Orlando delays vote to annex 52,000-acre Deseret Ranch land

The city of Orlando is delaying a decision on whether to annex a piece of east Orange County property until just before the November election, when county voters could approve two charter amendments that will make annexation harder.

During the city council meeting Monday, Mayor Buddy Dyer said city staff had asked for more time to work on the annexation agreement before moving forward.

The Mormon Church owns the 52,000 acres in east Orange County and is asking for the annexation. The property runs between Lake Nona and the Brevard County line. Part of the land is in the Deseret Ranch property, and a proposed subdivision called Sunbridge is also part of the property.

The church wants the land annexed because there are stricter rules for developers in Orange County than under the city of Orlando.

Those rules may even get stricter if voters approve two Orange County Charter Amendments on Nov. 5 . One would establish a rural boundary in east Orange County, and another would make it harder for the city to annex land from unincorporated areas of the county.

Activists in September urged the city not to annex the property , saying that city taxpayers would end up paying for the infrastructure needed for any developments built out there. They are also concerned annexing the undeveloped land would lead to development that would damage conservation areas and the environment.

The discussion was moved to the city council meeting on Nov. 4. That’s one day before Election Day.

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