Avalon Road Agricultural Enclave Hearing: What to Know Before Nov. 10

Quick Answer

Orange County commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on November 10, 2026, on whether to certify the property at 5477 Avalon Road as an Agricultural Enclave under Florida Senate Bill 686. Certification would not approve a subdivision or authorize construction, but state law would treat the proposed residential use as allowed even if it differs from current zoning.

The Avalon Road enclave hearing at a glance

• Hearing: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the 2 p.m. session of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (check the final agenda).
• Property: 5477 Avalon Road, about 40 acres, within the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement in District 1.
• Question before the Board: whether the property qualifies as an Agricultural Enclave under Florida Senate Bill 686.
• Not decided by certification: a subdivision, lot sizes, home prices, a builder or a construction start date.
• The number 39: it comes from an earlier, separate proposal presented at a July 30, 2026 community meeting.
• Deadline rule: if the Board does not decide within 90 days of receiving the application, Florida law requires certification.

What is happening, and when?

Orange County's long range agenda lists the Avalon Road Agricultural Enclave Certification for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in the 2 p.m. session, with Toll Brothers listed as the applicant in District 1. Check the final agenda before the meeting for the exact item order and meeting details, because long range agendas can change.

The property is at 5477 Avalon Road, generally north of McKinney Road and east of Alps Street, within the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement. Earlier community meeting materials describe the parcel as about 40 acres, and the Lake Avalon residents association describes the same parcel as the Gerlero property.

This is a county hearing on a state law question, not a neighborhood vote on a finished subdivision. That distinction matters for anyone planning to comment, because the county says the hearing is limited to whether the property qualifies for Agricultural Enclave certification under Florida law.

What is an Agricultural Enclave under Senate Bill 686?

An Agricultural Enclave is a special designation in Florida law for certain undeveloped agricultural land that meets specific requirements related to its location, ownership, agricultural use, surrounding development, availability of public services, and acreage. Senate Bill 686, which took effect July 1, 2026, created a new public hearing process for certification.

Under that process, the county must prepare a written report on whether the application meets the statutory criteria, hold a public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners, and approve or deny the certification within the timeframes set by state law. If the Board does not approve or deny the application within 90 days after receiving it, Florida law requires the parcels to be certified as an Agricultural Enclave. Orange County did not initiate this request. A property owner applied, and the county is required to process it under the statutory procedure.

Why does the number 39 keep coming up?

The number 39 comes from an earlier, separate proposal for the same parcel. At a community meeting on July 30, 2026, at Hamlin Middle School, the proposal was described as a change to the Future Land Use from RS 1/5, meaning one home per five acres, to RS 1/1, meaning one home per one acre, plus a zoning change from A-1, the Citrus Rural District, to PD, Planned Development. Those changes could allow development of 39 single family homes on the property.

That earlier proposal is not the decision scheduled for November 10. The county's Engage Orange page for the enclave hearing states plainly that there is no development program at this time for the enclave application. If the property is certified, the owner may later submit plans for single family residential development at a density equivalent to one or more adjacent properties or an adjacent development, as provided by Florida law.

Do not read the November 10 hearing as a vote to approve 39 homes, and do not read it as a vote that settles lot sizes, home prices, a builder, or a construction start date. None of those details are decided by certification alone. Detailed development plans, engineering reviews, and applicable permits would still be required before development could occur.

The residents association, summarizing the earlier site plans, says the typical lot shown was about 0.41 acres. That figure comes from the association's summary, not from the county's enclave page.

What would certification change, and what would it not change?

Certification would not approve a specific subdivision, site plan, or construction project. The county says that directly, and it is worth repeating because the stakes are often described as if a subdivision were already approved.

What certification would change is the legal starting point for a later residential application. The county states that state law would require the proposed residential use to be treated as allowed even if it differs from the property's current Future Land Use designation or zoning. That does not remove later reviews and permits, but it does change whether a later residential plan must first win a Future Land Use amendment and a rezoning.

If denied, the Board must issue written findings, and the applicant may seek court review within 30 days. The 2026 agricultural enclave provisions expire January 1, 2028, at which point the text reverts to the version in effect on June 30, 2026.

Why are Lake Avalon residents watching this closely?

