Proposed Future Land Use and Zoning Changes to allow a Subdivision to be developed inside the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement.
Community Meeting
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Hamlin Middle School, 16025 Silver Grove Boulevard
This application is for approximately 40 acres located at 5477 Avalon Road. It requests a change to the Future Land Use from RS 1/5 to RS 1/1 and a change to the zoning from A-1 (Citrus Rural District) to PD (Planned Development). These changes could allow development of 39 single family homes on the property.
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Background
Gerlero Properties, LLC., has requested a change to the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) from RS 1/5 (1 home per 5 acres) to RS 1/1 (1 home per 1 acre) for its 40 acre parcel at 5477 Avalon Road. This also requires a Zoning change from A-1 (Agricultural) to PD (Planned Development). This parcel is currently Ag-Exempt Timberland. The application to change the Future Land Use to RS 1/1 is not proposing true 1-acre lots. Instead, the site plans show a typical lot size of approximately 0.41 acres, meaning the majority of the parcels will be less than 1/2 acre.
From the mid-1990’s until 2004, when our Rural Settlement Ordinance was adopted, our community diligently worked and fought to become a Rural Settlement. Rural Settlement Ordinances are Orange County’s commitment to the diversity of rural lifestyle housing and protecting rural lands. Our Ordinance was able to prevent the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement (LARS) from becoming part of the high intensity and density, residential and commercial building in Horizon West.
This also enabled the County to establish LARS as a water recharge area, heat burden offset area, air purification area, and wildlife habitat areas, which increase the quality of life for all residents of West Orange County.
Using the Avalon Ridge subdivision development within the LARS is not a justification for approval for this new application. As we were working to become a Rural Settlement in the late 1990’s, and prior to our Ordinance adoption, the community came to an agreement with the property owner of what’s now Avalon Ridge, to purposefully allow for a higher density on that specific parcel to secure the integrity of the eastern boundary line of LARS. As a result, Avalon Ridge was Grandfathered in; 46 parcels on 70 acres. The Gerlero Property’s Future Land Use was RS 1/5, with A-1 zoning at the time our Ordinance was adopted in 2004, they were not grandfathered in for a higher density or intensity. Comparing Avalon Ridge and the Gerlero Property is not an apples-to-apples comparison based on the history of the two parcels. Any justification for citing Avalon Ridge as the catalyst for this application is not a reason for approval.
Community support is critical to preserving the LARS Ordinance. It is important for residents to attend this community meeting, share their concerns, and help protect the character of our rural settlement. The implications of approval include setting a precedent that would open the door to urbanization not only the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement but all Orange County Rural Settlements. The Lake Avalon Rural Settlement ordinance and the County’s commitment to low intensity and density rural housing lifestyle is being threatened. Again. Based on the number of LARS properties that have been sold to developers over the past five years, approval of this application could encourage similar subdivision applications.
Following the Community Meeting, the next step in the process will be a Public Hearing at the August 20 Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting. Additional information will be published prior to that meeting, but the period between the Community Meeting and the Planning and Zoning Commission Public Hearing is our opportunity to submit written comments and express our concerns and the implications of approval to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Community participation during this time is essential to ensure the Planning and Zoning Commission hears the voices of LARS residents before making its recommendation.
