Community Group Fighting College Park Redevelopment Retains Lawyer

The controversial “Princeton” development has been scaled back, but residents are still concerned about the impact to College Park.

Concerned College Park residents are continuing their latest struggle against Orlando City Hall by retaining a lawyer and launching a legal defense fund to fight planned redevelopment of their neighborhood. According to Rethink the Princeton‘s latest update, the group has hired a law firm and already raised $1,260 online. The City has delayed the final vote on the controversial development proposal, which will now take place on November 3rd at 2pm.

The group’s pressure on Mayor Dyer and Commissioner Robert Stuart has already made an impact at City Hall and changed the proposed apartment complex. In September, the City Council scaled back the controversial development, but still moved the project forward in a rare 4-3 split vote from Commissioners. The group continues to rally residents as City Hall scrambles to push through another questionable project despite opposition from the community.

The massive development that is planned for College Park would drastically reshape the neighborhood and change the character of the area. The development would also have a major impact on the already busy Edgewater Drive and Princeton/Smith Street corridors. This is the latest struggle between residents around Orlando and City Hall, and College Park is sending their message as a citywide warning to all residents.

“Let them know that this vote is about more than just College Park and approving an apartment complex. It will also set a dangerous precedent in ALL districts because it allows a developer to ignore mixed-use requirements by simply “promising” to develop retail and commercial space at some unspecified date in the future.”

Concerns that have clouded this controversial development will continue ahead of the final vote. Before the scheduled November 3rd vote, residents can still send a message to the Mayor and City Council. To contact your officials:

Mayor Buddy Dyer
Buddy.Dyer@cityoforlando.net
407-246-2221

Commissioner Jim Gray
Jim.Gray@cityoforlando.net
407-246-2001

Commissioner Tony Ortiz
Tony.Ortiz@cityoforlando.net
407-246-2899

Commissioner Robert Stuart
Robert.Stuart@cityoforlando.net
407-246-2003

Commissioner Patty Sheehan
Patty.Sheehan@cityoforlando.net
407-246-2106

Commissioner Regina Hill
Regina.Hill@cityoforlando.net
407-246-2005

Commissioner Samuel Ings
Samuel.Ings@cityoforlando.net
407-246-3016

Rethink the Princeton hopes to raise $3,000 immediately through the GoFundMe page. The group says if there are any excess funds after the fight with City Hall, they will be donated to our local College Park Neighborhood Arts & Theater Center.

Kelly A. Greene says:

October 20, 2014 at 8:56 am

As a supporter of Rethink the Princeton and a College Park Resident, I support the group getting an attorney as there already appear to be legal issues that are being ignored such as in order for the project to vary from previous plans it should be a mixed use project and this is an entirely residential project and can only be called mixed use by the charitable inclusion of the already existing nearby commercial site.
That said, it depends on the firm. Some local firms are deeply connected to the Dyer/Stuart cabal. The last resident project I was involved in, the attorney that represented the largest group of owners, convinced them to acquiesce to development plan. After that group settled the end result was inevitable.
I would like to know which firm and what the firm’s goals are. A fight against a deep pocketed developer and vested political interests is not bean bag, its a bruising and I would like to know the firm to judge the depth of the commitment.
Probably should also ask Rethink the Princeton what is a tolerable level of development for them. The area is zoned for 26 units I think. Above that amount what are they willing to accept?. I think any multiplier of that whether its 4 or 10 is ridiculous. That is an impossible triangle to develop on and add in and out traffic to the Smith and Princeton streets. So what is really the end goal? Twenty six units, 50 units, 100 units , 150?
Where is the need for any of that development with the exception of someone wants/needs to make a boat load of money by building and selling?

Chris says:

October 20, 2014 at 9:05 pm

“Some local firms are deeply connected to the Dyer/Stuart cabal”

I’ve experienced this cabal trying to conduct simple business in Orlando. Since the work I was contracting out wasn’t in the mayor’s favor, these businesses wasted my time and money before delivering a bad product. Unfortunately I did not catch on to what was happening until after the fact. The corruption reaches far and wide throughout the community and it makes me sick.

1. Kelly A. Greene says:
  
  October 21, 2014 at 8:51 am
  
  That’s unfortunate. I think local groups are under the impression that merit, fairness and logic will prevail. If that were true, then two hundred plus units for that site would never have been approved. Your experience proves that merit does not always prevail. It is a very tight knit community of “decisions makers.” Citizens should never lose sight of the fact that we are living in the times of an oligarchy both on the national and local levels. There are entrenched interests who claim to be acting on the greater good but actually are just protecting their goals and their interests and they assume that their interests are synonymous with the greater good.

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