DRC routes vacation of Oak Street right-of-way at 220 N. Washington to city council public hearing

The Apopka Development Review Committee on Feb. 5 reviewed an application to vacate an abandoned portion of Oak Street adjoining 220 North Washington Avenue and directed staff to route the petition to a city council public hearing after required documentation is submitted.

The application affects an abandoned segment of Oak Street west of Washington Avenue, the project manager, Amir Hamza, told the committee. "This is a vacay a right of way application for an abandoned portion of Oak Street," Hamza said, and noted one parcel is zoned Single-Family (Set 1A) while the adjoining parcel to the south is zoned Mixed Use Downtown. He said the future land use designation for both parcels is Residential Low.

A city staff member told applicants that because the right-of-way was created by two separate plats, the vacation will require additional work, including sealed surveys, legal descriptions and sketches. "This right of way was granted by two different plats," the staff member said, adding that those factors make the vacation more complex and that utility clearance letters and recorded documents will be required before the petition proceeds to council.

Angel Garcia, who identified themselves as the property applicant and neighborhood resident, described ongoing maintenance and safety concerns that led to the petition. "We've been there for the past two years. We redid that house. We love the neighborhood," Garcia said, adding the area had been used for trespassing and occasional encampments and that the owner, Stan, had maintained the space to deter those activities. Garcia also said they do not intend to develop the vacated area for new construction.

Hamza said Planning and Zoning supplied no new comments aside from reiterating prior notes about meeting the Land Development Code's requirements for right-of-way vacations. Several departments will be routed for utility and other review; Hamza said the applicant will be responsible for costs associated with surveys and recording documents if the vacation is approved. He added that staff did not object to moving the petition forward but that the council will make the final decision.

Committee members and department representatives recorded no objections at the DRC meeting; Police, Fire and Public Services offered no additional comments on the application during the session. The DRC closed the item after confirming the applicant has existing survey material and that staff will assemble required utility responses and other documents for the record.

If the council schedules a public hearing and ultimately approves the vacation, the applicant must record the approved documents; if utility providers object, the vacation could be modified or denied. The DRC did not take a formal vote on the petition at its Feb. 5 meeting.

Details from the Feb. 5 DRC meeting: - Location: Oak Street right-of-way, west of Washington Avenue, affecting 220 North Washington Avenue (Ackerman House). - Zoning: one parcel Set 1A (single-family); the south parcel Mixed Use Downtown. Future land use: Residential Low. - Required submittals: sealed boundary survey, legal description(s) and sketches, utility no-objection letters, recording fees and related costs (applicant responsibility). - Process: DRC will route the application to relevant departments, then to Apopka City Council for a public hearing; council decides final disposition.

The DRC item concluded with staff offering to work with the applicant on documentation and scheduling; no council decision was made at the meeting. The council’s public hearing date was not specified at the Feb. 5 DRC meeting.