Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

SE-99-11-008 — Joseph A. Shirer

Request: Special Exception in A-1 zone to operate wood chipping machinery for commercial purposes. (Note: Wood chipper to be housed in a barn and permitted for personal use only.)

Decision: Approved

Hearing: A woodchipper/shaving mill is permitted in this zoning district (A-1) for personal use only. A Special Exception is required if the wood chips/shavings are sold commercially. The applicant wants the ability to sell chips commercially. Staff gave a brief presentation on the request and the permitted uses per the zoning code. Due to the size of the land (20 acres), the fact that the chipper would be indoors, access would be from Apopka-Vineland Road, the chipper would not operate at night and no signage is allowed, Staff felt the request would not present any practical difficulty to the surrounding land owners. A spokesperson for the Sawmill Subdivision and an elected official from the City of Ocoee spoke in opposition. Their concerns were related to noise and the precedent this would set if approved. They felt the commercial aspect of this request would put pressure in this area for future commercial uses. In an attempt to compromise and address the concerns, the BZA amended the conditions. The amendments addressed noise, traffic and operating hours. Staff received numerous commentaries from the Sawmill residents opposed to this request. These residents reside beyond 300 feet from the subject property. Staff received five (5) commentaries in favor. All five (5) were located within the 300 foot notification zone.