Residents asked to describe Seminole’s future
To the casual observer, Seminole County’s vibe is solidly suburban, and it has its share of bedroom-community woes that manifest in traffic-choked commutes, struggling malls and aging subdivisions.
But look just a little deeper, and you’ll see more: The surprising collection of corporate offices headquartered in Heathrow. The river-city charm of Sanford. And perhaps most importantly, the acres and acres of open land that haven’t been conquered by thoughtless cookie-cutter development — because Seminole County voters backed ballot initiatives that set boundaries for growth and dedicated money to preserve thousands of acres of conservation land. Perhaps most importantly, Seminole County residents have consistently elected officials who are willing to set high standards for proposed development and stand up to bullies.
In a county that’s trended Republican for decades, Seminole voters have proven that conservation can be a conservative value.
Growth, however, is an inevitable fact of life in Florida. Within the next few years, Seminole County’s population will hit the half-million milestone and by 2045, will be nearly 580,000. Population is just one factor; Seminole County can also expect changes in the way its residents live, work and play.
Now county leaders are asking their constituents: What next? What do they want to see Seminole County become over the next 20 years? Through an effort known as Envision Seminole 2045, county leaders are hoping to reshape the roadmap for the county’s future.
It’s a daunting question, and one many residents might not feel qualified to answer. But at a recent series of “listening sessions,” county officials broke it down into a series of questions, asking participants to rate the priorities they wanted county officials to focus on. People showed the most enthusiasm for preserving natural land and creating walkable communities, but they also expressed support for better transportation networks and increased use of native landscaping. The response was more muted to questions about increasing job opportunities and building attainable housing, but both priorities still had support from a majority of people attending the listening sessions.
The sessions featured another interesting exercise: Residents were asked to post their opinions — using sticky notes — in four categories: Strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. At the first session, in Altamonte Springs, most responses focused on natural lands and preservation, with residents saying they were worried about the impacts of overdevelopment and proud of the county’s preservation programs. Residents also mentioned a desire for more outdoor recreation, affordable housing and a focus on “infill” development on land that’s already inside urban boundaries instead of sprawling into rural lands.
The results from the first set of sessions will play a central role in a series of “visioning” meetings in late May. The commission will review the input in June, leading up to a county-wide conference where elected officials and the public will craft a plan. By December, the county plans to submit that plan to the state as its legally required update to the county’s comprehensive growth plan. Once upon a time, comprehensive plans were meant to be a way for all Florida cities and counties to envision their future and put up guardrails against irresponsible development, but state lawmakers and governors long ago stripped the process of any real teeth. However, the law still requires local governments to update their plans every seven years. Seminole County deserves credit for seizing that opportunity to re-create a communitywide consensus on the county’s future path.
Other counties should take a look: Orange County’s next review of its comprehensive plan is due in May 2023, and Lake and Osceola counties both come due in 2024.
These sessions are about the future. But they should also give elected leaders a better understanding — and more respect — for the residents within their boundaries. Locals may not follow city and county agendas obsessively but they understand that new subdivisions and strip malls can mean more congestion on the roads, more portables on school campuses and possibly higher taxes to pay for services like police and fire. They have opinions on what they want their communities to look like and where they want their tax dollars spent.
Until a plan is followed, it’s just words on paper. But by turning out to these sessions and completing online surveys, Seminole County residents are giving their elected officials the backing they need to stand up for the county’s natural assets and quality of life. It’s worth the effort. Visioning sessions will run from 6-8 p.m:
▪ May 23 at the Neighborhood Alliance Church, 301 Markham Woods Road, Longwood.
▪ May 25, Geneva Elementary School, 275 1st St, Geneva.
▪ May 26, Central Branch Library, Casselberry.