Orange County School Board hears MOU with Dr. Phillips Charities to develop Hungerford property in Eatonville

Orange County Public Schools on Sept. 30 reviewed a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Dr. Phillips Charities that would begin a multi‑year effort to implement a community master plan for the Hungerford property in the town of Eatonville. The work session included presentations from the charity, its planning partners and Eatonville officials; no formal vote was taken at the session.

The MOU presented would give Dr. Phillips Charities time and a path to negotiate a purchase and development plan for the site, beginning with an immediate $1,000,000 payment, milestone tests tied to infrastructure and community uses, and further negotiated purchase terms, Dr. Phillips representatives said. Ken Robinson, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Charities, told the board, “99% of that money stays in Orange County.” Chair Jacobs and Superintendent Dr. Vasquez emphasized the MOU is a starting point, not a contract.

The master plan shown to the board, prepared by Baker Barrios with community input facilitated by the Polis Institute, was described as an 18‑month, resident‑driven effort that included five public workshops and parallel work on a community action plan. Tim Baker of Baker Barrios said the plan is a 25‑year vision and identified a cluster of uses on the Hungerford property: a large community park and pavilion for festivals, a community hub for cradle‑to‑career education, an early learning center, a town…