Major development planned near Shingle Creek raises concern for some nearby residents

ORLANDO, Fla. - A proposed development project in Orange County is raising concerns for some residents who live in the area.

The Tuscana Land Use Plan will be discussed in a meeting on Monday with Orange County Commissioners, county staff, developers, and residents.

The applicants Kimley Hom & Associates Inc. would like to build 2,790 hotel rooms and 5,300 multifamily units. It would be built north of State Road 417, South of Central Florida Parkway, and East of International Drive. It would be located near Shingle Creek which is what has some residents and state lawmakers concerned.

"Shingle Creek is one of the few places they can pump excess emergency water to help mitigate flooding issues. When I saw this development I was concerned for residents' safety," said Community Organizer Lee Perry. "We need to make sure that we are putting houses in resilient areas where we will be able to see families live and thrive for generations to come. Putting it in flood-prone areas is not the answer," she continued.

Shingle Creek is a small waterway that’s generally considered to be the northernmost headwaters of the Everglades watershed. Because of this, many are concerned about what this development would mean for the environment.

Several Democratic lawmakers have shared their concerns about the proposed development. Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, wrote a letter to Orange County staff asking them to "reconsider the environmental and community implications of this proposed development."

The meeting was expected to be held on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Sunshine Elementary School, where the proposal was to be discussed by developers and county leaders.

FOX 35 News reached out to the applicants of this proposal but didn’t hear back.