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Auburndale advances large-scale land-use and zoning changes for FDOT/SunTrax expansion
Summary
On first reading the commission approved ordinances to reclassify roughly 67.47 acres adjacent to SunTrax as Regional Activity Center (RAC) and Commercial Highway (CH) zoning to accommodate FDOT’s SunTrax expansion for autonomous and air‑mobility testing; county/state review to follow.
The Auburndale City Commission on March 16 held a public hearing and approved on first reading two ordinances to amend the city’s Future Land Use and Official Zoning maps for approximately 67.47 acres owned by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and adjacent to SunTrax.
Community Development Director Julie Womble told the Commission the annexed parcels lie within the Central Florida Innovation District and are vacant. The request seeks Large-Scale Future Land Use Map and Zoning Map amendments to reclassify the parcels to Regional Activity Center (RAC) and Commercial Highway (CH), the same designations previously approved on adjacent SunTrax parcels. Womble said FDOT intends to expand SunTrax to include air‑mobility testing, research and development, and additional testing bays for autonomous modes of transportation.
City staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval; City Attorney Frederick J. Murphy Jr. read Ordinance No. 1848 (Future Land Use Map amendment) and Ordinance No. 1849 (Zoning Map amendment) by title. Both ordinances passed first reading unanimously. Community Development staff cautioned that because these are large-scale map amendments the items will be submitted to the state for expedited review and may not return for final local adoption until May.
There was no public comment during the hearing. The ordinances, if finally adopted, would make the parcels consistent with surrounding uses and enable the proposed expansion of SunTrax. The Commission will consider second and final readings in a future meeting after state review.
