SCANNING Sarasota PLANNING

Jimmy Hester, an east Orange County resident who helped lead the resistance to the proposed development, spray paints a victory message Wednesday as his son, Noble, 4, looks on. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel  Rural residents triumph over mega-development                        Orlando Sentinel 1.25.24         County commission’s 4-3 vote torpedoes the latest plan for Sustanee By Stephen Hudak Orlando Sentinel Residents in rural east Orange County celebrated Wednesday the dramatic early morning defeat of the latest mega-development proposing to build hundreds of homes on a former cattle ranch in the environmentally sensitive Econ River basin. Many, wearing their red “Stop Urban Sprawl” T-shirts from previous fights, endured a marathon Orange County commission meeting Tuesday to cheer the 4-3 vote against requesting a land-use change from state authorities. But some were convinced they haven...

Sound advice from folks fighting developers in Orange County Florida --  Craig Pittman in the Florida Phoenix : Use the talents of your neighbors. Bonilla had expertise in marketing, for instance, while other Save Orange County board members were versed in biology and other fields that became important to opposing any zoning changes. Attack from every angle. Save Orange County used everything from social media to Change.com petitions to door-to-door campaigns to spread the word about their crusade to stay rural. Don’t expect the paid government staff to take your side. They have likely been holding closed-door meetings with the developer and his or her consultants — who are probably former government employees. Weigh down your opponent. Even on that one project where they lost, they persuaded county officials to impose a host of conditions that has slowed construction. Point out how the development will damage existing homeowners. For instance, filling in wetlands is likely to se...