Potential apartment complex sparks outrage: 'We don't need it'

NORTH PORT — A new 42-unit apartment complex may come to North Port, in a residential neighborhood off North Sumter Boulevard, if approved.

A screenshot of the “Sunexus Luxury Apartments” proposed construction was posted on social media Sunday. The post received more than 100 comments, many of which were aggravated at its potential creation.

The five-story complex would be in the middle of a neighborhood packed with single-family homes.

City officials told The Daily Sun the project is not yet confirmed.

The property would not go through a rezoning process because it was zoned for multifamily at least 14 years ago, North Port Development Director Alaina Ray said.

That means it’s suitable for a multi-family project, such as an apartment complex.

Paula Wirick has lived near the potential site for 20 years — and hopes it doesn’t come to fruition.

“I may be dead by that time,” she said. “But we just don’t need it.”

Wirick lives at the Adina Circle address that’s listed as the development site on the Sunexus Group website. The Miami-based firm website shows an artist’s rendering of a five-story luxury complex.

But the parcel is on a large vacant parcel that about 100 yards behind her home.

Upon hearing that Sunexus listed her address as the site on its webpage, Wirick said she joked around with neighbors about the new building being in her backyard — or even on top of her home.

She said she doesn’t want to move and wishes to die in her current residence.

Envisioning a five-story building coming to her street, Wirick does not know how the current streets could ever handle such an influx of people.

All of the new single-family homes being built — including two in process directly across from her — have already made her street busier, she said.

But nothing is certain as of yet.

The project is still in the early stages of development.

“The Development Master Plan will go to the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board for a recommendation, and then to the City Commission for approval to affirm that the proposed development complies with the Zoning District regulations and satisfies the requirements of the Unified Land Development Code,” city staff said in an email to The Daily Sun.

No dates involving it have been decided upon as of yet.