In deference to those who live on, work near or otherwise travel Boggy Creek Road, the Osceola County Commission Monday rejected a development plan to increase the number of planned housing units, and make them mostly denser townhomes, from 197 to 429 on a parcel that’s known as the East Lake Fish Camp to longtime residents.

Despite the developer noting the amenities that would be included on the north short of East Lake Toho, that included parks, sidewalks and bike trails, 40 other acres of open space and a new public boat ramp — that the HOA could change a fee for to maintain — commissioners heeded the opposition from a roomful of county residents who came out to oppose the plan.

Among the concerns were the hundreds of decade-old trees that would be removed, drainage issues on Boggy Creek, and the traffic on Boggy Creek Road, which county officials earlier in the night said would be widened between Simpson Road and Narcoossee Road, right past the development, by 2024.
Despite the changed development complying with the county’s Land Development Code, the board took the side of all those residents — and the Planning Commission, which had already denied it due to incompatibility with surrounding developments in the area.

Commissioner Fred Hawkins made the motion to deny the plan, noting he’s been against it since its inception, even with many of the parts of the original plan for 197 housing units.

Community meetings began in May 2019 about the project, and county records show hundreds attended and raised concerns about the fate of current Fish Camp residents and the increased traffic on Boggy Creek Road, currently a two-lane highway, existing nearby property values, tree and wildlife preservation.

It wasn’t the only development plan slowed on Monday. Commissioners voted to postpone two planned developments near Narcoossee and Cyrils Drive near the Orange County line; one would change the zoning of 12.84 acres from agricultural to low-density residential, the other change a planned development from 777 to 882 dwelling units.

Commissioners said bringing those plans back at the next night Commission meeting, Feb. 17, would give time to consider improvements to and the impact on Cyrils Road, which could include installing a traffic like at Cyrils and Narcoossee. Local residents took issue with what traffic may look like on Cyrils with added cars, noting it’s already bad at morning and afternoon school times in and around Narcoossee Elementary and Middle schools.