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Orange County lawmakers support Sunbridge District changes

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Republican Rep. Erika Booth is planning to file a local bill backed by the Orange County legislative delegation to update a 2017 state law governing the Sunbridge Stewardship District.

The Sunbridge master-planned community from Tavistock Development currently is planned for Osceola County and what’s now the city of Orlando, after the city annexed 6,300 acres last year.

“Essentially, the bill would expand the legal description of the District to include the areas that are approved for development in Orange County, now the city of Orlando,” Richard Levy, the District’s Chair, told Orange County lawmakers at a Jan. 9 meeting.

“It does not make any changes to those approvals, any of the entitlements. They all stay the same. Nothing would change. It merely is creating a governance structure for that particular area. It expands the role of wildlife protection, conservation lands protection and other habitat protection for … the District.”

Levy added that the bill “has absolutely no bearing on annexation, one way or the other” after Orange County voters supported giving government officials more control over annexations.

Levy joined representatives of Orange County Utilities and the city of Orlando Friday. No one voiced opposition to the bill and lawmakers unanimously supported it. Lawmakers had discussed the bill earlier this month, but postponed their vote until Friday to give stakeholders more time to analyze the legal nuances.

Some of the proposed changes in the upcoming local bill make it clear that Orange County still has the authority to set water rates and collect revenue for the District’s land in the county. Orange County must also continue to provide water, wastewater and reclaimed water services within its land in the District. 

The development involves 7,370 residential units, 5.4 million square feet of office space, 2.9 million square feet of industrial uses and 880,000 square feet of retail, the Orlando Sentinel reported in 2024

Annexations continue to be a controversial topic in Central Florida.

Orange County voters supported charter amendments in November to limit development on rural lands and give county officials more power to govern annexations, as some residents are worried about Central Florida’s sprawling growth.

Orange County Commissioner Kelly Semrad voiced concerns that the Sunbridge Stewardship District could “undermine” Orange County voters who supported charter amendments.

“Special interests are attempting to preempt local voter mandated county constitutional amendments, and I urge you to protect the integrity of our local democracy by ensuring that the overwhelmingly supported voter mandated county constitutional amendments remained intact,” Semrad wrote in a letter that was read Jan. 9.

But Levy warned that the Sunbridge local bill isn’t tied to annexation and compared the district to a “super HOA.”

“The expansion of this District has no bearing whatsoever on any future annexations,” Levy said Jan. 9. “The charter amendment, in our minds and the District’s minds, settled the issue of future annexations. Will it happen someday? I don’t know. Obviously now, with the charter amendment, it’s going to be up to the Orange County Commission to decide whether the future voluntary annexations occur in unincorporated Orange County. But this bill has absolutely nothing to do with annexation.”

Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani asked Levy if the voters hadn’t approved the charter amendments last year, would the District still be pushing for the same changes in the local bill?

“I personally believe as Chair of the District, it would be identical, it wouldn’t change,” Levy answered.


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Disney World’s government settles ride evacuation injury lawsuit for $50K

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Walt Disney World’s government has settled a lawsuit after a boy was injured during a ride evacuation in 2021 at the Magic Kingdom, records show.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District agreed to pay the boy’s grandfather, Richard McNamara, $50,000 and did not admit any liability for the incident, according to the terms of settlement. Both sides agreed to pay their own legal expenses.

CFTOD, formerly known as Reedy Creek Improvement District, released the settlement this week following a Florida Politics records request made late last year.

The boy, originally from Alabama, had gone through a lot in his 12 years before he came to Orlando on vacation in March 2021.

His teenager brother shot and killed their father before shooting the boy, paralyzing him from the waist down, according to media reports.

An organization that helps children in need provided the boy with a trip to Disney World.

It was on that vacation when the boy rode the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a popular roller coaster based on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” when the coaster broke down.

“When the first responders attempted to lift (the boy) to remove him from the ride, they over-extended his leg, snapping his right femur at the knee,” the lawsuit said.

The family sued in 2022 for a claim of more than $100,000.

The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed last year after the two sides reached a settlement.

