A new development currently under construction on the corner of N. Powers Dr. and Clarcona-Ocoee Rd. rumored to feature a liquor store is raising eyebrows. At a recent Orange County Board of Commissioners, residents raised concerns about the development that would lead to additional traffic congestion, crime, and degradation of the community.
Residents who live near the development, which is across the street from the Long Lake Hills residential community, believe that a liquor store is unnecessary in a community already saturated by liquor stores and that a new store will serve as a magnet for violence and negatively affect property values for surrounding homeowners. In 2018 the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District Overlay Zone restricted certain types of businesses like liquor stores that could adversely affect the development of the N. Pine Hills - Silver Star corridor, however, the development underway is about four miles away from that area. While the construction of the liquor store is legal, District 2 County Commissioner Christine Moore states that a liquor store has not been approved and is working with the developer of the property to attract businesses that residents would support.