Osceola works on growth moratorium

Osceola County has moved forward with details of its proposed growth moratorium, seeking a full six months to suspend development approvals.

The county will consider opening the gates to developments that are only about half made up of houses while allowing the other half to be shops, restaurants, offices and other types of commercial property. In the past, Osceola has expected a more suburban mix that had to be 88 percent houses. Among other things, Osceola is striving to create more housing choices to appeal to a range of residents from those coming out of homelessness to luxury home buyers.

Earlier, commissioners had discussed postponing projects for as little as three months. The proposal heads to a public hearing on Nov. 6.

The measure has met with sharp opposition from home builders in the region.

“It will detrimentally impact hundreds of businesses and thousands of workers and their families,” said Lee Steinhauer, government affairs director for the Greater Orlando Builders Association.

Osceola officials say they need the break so they can have time to craft new goals, objectives, policies, and land development regulations. As proposed, plenty of development opportunities would escape the grinding halt of a moratorium. Projects that have been approved, such as Tavistock’s Sunbridge in east Osceola and mostly north of Nova Road, could get zoning changes.

Affordable housing projects aimed at low-income residents and targeted industries creating relatively high-paying jobs would also be exempt.