Frequently Answered Questions about the Osceola Parkway Extension

What is the Osceola Parkway Extension?

The 9-mile limited access toll road would connect State Road 417 near Boggy Creek in Orange County to Cyrils Drive in Osceola County.

Why is it important to Central Florida?

There is increasing demand for additional east-west routes to support the current needs of residents and businesses in Central Florida while preparing for planned growth in approved developments in southeast Orange and northeast Osceola counties.

The Osceola Parkway Extension would provide one solution to enhance mobility for the area’s fast- growing population and economy, improve connectivity to Orlando International Airport and relieve congestion on local roads.

How long has the Osceola Parkway Extension been in the planning process?

The Osceola Parkway Extension has been contemplated during various regional planning efforts since before it was added to Osceola County’s Comprehensive Plan in 2005. Since then, the project has undergone several studies including the original Project Development & Environment study completed by the Osceola County Expressway Authority in 2017.

When did CFX begin its re-evaluation of the need to build the Osceola Parkway Extension?

When the Florida State Legislature created the Central Florida Expressway Authority it was required to incorporate unbuilt expressway projects located within Osceola County into the CFX 2040 Master Plan. In 2017, CFX began studying these projects to determine if they benefited the region and were possible to build.

The Osceola Parkway Extension met this threshold, so in 2018, CFX moved forward with a Project Development & Environment Re-evaluation study to refine the preferred alternative location for the road that was previously approved by the Osceola County Expressway Authority.

The current preferred alternative was approved by the CFX Governing Board in December 2019.

Since CFX is building the road, wouldn’t they own the land beneath it?

It should be noted that typically, CFX does purchase and own the land needed for a road. The Osceola Parkway Extension is unique because there is no viable alternative has been identified to build the road without touching conservation land.

The use of an easement allows for ownership of Split Oak Forest to remain with Orange and Osceola counties in perpetuity – just as intended when the land was set aside for conservation in 1994.

What is an easement?

Easements allow a property owner to give permission to someone else or another entity to use a portion of their property for a specific purpose. Easement agreements are common and help keep the peace between neighbors in communities.

What is the difference between an easement and a land swap?

In the case of the Osceola Parkway Extension, an easement would grant permission for CFX to use a portion of Split Oak Forest without taking ownership of the land away from Orange or Osceola counties. CFX will not own any land in Split Oak Forest. A land swap request is quite different in that it would be a request for the counties to give up ownership of land in Split Oak Forest in exchange for property elsewhere. This does not apply to the Osceola Parkway Extension since the counites, not CFX, would maintain their ownership of all land in Split Oak Forest.

What is the process to obtain an easement through Split Oak Forest to construct the Osceola Parkway Extension?

Orange and Osceola counties, as owners of Split Oak Forest, must apply to Florida Communities Trust for the easement.

What is Florida Communities Trust and why do they have a say in this project?

Florida Communities Trust is a division of the State of Florida and provides funding to local governments seeking to purchase land for conservation, parks and greenways.

The funding needed for Orange and Osceola counties to purchase what is now known as Split Oak Forest came from this program. Since State funding was used to create Split Oak Forest, any easements through the property, like the proposed Osceola Parkway Extension, must be approved by the State of Florida through Florida Communities Trust.

Have members of the public had an opportunity for input on the location of the Osceola Parkway Extension?

Yes. Since 2017, nearly 2,000 members of the public attended meetings related to the Osceola Parkway Extension submitting almost 1,000 comments into the record. At the December 2019 Public Workshop, 61 percent of the comments received supported the preferred alternative.

Is the Osceola Parkway Extension PD&E Re-evaluation complete?

After numerous stakeholder and public meetings, the study team presented the recommended preferred alternative to the CFX board for their approval at their December 2019 meeting. This concluded the PD&E Study Re-evaluation. A written report is being finalized and will be posted to the study webpage once complete.

What is a Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study Re-evaluation?

A Project Development & Environment Study Re-evaluation is necessary when there may be potential changes to the design of the project. This allows for additional public involvement on the proposed design changes.

Since, design changes to the Osceola Parkway Extension PD&E were made to minimize impacts to conservation land and neighboring residences, CFX took the appropriate action to perform a PD&E Study Re-evaluation on the project.