Plans for a new Seminole County subdivision are moving forward after county leaders approved a controversial rezoning that residents have been fighting for months.

The 40-acre property off Sipes Avenue is located just outside Sanford, just north of Lake Jessup.  People living along Sipes Avenue, many whose homes sit on several acres of land, say they moved to the area to enjoy the tranquil and natural beauty of the area.

“I do not want to see more of God’s green Earth developed. How many subdivisions do we need?” said Diane Sorel, who participated in the public hearing at Tuesday’s Seminole County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

The developer of the proposed subdivision, to be called Brenthurst, is asking for the property to be rezoned from suburban estates to low density residential. Plans call for building 116 lots in the space, which is now owned by Palmetto Avenue Baptist Church.

But people already living in the area, like Sorel, fear the new development will cause the property values of their existing homes to drop.

“These are our homes, this is our life. And to just want to take it, and build something for money,” said Sorel as she spoke publicly to county commissioners.

But the developer tried to combat the residents’ arguments, trying to convince county leaders that the new homes will actually raise existing home property values. The homes will be priced roughly between $300,000 and $400,000 each. The developer and land owner also reminded county commissioners of infrastructure improvements they’ve made to the area’s main access road, East Lake Mary Boulevard.

“So if we don’t have a trend in this area for intense development, I don’t know of an area where there is one,” said Randy Morris, a developer with IBI Group.

County commissioners expressed concerns about whether existing infrastructure in the area, including the 2-lane Sipes Avenue, could support water runoff from the new homes.  But after promising to help the county with infrastructure improvements that will be needed, the board of county commissioners passed the rezoning with a vote of four to one. Commissioner Lee Constantine was the only commissioner who voted against the rezoning approval.

The developer also has promised to help widen Sipes Avenue, build a brick wall up along the new neighborhood, and include a park in the new subdivision.