Residents plead with Orange commissioners to halt Osceola Pkwy expansion plan

Nothing is written in concrete, but neighbors of a planned extension of the Osceola Parkway can already visualize the lanes of highway being built next to their pricey homes. They don't like it.

The $150 million Osceola Parkway extension project would provide a north-south connector through southeast Orange and north Osceola counties, allowing easier access to the Lake Nona and the growing medical complex.

It could require the use of eminent domain.

But concerned residents told the Orange County Board of County Commissioners this morning that they need help in convincing the road building agency to take another route.

"We would like to see this rethought and figured in a much better way for residents of Orange County," said one resident.

Another said he chose the area of the county to retire and "enjoy a life of peace and quiet."

Mayor Teresa Jacobs said those concerns need to be addressed to the Osceola Expressway Authority and elected officials in that county.

She said the road building agency was created by the state legislature and is an independent authority.