McNamara’s attorney, the boy’s attorney and CFTOD either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

At the time, Disney did not disclose the boy’s injury on the state theme park injury report released every quarter by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Theme parks face little regulation when it comes to disclosing juries to the public. Theme parks are only required to disclose injuries if people are hurt on a ride and require at least 24-hours of hospitalization.


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Scott Franklin to head House Environment Subcommittee

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Another Florida lawmaker will have a gavel for one of the U.S. House science subcommittees

U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, will chair the House Environment Subcommittee.

House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chair Brian Babin, a Texas Republican, picked the Florida lawmaker for his expertise in the fields and the role the subcommittee would play on policy affecting the Sunshine State.

“I’m excited about our SST Committee assignments for this Congress,” Babin said. “The valuable expertise and diverse backgrounds that each member brings will be instrumental in strengthening U.S. leadership and competitiveness in science, space, and technology. We have a full agenda ahead that will prioritize advancing critical scientific research, fostering technological innovation, leading the world in space exploration, addressing regulatory burdens across industries, and more. Through our shared efforts, I am confident we can achieve our objectives and drive meaningful progress in our scientific endeavors. Let’s get to work!”

Franklin said he was enthusiastic about the assignment.

“I’m eager to tackle environmental research related to weather forecasting and ensuring disaster readiness,” Franklin said. “I thank Chairman Babin for this opportunity and look forward to advancing America First policy priorities to remain at the forefront of innovation and boost job growth.”

Babin praised Franklin’s conservative record on business issues.

“I’m confident Congressman Franklin will provide strong leadership for our Environment Subcommittee this Congress,” Babin said. “He has been a steadfast advocate against burdensome government regulations that stifle innovation and fail to address states’ needs. His perspective will be critical as we consider key weather legislation in the months ahead. I look forward to working with him to advance commonsense environmental policies and legislation.”

The same day, Babin assigned Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbor Beach Republican, to head the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommitee.

“Since the earliest days of our space program, Florida’s Space Coast has been the launchpad for America’s journey to the stars,” Haridopolos said. “From the Apollo missions that first carried Americans to the Moon to today’s groundbreaking private sector launches, our skies have always been at the forefront of space exploration. Space is central to our district’s identity and economy, providing countless high-paying jobs and opportunities.”

He praised Haridopolos’ knowledge of the Space Program.

“Over the past several years, the SST Committee has diligently worked to support and advance our nation’s space endeavors,” Babin said. “As the representative of Florida’s Space Coast, the Congressman brings valuable expertise and leadership that will undoubtedly enhance our efforts to keep America at the forefront of exploration and development. I am excited to work alongside him to propel our space agenda forward.”


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Disney plans to convert Star Wars hotel into Imagineers’ offices

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It’s going to be an office far, far, away.

Disney World is converting the shuttered Star Wars hotel into office space for the famous Imagineers who will be designing new lands and projects at the theme parks.

The hotel’s update was reported by The Wrap and confirmed by other media outlets.

Disney closed the hotel September 2023 less than two years after it opened. The company had said it took a $300 million tax write off for shutting down the hotel after it reportedly had low occupancy.

At the hotel near Hollywood Studios, guests who were willing to pay nearly $5,000 for a two-night stay could pretend to be in their own Star Wars story at the hotel. Lightsabers included.

“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms,” Disney said in a statement when it announced it was closing.

Why did it fail?

YouTuber Jenny Nicholson explained the list of reasons in a four-hour video called “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” which captured 11 million views. The cost, the marketing, and not fully embracing the cosplay concept all likely hurt the hotel, she said.

The Wrap reported Disney had been considering using the empty hotel for a dinner theater-type experience but Disney ultimately settled on keeping the space closed to the public.

The Imagineers’ new office space comes as Disney World is starting a major expansion across several of its Orlando theme parks. Disney plans to build a Villains land and add “Cars” attractions at the Magic Kingdom as well as “Encanto” and Indiana Jones to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and “A Monsters, Inc.” land at Hollywood Studios. Disney is closing several longtime attractions in the process.


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