The Lake Avalon Rural Settlement was established by ordinance in 2004, after a community effort that began in the mid 1990s, according to the Lake Avalon residents association. The association describes the Rural Settlement ordinances as Orange County's commitment to a rural lifestyle, lower intensity housing, and protection of rural lands, including water recharge, heat burden offset, air purification, and wildlife habitat functions.

Residents who oppose the change argue that approval would set a precedent, not only for Lake Avalon but for other Orange County Rural Settlements. That is the association's argument, stated here as its position, not as a county finding.

The association also draws a line between this parcel and Avalon Ridge, a subdivision inside the settlement with 46 parcels on 70 acres. In the association's account, Avalon Ridge was grandfathered in as part of an agreement reached before the Rural Settlement Ordinance was adopted, while the Gerlero property carried RS 1/5 Future Land Use and A-1 zoning when the ordinance was adopted in 2004 and was not grandfathered for higher density. Whether that history is legally relevant to the enclave criteria is a question for the hearing record, not for a blog post to decide.

For buyers, the broader lesson is simpler. In and around Horizon West, a parcel's current zoning label is not the whole story. State law, rural settlement rules, and adjacent development can all affect what a later application looks like, so check the county record for a specific parcel rather than assume a rural address will stay rural in the same way forever.

Has the Board decided a case like this before?

The Board voted to deny the Lake Pickett North application on October 27, 2026, according to the county's Engage Orange update. That was a different parcel in District 5, so it does not predict the Avalon Road outcome, but it shows denial is a real outcome under this law.

How can residents weigh in?

The county's Engage Orange page says residents and other interested persons may attend the hearing and provide comments in accordance with the Board's public comment procedures. Because this hearing is limited to whether the property qualifies under Florida law, comments that speak to the statutory criteria, location, ownership, agricultural use, surrounding development, public services, and acreage, are likely to be more useful to the record than general statements for or against growth.

For questions or comments, the county's Engage Orange page lists Jason Sorensen at jason.sorensen@ocfl.net. Check the final BCC agenda for speaker sign up details and the exact item order before November 10, and check the Engage Orange page for any update to the hearing listing.

What should buyers take from this?

If you are buying near Avalon Road, McKinney Road, or the Lake Avalon area, ask about land use in the same way you would ask about schools, roads, and flood risk. A home purchase is a long term decision, and a parcel next door can change through a process that has little in common with an ordinary rezoning.

Start with the Winter Garden area guide for the surrounding area, check zoning for each exact address rather than by neighborhood name, using the approach on the schools page, and walk through the steps in order in the buyers guide. For contract questions, the As Is Contract guide and the inspection period guide explain the parts of a Florida purchase where land use questions should be raised early, before deadlines run.

Message me if you want help checking a specific address against the county record before you make an offer.

Frequently asked questions

Is the November 10 hearing a vote on 39 homes?
No. The 39 home figure comes from an earlier proposal to change the Future Land Use and zoning for the parcel. The November 10 hearing is on Agricultural Enclave certification, and the county states there is no development program at this time for the enclave application.

Would certification mean construction can start right away?
No. Certification alone would not approve a specific subdivision or authorize immediate construction. Detailed development plans, engineering reviews, and applicable permits would still be required.

What happens if the Board does not decide in time?
Under Florida law, if the Board does not approve or deny the application within 90 days after receiving it, the parcels must be certified as an Agricultural Enclave.

What happens if the Board denies certification?
The governing body must issue a written decision with detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law, and the applicant may seek review by filing a petition for writ of certiorari in circuit court within 30 days after the decision is rendered.

Where can I read the county's own page on this case?
On Orange County's Engage Orange platform, under the Avalon Road Agricultural Enclave Public Hearing page, which also lists the county contact for comments and questions.

Sources: Orange County Engage Orange hearing page and long range Board of County Commissioners agenda, Florida Senate Bill 686 (2026), and the Lake Avalon residents association, whose views are labeled as its own. Location map: Orange County. Compiled November 3, 2026. Confirm the final agenda before the hearing.

Mike Vein | Orlando | REALTOR
eXp Realty
(407) 612-2722
Realty@MikeVein.com

Mike Vein, REALTOR® | eXp Realty | Florida license SL3610199