Planning panel backs small‑scale land‑use change near historic Piney Ridge cemetery
The Seminole County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a small‑scale future land‑use amendment for about 2.6 acres on Markham Woods Road from public/quasi‑public to suburban estates after staff review and testimony that the site was not a recorded cemetery; neighbors urged caution and cited limited ground‑penetrating‑radar findings.
The full story
On Aug. 6, 2025, the Seminole County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the Board of County Commissioners adopt an ordinance changing about 2.6 acres on the west side of Markham Woods Road from public/quasi‑public to suburban estates to allow a single‑family dwelling. Staff said the site is vacant, adjacent to the Piney Grove (New Island Lake) Cemetery, and currently zoned A‑1 agriculture. Caitlin Apgar, planning and development, told the commission the applicant provided a ground‑penetrating radar (GPR) report dated Sept. 30, 2024, and contacted state and local historical organizations; staff’s review found no evidence the parcel is a recorded cemetery and concluded the requested land‑use change met comprehensive‑plan criteria and Wekiva River Protection Area limits.
Sign up to keep reading.
Your free newsletter brings you what your city council, county, and school board discussed and decided.