Friends of Split Oak Forest (FOSOF) is disappointed in the decision Tuesday by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (Orange County BCC) to accept 968 acres of the swap land that is within Orange County. Yesterday’s decision was not an explicit endorsement of the Osceola Parkway Extension (OPE) through Split Oak. However, it allows the process of approvals to continue with less involvement from Orange County, a likely major goal of Tavistock and the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) due to the complications that the Split Oak Charter Amendment presents to those that want to see the OPE built in Split Oak Forest.

As of 2020, the Orange County Charter, due to the implementation of the Split Oak Charter Amendment, prevents the Orange County BCC from taking any official board action that would reduce the protections for Split Oak Forest. However, until February of 2023 the Orange County BCC did not direct staff to oppose the OPE project at agency meetings and in general operations. Having no county or agency opposition to the OPE project is in Tavistock and CFX's best interest.

Nominally, the 2024-04-09 decision by the Orange County BCC was to accept title to the 968 acres of land offered by a subsidiary of the Mormon Church but without conditions that the Orange County BCC support the road through Split Oak in exchange for this land. We have no substantial reason to believe that this ‘unconditional’ donation is actually ‘no strings attached’. You may recall that Osceola County threatened that they would take title to the 968 acres of swap land in Orange County if Orange County didn't participate in the process of dismantling Split Oak's protections (2023-12-15 Orange County memo, p2).

At every public meeting FOSOF has attended, including several presentations by CFX staff to the Orange County BCC, the swap land (1,550 acres total, 968 in Orange, 582 in Osceola) has been used as a bargaining chip by CFX/Tavistock as a condition for getting the commissioners to agree to the road through Split Oak. Given the obstacle to Orange County’s explicit approval created by the Split Oak Charter Amendment, it stretches credibility to suggest that this sudden change, with the conditions evaporating and a land swap becoming a simple donation, is without ulterior motive on the part of CFX/Tavistock.

If you would like to express your concerns about this action to the Orange County BCC, the emails for the Commissioners are below:

Nicole.Wilson@ocfl.net
Christine.Moore@ocfl.net
Mayra.Uribe@ocfl.net
Maribel.GomezCordero@ocfl.net
Emily.Bonilla@ocfl.net
Michael.scott@ocfl.net
Mayor@ocfl.net