Special Hearts Farm request is worth the work to find a solution | Editorial
There are times when great ideas meet nearlly impassable barriers. Such is the case with Special Hearts Farm, a uniquely tailored program that serves the needs of adults with developmental and other disabilities. The people leading the nonprofit want to relocate to a site near the Orange-Lake county line.
Special Hearts representatives say the relocation and expansion has the funding it needs — which means it’s cleared one of the biggest barriers a project like this faces, and elevates it to a conflict that deserves a concentrated effort to solve.
But the Special Hearts proposal is running into objections from a nearby commercial farm that grows blueberries, strawberries and sod. Representatives from H&A Farms voiced concerns about whether its current activities (which include firing sound cannons to distract birds away from its berry fields and applying chemicals) are incompatible with Special Hearts’ plan to house about 50 clients of the program at the new location. A representative from H&A Farms also objected to the group’s request to use an on-site septic system, since it might impact the cleanliness of nearby groundwater — which lies within the Lake Apopka basin.
The first step in addressing this conflict is to stop painting H&A as the “bad guy.” Their objections seem reasonable, and they’ve been operating at that site for decades.
At the same time, however, the Special Hearts mission targets a population of Central Floridians with services they can’t find elsewhere. In a recent story by the Sentinel’s Stephen Hudak, clients talked about the rare opportunities they find at the group’s 3-acre site, a former elementary school in Winter Garden: There, clients make and market goats milk soap and blackberry jelly, and sell fresh eggs. But that location is too cramped, and Special Hearts currently has a significant waiting list.
The property that owners want to move to — a former chicken farm near Mount Dora that they have already purchased — would give them 15 acres to expand the farm’s training facilities for livestock care, woodworking and gardening. It’s the housing component that is most appealing: As any Central Floridian knows, the fight for housing is an uphill battle for anyone right now, and this would target a group with even steeper barriers.
So how can this problem be solved? That’s where Orange County staff can play a role, by initiating a discussion that includes alternatives and evaluates the realities of this particular site.
Start with the septic system request. While many Central Floridians have been trained to regard septic tanks as universally suspect (with good reason) there are modern septic systems that, when properly maintained, don’t pose much of a threat to local groundwater.
The safety and comfort of the would-be residents at Special Hearts Farm might also be solvable with adequate buffers that consider timing, distance and other factors, especially if H&A is willing to consider adjustments to its schedules.
Beyond that, it would be intriguing to explore the potential of linking these farms and other agricultural businesses in the greater Apopka/Mount Dora area into a focused agritourism district — playing off the area’s long-standing reputation for products ranging from indoor plants to other vegetable crops. That kind of collaboration could be a glorious win for the north Orange-Lake community.
At this point, it seems the most important goal is to keep the parties talking – opening doors, rather than closing them. It’s true that this is a tough problem, but sometimes the greatest challenges lead to the greatest victories.
The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com
