartly within our means.
The infrastructure cost required to support development should fall to the property owner and developer. The power, water, sewer, roadways, sidewalks, schools, and parks to support the new development should not fall on current Taxpayers.
Orange County’s Ordinance No. 2024-30 approach to slowing growth accomplishes this without a moratorium's more restrictive and cumbersome requirements. This is a viable approach for the City to take. The City should have an independent legal consultant for land use attorney review.
Orange County Ordinance No. 2024-30 is a walk-around to a full moratorium. A moratorium must meet specific requirements and timetables and be more open to litigation.
Orange County Ordinance No. 2024-30 Section 2 (a) suspends plan, text, map amendments, rezonings, and special exceptions, with limited exceptions. This ordinance slows the development process to allow more citizen input and sufficient time for county staff to review better, adjust, and ensure the county has the infrastructure to support growth.
2 (b) defines the 8 months for this Ordinance, (c) outlines the exceptions for current applications in process, and (d) outlines other exceptions.
We count on our Mayor and Commissioners to get in front of our growth. We must get in front of our growth.
