Orange County commissioners deny Orlando Torah Center expansion in Sand Lake Hills

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 26 denied an appeal by the Orlando Torah Center to expand its Sand Lake Hills synagogue to a three‑story, roughly 12,000‑square‑foot building, voting unanimously to uphold the Board of Zoning Adjustment's earlier rejection after a public hearing that drew 97 entries from residents and congregants.

The decision follows months of neighborhood meetings and a BZA hearing in which the BZA concluded the proposal failed to meet one or more of the six variance criteria required for the special exception. Commissioner Martinez Semrad told the congregation the BZA's vote “was that you didn't meet the 6 criteria of a variance,” and that the panel's denial was not a rejection of worship or religious practice but a technical finding under county land‑use standards.

Supporters of the expansion, including Rabbi Menachem Kramer and several congregants, told commissioners the existing building is too small for religious services, youth and family programming, and private pastoral work. Rabbi Menachem Kramer said the expansion is about “space to connect and…