A proposal for 70 townhomes on the west end of Chapman Road goes to the Seminole County Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with the county's planning board and its staff on opposite sides of the request.
The applicant, represented by Chris Leppert of Kimley-Horn and Associates, is asking the county to rezone about 11.97 acres along the west edge of Tatra Street, north of West Chapman Road, from A-1 agriculture to R-3A, which allows multifamily housing. The land is in unincorporated Seminole County, between SR 417 and SR 426, in the commission district represented by Commissioner Dallari, according to the agenda.
Planners said yes, staff says no
The county's Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend approval. County staff, however, is asking commissioners to deny the rezoning. Its report says Tatra Street, the project's only access, is a substandard local road only 40 feet wide in right-of-way, while county engineering rules call for 50 feet when a development has 50 or more lots.
The road is not part of the county's maintained system. Staff concluded the request conflicts with two comprehensive plan transportation policies requiring roads to meet county standards before development, and said the narrow street could lead to traffic hazards.
Staff did find the townhomes match the site's Medium Density Residential land use, which allows up to 10 homes per net buildable acre, and said the development plan meets amenity requirements.
Wetlands and drainage
The report estimates about 6.75 acres of wetlands on the property, with the developer proposing to mitigate about 6.45 acres and leave roughly 0.3 acre under a conservation easement. Because the Howell Creek basin it drains to has little room downstream, the project would have to hold all runoff from a 25-year, 24-hour storm unless a legal outfall is found.
Plans show about 28% open space, above the 25% minimum, and a 5-foot sidewalk along Tatra Street.
Seminole County Public Schools said the elementary and high schools serving the site are already over capacity, though its review found space across the broader concurrency service areas.
