Commissioners approve Seminole Science expansion with new conditions; interlocal agreement with Lake Mary also adopted

Seminole County commissioners on Tuesday approved a small-scale future land-use amendment and a PD-to-PD rezone for the Seminole Science Charter School expansion, and separately adopted an interlocal agreement with the City of Lake Mary covering a retention parcel used by the project.

Senior planner Annie Silaway and Brent Spain (applicant counsel) presented the project as a continuation from a Feb. 11 hearing and summarized conditions submitted in response to neighbor concerns at a March 25 community meeting. Staff and the applicant offered additional development-order conditions including: a reduction in the floor area ratio from 0.5 to 0.25 (Condition C); reduction of maximum building height from 40 feet to 35 feet excluding parapet (Condition E); expanded rear setback from 25 feet to 40 feet (Condition H); increased north-side buffer with an 8-foot wall and 50% plantings above code (Condition I); limits on recreational-field hours and a prohibition on field lighting (Conditions G and S); a ban on daily outdoor speaker systems and a cap of four outdoor special events per school year when speakers may be used pointed toward Ronald Reagan Boulevard (Condition T); dedicated turn lanes from Ronald Reagan Boulevard (Condition B); and a restriction that the recreational field be for exclusive school use and not rented to third parties (Condition W). The applicant also agreed to designate 45 parking spaces for student parking and limit them to 12th-grade students via a lottery or similar system (Condition X).

The applicant said it had hosted a neighborhood meeting and retained an outside AICP planner to analyze the site and affirmed the changes were consistent with staff recommendations. Neighbors raised concerns about traffic, parking overflow into adjacent commercial areas, and drainage; a Lake Mary Woods HOA representative and another resident presented photos and video illustrating morning queuing and circulation at the mall and adjacent roads. County staff and applicant counsel stated that site-plan review and St. Johns River Water Management District permitting would address drainage and detailed site circulation.

Commissioner Lockhart moved first to adopt the small-scale future land-use map amendment; the motion passed unanimously. The board then adopted the rezone to PD with the conditions presented and directed staff to address a State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF) provision at the site-plan stage requiring direct access from the school building to play areas without crossing public roads or traffic lanes. The motions carried unanimously.

Separately, the board approved the interlocal agreement with the City of Lake Mary that grants the county the limited jurisdiction necessary to permit a retention area located in the city that will serve the project; Lake Mary had previously approved the agreement. The interlocal agreement vote also carried unanimously.