ORLANDO, Fla. — Homeowners say changes to development plans in Horizon West are leading to overcrowding with a sea of new apartments. Some residents say these changes were approved despite opposition from residents.

“We’re showing up, our voices are not being heard. They are still moving forward with their plan to lessen the amount of retail and commerce,” said Pam Walker-Natale. “They’re putting in and continuing to build those apartments.”

Orange County leaders say the Hamlin and Hamlin West planned developments located in the Horizon West Town Center have both gone through “minor modifications to land use.” 

Both were originally approved to include a mix of residential and non-residential uses, but through amendments, private requests to construct more housing and less retail — or vice-versa — were granted by the county.

For Hamlin West, hundreds of units have been added.

The county says the demand for residential in Horizon West is higher than retail, so it has seen a “slight uptick” in those conversions.

County leaders say over the years, the board approved some changes to the village master plans, but wholesale land use changes have been “few and far between.”

Boyd Developers, in charge of both projects including Hamlin West, told Spectrum News 13 they put a request in for additional residential units based on market demands.

A couple started a petition a few months ago, opposing one of the rezoning requests from developers that the county went ahead and approved. But neighbors are not giving up.

Laurel and Pam Walker-Natale have been married for almost 15 years. Their move to Horizon West was an intentional decision. They wanted a home built from the ground up and a home close to Disney World.

They moved to Horizon West in November of 2022, but lived in Philadelphia when COVID hit.

“The city instantly shut down and we said: ‘Okay, if both of us work from home, where do we want to live,” said Laurel Walker-Natale.

They wanted a sunny place with plenty of future retail and commercial space.

“I saw online that it was a community where the motto they were going with is: a place you’ll never have to leave if you don’t want to and it was supposed to be retail, and shopping and walking and bike trails,” said Laurel Walker-Natale.

The problem as they see it is a fear of developers planning to build more housing, giving way to less retail space.

Orange County leaders say the uptick in rezonings is only a result of the demand for development in Horizon West.

“Development in Horizon West is more active than anywhere else and unincorporated Orange County,” said Olan Hill, assistant manager of Orange County Planning Division.

The couple says although they understand the need and demand for housing in Horizon West, they’re frustrated because they don’t want it to become a bedroom community. The couple created a petition to oppose the Hamlin West land use plan amendment.

“I wanted to collect the voices of people who couldn’t be there,” said Laurel Walker-Natale.

The overall Hamlin West project was initially approved for 551,722 square feet of retail uses. Their recently approved amendment converted 67,810 square feet of that retail into more than 400 additional residential units. 

The couple says focusing on additional housing could cause more traffic, overcrowding schools and decrease home values.

“With more potentially transient people with more apartments that’s definitely going to bring potentially more crime, more theft,” said Pam Walker-Natale.

The county says in both of those cases, commercial and residential were always intended to be developed and approved based on Horizon West’s original land use map.

“Every property in Horizon West, which was historically zoned for agricultural uses, has to go through that rezoning process,” said Hill. “And yes, there's quite a few applications that were in the mill, but most of those rezonings are consistent with that master plan.”

County leaders say sometimes that's a surprise to residents.

“Oftentimes residents move into single-family neighborhoods without knowing that just down the street, or adjacent to their single-family neighborhood is a planned commercial property or planned multifamily project,” said Hill.

The couple says their concerns are still valid.

“We’re not alone in this,” said Pam Walker-Natale.

The county says each village in Horizon West was programmed so that the proposed neighborhood elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools will not be overcrowded. Hill said Orange County Public Schools stand ready to construct the remaining undeveloped Horizon West schools as the school-aged population increases.  

The county says Horizon West residents and potential home buyers are encouraged to contact the planning division or visit their website to access each of the Horizon West master plans.  

The county says it’s also advised home builders and area real estate agents to be more forthright with customers about the Horizon West master plan in order to avoid resident surprises later on.