Feds dismiss civil rights complaint on proposed Poinciana toll road

POINCIANA, Fla. — The Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Civil Rights has dismissed a complaint filed on a Central Florida Expressway Authority project.

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In a letter last week, the agency said it’s too early to tell if a proposed tolled expressway through Poinciana has violated civil rights.

CFX originally proposed a tolled expressway connecting Interstate 4 through Osceola County and then to Florida’s Turnpike south of St Cloud.

 A segment of that route, known as the Southport Connector, would cut through the middle of Poinciana along its main street and economic hub, Cypress Parkway.

“We have one road to go through town, and they want to take on one road and make it into a highway for the Orlando area,” said Rita Epstein.

Read: Feds review civil rights complaint on proposed Poinciana expressway

Epstein said this route would have little to no benefits for Poinciana residents.

She says a wall will divide her from her house and the other side of Cypress Parkway.

“It’s not going to be attractive, and it’s going to cut us off from the shopping area right across the street,” Epstein said.

Read: Florida toll relief program sees over $40 million in savings in the past month

She filed this Title Six complaint with the Department of Transpiration’s Office of Civil Rights back in October 2022.

The complaint states the town is 83 percent minority and says the CFX project quote “will physically sever the community, splitting it in half, and removing a major thoroughfare…”

But now, the Office of Civil Rights has dismissed that complaint, saying it’s too early to say if a civil rights violation has happened and that “decisions regarding whether and when the project may proceed have not been completed.”

Read: CFX green-lights new toll road through Split Oak Forest

CFX says it’s in the middle of a “study” and doesn’t know for certain how many homes and businesses may be affected. But when asked about Bravo Supermarket back in April, CFX said it’s almost certain it will have to be demolished to build the route.

Henry Gelper and his wife shop weekly at this supermarket, but said if they have to choose between the store or the road, “I’ll go for the road,” Gelper said.

The agency said it plans to have a suggested route within the next year. They plan to have public hearings sometime next summer-- before construction begins.

See the CFX statement below:

“Poinciana is in need of a variety of transportation solutions to connect the community to things that matter to them. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is looking forward to reengaging with the community for the Southport Connector Project Development and Environment study to find solutions together as Poinciana experiences exponential growth. During the process, we will evaluate roadway alternatives and improvements that consider the community, economics and the natural environment. Later this summer, we will initiate a variety of opportunities where the community can provide input during this project study phase.”

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