Dear Mayor and Commissioners,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the City of Orlando's recent annexation proposals, specifically the voluntary annexation of over 52,450 acres of rural farmland. The current and proposed annexations will increase the City’s size by almost two thirds resulting in continued expensive and damaging urban sprawl development patterns.
This rapid expansion of the City is clearly being rushed to beat voters to the polls on November 5th when we all vote on controlling runaway growth with a rural boundary. This annexation violates the City’s own Growth Management Plan (GMP), which calls for “compact” and “sustainable growth”, while “preserving existing neighborhoods” and “supporting the core urban area”. The proposed annexations completely contradict this vision and will lead to unchecked urban sprawl at the expense of both City and county residents. The proposed Tavistock and Suburban Land Reserve annexation is irresponsible growth and should not impede the quality of life of taxpayer citizens. This sprawling annexation places an enormous strain on resources and infrastructure that are already stretched thin.
The City of Orlando has consistently struggled with critical issues such as traffic congestion, public transportation, affordable housing, flooding, and public services. Currently, OUC’s power grid is over capacity resulting in rate increases for people. Increasing the City’s geographic size by two thirds will exacerbate all of these problems and reduce our quality of life. Residents will be underserved and burdened with higher taxes. The City's lack of sufficient resources to support this massive growth, including emergency services like fire and first responders, will have significant consequences, with taxpayers ultimately bearing the costs.
I urge you to reject the voluntary annexation. The City of Orlando must prioritize sustainable growth that benefits its current residents, not cater to developers pushing for urban sprawl at the expense of our community. Please consider the long-term impacts and uphold responsible planning principles.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I hope you will stand with the people and not the mega developers and special interests pushing this annexation.
Sincerely,