By Emmy Bailey
Herald Correspondent
Central Florida Expressway (CFX) has narrowed down to two potential paths for the future two-mile connector between State Road 417 and the Orlando Sanford International Airport.
The new road is intended to relieve congestion around the airport and East Lake Mary Boulevard as the region continues to grow. At a public workshop on Wednesday, April 2, CFX invited community members to provide feedback on the project. The agency hopes to present one final assignment at a public hearing scheduled for July.
The project has been in development since 2021 with five potential paths. One of those routes would have minimized the impact on residents by running on top of Lake Mary Boulevard but because of its cost, it was decided not worth it. Now attention is focused on the two remaining routes.
One of the routes runs right through Flying Fox Fruits a small mail-order nursery, offering a large selection of rare tropical fruit, trees, seeds, and scions.
Owner Adam Shafran started the business in 2014 and he moved around Central Florida until he ended up at this farm because it was the best area for it.
“I got lucky in finding this place that it’s a bit unique in the drainage and the trees I have some that have been planted for more than 10 years and they’ve got a footing here when they’re in the ground and I don't know if I can disrupt them without killing them,” Shafran said.
Sharfran describes his farm as more than just a nursery - it is his vision brought to life. He worked to achieve something different and special than you typically see.
“The overall aesthetic of what I’ve bought here is more like my artwork that I’ve created my world to draw people in. Everything was placed where I wanted it where I needed and the slightest disruption at all would break apart. They want to establish what I am worth and to me, I think I am worth a lot but the appraisers may not agree with me on what I think. I have this potential and I know for a fact that other people are clamoring to be in the position that I am in,” Shafran said.
Advocates believe it’ll alleviate traffic and benefit the business owners. It is meant to alleviate the growth, as CFX predicts an 87% population growth by 2050.
“It's something that the communities have been looking at for a few years now and as our county continues to grow, not just with new residences, but new businesses and new infrastructure, and our airport continues to grow the need for enhanced connectivity is an important issue to look at,” Rebekah Arthur, CEO and President of Seminole County Chambers said.
Arthur is hoping that the CFX is listening to the community and wants the best option to not disrupt businesses and residents in the community.
“The more time that people spend sitting in traffic on our surface roads the less time they have to visit their local retail shops or dine in restaurants so we support the local businesses in our community and we want to make sure that our residents and businesses can connect to different areas of our community as easy as possible,” Arthur said.
As the July hearing approaches, officials encourage the public to review the proposed routes and voice their opinions.
