Slavia Road, a connector street from Red Bug Lake Road to SR-42, might face expansion for it to go all the way through to Alafaya Trail. Discussions of this idea have raised multiple possibilities, many of which may directly affect the lives of families within subdivisions like Mitchell Creek.
Joseph Bedrossian, resident of Mitchell Creek and the owner of a local business in Winter Park, the Hummus House, stated his opinion on the issue.
“I think they overdid it with housing along Mitchell Hammock, and they’re trying to undo the mistakes they’ve made instead of not over-expanding in terms of apartments, housing, and retail,” Bedrossian said. “I think it’s a necessary evil. It’s something that needs to be done. If it means taking something out, it’s what might have to be done. There’s no way around it,” he added.
Another resident of Mitchell Creek, Dalton Thomas, explained his feelings about the expansion.
“I’ve only been renting over here for four or five years, and I do believe a lot of the houses here are rentals, but it’s a brand new subdivision, and I doubt that they would come and buy it all up and wipe it away,” he said. “I know a lot of people do actually live here for the long term, a lot of families and whatnot. So I would hope that they wouldn’t do that just to make a connector road.”
Bedrossian believes that the likelihood of road expansion directly through homes is low.
“In my opinion, if one of the paths they choose cuts into two or three businesses down here to meet up with the intersection, I think that’s the path they’re gonna take. It’s less expensive and much less of a headache to take out businesses and relocate them than it is to try to relocate 35 families. If I had a business, and they paid me to move, then I’d move,” he said.
Only time will tell whether or not the expansion of Slavia Road is a good choice, and how many lives the expansion itself will affect.
