Deseret Ranch annexation halted, for now. Orange County approves new agreement with Orlando
By Joe Mario Pedersen
October 30, 2024 at 2:22 PM EDT
On Tuesday, Orange County commissioners unanimously approved an agreement with the City of Orlando that would effectively halt its pursuit of 52,000 acres of land, for now.
Per the agreement, Orlando agrees to give up its annexation of the rural county area of Deseret Ranch. In exchange, the county is dropping its challenge of Orlando’s annexation of the Sunbridge development, which the city did earlier this year.
In August, Farmland Reserve, a company affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asked Orlando to annex 52,493 acres -- its Deseret Ranch property in east Orange County.
The move would’ve increased Orlando’s land area by 69%.
The agreement is the latest chapter in a back-and-forth saga between the city and county over land annexations. Orlando’s steps to pursue the Sunbridge development previously came as an unwelcome surprise to Orange County.
In response, the county approved two charter amendment proposals voters are currently deciding on in the 2024 general election. One charter amendment would grant county commissioners authority to approve more urban development on the rural boundary or remove property. The second would allow them to approve voluntary annexations with the county’s rural areas.
The proposed amendment would allow commissioners to create rural boundaries over land in East Orange County, making it harder for developers to build urban areas. (1323x617, AR: 2.1442463533225284)
Not long after that, Farmland Reserve submitted an application for voluntary annexation.
However, on Thursday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings presented a proposal to Orlando in an effort to temporarily stop the Deseret Ranch annexation. Orlando City Council is expected to vote on the agreement Monday, during the same time slot it had previously been expected to do a second reading of the Deseret Ranch annexation.
District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla was elated with the agreement. The commissioner represents the area that includes the Deseret Ranch property.
“The goal of that annexation charter amendment is to work together with the landowners and the cities and, you know, make sure that we're creating a county that has proper growth management and that can sustain itself,” she said.
While the agreement was unanimously approved, both commissioners Mayra Uribe and Nicole Wilson were reluctant to do so.
Wilson shook her head and rolled her eyes before casting her vote of approval.
“I'm concerned that the county is losing its ability to negotiate in our best interests, should we encounter some type of maneuver such as we've seen and lo and behold when we were surprised with the Sunbridge annexation,” Wilson said.
Along with the Sunbridge concession, the county also agreed to provide $626 million in Tourist Development Tax Dollars for improvements to Camping World Stadium and the Kia Center. Additionally, it will lease the city, for $1.00 per year, the Work Release Center on Kaley Avenue as a homeless shelter.
Uribe expressed a similar concern. She said the City of Orlando was not acting in good faith when it surprised Orange County with a first reading of the Deseret Ranch annexation at a council meeting last week.
“There has been transparency on one side, but not the same in this relationship, which creates disagreement. And that is something that leaves me very, very uneasy,” Uribe said.
While Demings and Bonilla argued that the deal was a win, win; Deseret Ranch disagreed.
“We had been hurrying very quickly to complete an annexation before the election. And we heard last Thursday that, in fact, this, settlement had been reached, and that you guys were going to vote on it (Tuesday),” said Don White, a representative of Deseret Ranch, who spoke during the Tuesday Board of County Commissioners meeting.
“We spent a lot of money studying this property,” said White. “We spent money being prepared for annexation and all of that with the stroke of a pen by two different agencies, will have been wasted.”
Per the agreement, Orlando agrees to give up its annexation of the rural county area of Deseret Ranch. In exchange, the county is dropping its challenge of Orlando’s annexation of the Sunbridge development, which the city did earlier this year.
In August, Farmland Reserve, a company affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asked Orlando to annex 52,493 acres -- its Deseret Ranch property in east Orange County.
The move would’ve increased Orlando’s land area by 69%.
The agreement is the latest chapter in a back-and-forth saga between the city and county over land annexations. Orlando’s steps to pursue the Sunbridge development previously came as an unwelcome surprise to Orange County.
In response, the county approved two charter amendment proposals voters are currently deciding on in the 2024 general election. One charter amendment would grant county commissioners authority to approve more urban development on the rural boundary or remove property. The second would allow them to approve voluntary annexations with the county’s rural areas.
The proposed amendment would allow commissioners to create rural boundaries over land in East Orange County, making it harder for developers to build urban areas. (1323x617, AR: 2.1442463533225284)
Not long after that, Farmland Reserve submitted an application for voluntary annexation.
However, on Thursday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings presented a proposal to Orlando in an effort to temporarily stop the Deseret Ranch annexation. Orlando City Council is expected to vote on the agreement Monday, during the same time slot it had previously been expected to do a second reading of the Deseret Ranch annexation.
District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla was elated with the agreement. The commissioner represents the area that includes the Deseret Ranch property.
“The goal of that annexation charter amendment is to work together with the landowners and the cities and, you know, make sure that we're creating a county that has proper growth management and that can sustain itself,” she said.
While the agreement was unanimously approved, both commissioners Mayra Uribe and Nicole Wilson were reluctant to do so.
Wilson shook her head and rolled her eyes before casting her vote of approval.
“I'm concerned that the county is losing its ability to negotiate in our best interests, should we encounter some type of maneuver such as we've seen and lo and behold when we were surprised with the Sunbridge annexation,” Wilson said.
Along with the Sunbridge concession, the county also agreed to provide $626 million in Tourist Development Tax Dollars for improvements to Camping World Stadium and the Kia Center. Additionally, it will lease the city, for $1.00 per year, the Work Release Center on Kaley Avenue as a homeless shelter.
Uribe expressed a similar concern. She said the City of Orlando was not acting in good faith when it surprised Orange County with a first reading of the Deseret Ranch annexation at a council meeting last week.
“There has been transparency on one side, but not the same in this relationship, which creates disagreement. And that is something that leaves me very, very uneasy,” Uribe said.
While Demings and Bonilla argued that the deal was a win, win; Deseret Ranch disagreed.
“We had been hurrying very quickly to complete an annexation before the election. And we heard last Thursday that, in fact, this, settlement had been reached, and that you guys were going to vote on it (Tuesday),” said Don White, a representative of Deseret Ranch, who spoke during the Tuesday Board of County Commissioners meeting.
“We spent a lot of money studying this property,” said White. “We spent money being prepared for annexation and all of that with the stroke of a pen by two different agencies, will have been wasted.”