On Tuesday, September 24th, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to acquire some pristine natural lands for conservation use. This 30.27-acre land (commonly known as the Harrod Property) can be found between McCulloch, Rouse and Rocking Horse Roads. The property is split by the Little Econlockhatchee River and borders the Orange-Seminole County line. Commissioner Emily Bonilla says she is very proud of this initiative. She’s been working on this project since 2017, and finally, in 2019 after negotiations with property owner Robert Wayne Harrod, Mr. Harrod, and Commissioner Bonilla, they agreed on a $5 million deal for the land.
Commissioner Bonilla then presented to the board during the BCC Meeting back on February 26th, 2019. This proposal included plans to redevelop the Harrod Property into a public passive park. The county agreed and approved $2.5 million dollars of local funding to go towards the purchase of the property if a match was able to be obtained by the state.
She then worked with Mr. Harrod to secure state funding. The State of Florida’s Department of Economic Protection agreed to pay $2.5 million and set aside an additional half a million dollars for creating the park.
Ideas for this new park include, but are not limited to: walking trails, pavilions, and a canoe/kayak launch. Visitors will also be able to experience parts of the Little Econlockhatchee they’ve never been able to see before, including remnants of an 18th-century bridge, and the first-ever paved road in Orange County. This will also be the first passive park in this area of the county. The closest parks in the area are only active parks. It will continue to be her top priority to keep this relatively untouched area of the county as preserved land that can stay healthy and prosperous for generations.
Our next task will be to move forward to finalize designs for how to make this dream a reality. Below, please find some pictures of the approved land and early ideas for this public park. We also plan on having future community meetings, which will be used as a tool to gauge what other options the public would like to see at this park.
After completed, it will be all our jobs to enjoy, protect and preserve this beautiful piece of property.
