Orlando poised to drop annexation request, but at a price

…it ensures the 11,000 acres of annexed Sunbridge land remain under the authority of Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division. That matters because in Florida, Orange County is unique in maintaining control over its own environmental regulations, including stronger wetlands protections…

Orlando City Council will vote Monday on an interlocal agreement, already approved by Orange County commissioners, to halt a controversial land annexation request from Deseret Ranches, a Mormon Church affiliate and major landowner in Central Florida.

But there’s some trade-off involved on Orange County’s part. If approved, the interlocal agreement requires the county to drop its challenge of other annexations recently approved by the city, including parcels of Sunbridge land totalling about 11,000 acres.

The county would also need to approve a collective $626 million in Tourist Development Tax funding for Camping World Stadium and the Kia Center, and agree to lease part of its Work Release Center to the city to use for a homeless shelter, at the rate of $1/year for seven years, under the pending agreement.

Additionally, by the end of next March, the county and city would enter into a 10-year Joint Planning Agreement to establish “a firm boundary outlining the extent of annexations by the City during this period.” That JPA would automatically renew every five years, according to the interlocal agreement attached to Monday’s City Council agenda item.