Seminole rejects River Cross offer
Seminole County commissioners rejected an offer by former state legislator Chris Dorworth and the developers of the controversial River Cross development to modify their project’s plans and settle a federal lawsuit against the county.
Commissioners made the decision at the end of a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, and would not comment beyond a one-sentence press release issued by county officials.
The county’s rejection of a settlement offer means Dorworth’s lawsuit against the county will continue to move forward.
Last year, Dorworth and his company River Cross Land Co. submitted plans that called for 600 single-family homes, 270 townhouses, 500 apartments and 1.5 million square feet of shops, eateries and offices on 291-environmentally-sensitive acres just east of the Econlockhatchee River. The property is also within the county’s rural boundary area.
But hundreds of residents — most from east Seminole — opposed the project, pointing out that in 2004 Seminole voters approved a ballot referendum that established the county’s rural boundary mostly east of the Econ, Oviedo and Lake Jesup.
Development densities within that rural area are limited to one home per 3 acres or one home per 10 acres. Changing that boundary line and density would require a majority — or at least three votes — from county commissioners.
The entire 670-acre River Cross property sits entirely within the county’s rural area. County commissioners unanimously turned down the development plans in August.
Dorworth then sued the county, arguing that the county’s rural boundary and rejection of the River Cross project violate the Fair Housing Act because it “has a segregative effect and disparate impact on protected minority classes in Seminole County.”
Dorworth added that because the River Cross development sits so close to the fast-growing UCF area, it would benefit Seminole and the region.
According to the settlement offer submitted to the county in May,
the new plans for River Cross call for 300 fewer apartments and a 70 percent reduction in commercial space. However, the offer
keeps the same number of single-family homes and townhomes at 870.
Because the closed-door meeting was to discuss litigation involving the county, commissioners were not required to open it to the public, according to Florida’s Government in the Sunshine laws. The only people present in the private meeting were commissioners, county attorneys and county Manager Nicole Guillet.