Orlando Development News

Church Rezoning Denied for 1600 Aaron Avenue Amidst Resident Opposition

The City Council heard a legislative appeal and a quasi-judicial appeal regarding a proposed rezoning and future land use change for the property at 1600 Aaron Avenue. The property, currently zoned Public Recreational Institutional (PRI) and designated Public on the future land use map, is privately owned. The proposal sought to change the future land use to Residential Low and rezone the property via a Planned Development (PD) for a church with a maximum of 200 congregants, utilizing existing buildings (Phase 1). Residents expressed strong opposition due to concerns about traffic, emergency access on a two-lane residential street, potential future expansion beyond 200 congregants, and the precedent it sets. The hearing officer recommended denying the PD rezoning for the church. The council first voted to deny the legislative appeal and approve the future land use change to Residential Low, aligning it with surrounding neighborhoods. Subsequently, the council voted 4-2 to approve the hearing officer's recommendation to deny the PD rezoning for the church, effectively limiting the site's use to public purposes under its current zoning or a future Residential Low designation without the church use.