Water Damage Restoration in Saint Cloud, FL

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — Osceola County Community Development officials are considering rezoning roughly 19 acres of agricultural land and rural development land to a low density residential district in St. Cloud to prepare for future population growth.

What You Need To Know

According to the Development Review Committee’s agenda, this rezoning would impact property located north of Pine Tree Drive, south of Cypress Drive, east of Tucker Avenue, and west of Hickory Tree Road.

The plan would allow developers to build small homes and communities in the area. However, some residents say they want to see farmland and their current community preserved, rather than developed into neighborhoods.

Richard Ginsberg and his wife moved to the more rural side of St. Cloud a year and a half ago for a change in pace in their lives and to be closer to family.

“The change for us, or for me especially, was the lack of people in the area, which I thought was wonderful," Ginsberg said.

He was one of a few residents that spoke out at a meeting Tuesday against the rezoning proposal.

One of the main concerns brought to the table is the impact new developments will have on traffic and roadways for commuters who live in St. Cloud.

“I spoke to several people that commute into Orlando to work, and they said five years ago, six years ago, to get to my house to the turnpike was 10, 12 minutes. Now it’s 45, 50 minutes,” Ginsberg said. “That’s a big increase in commute time. Adding these extra homes is going to just make it worse.”

Another concern is land conservation.

“Why go into an existing community and say, ‘Oh, these people have too much land, let’s take it away from them? Well, not take it away, but let’s put a lot of houses there. They have too much space. We’ll give them less,’” Ginsberg said.

County development administrator Raymond Stangle says finding sites for future use is necessary to abide by Florida law, as Osceola County must update their Comprehensive Plan periodically to manage growth.

“The legislature has indicated that we can’t stop development,” said Strangle.

Strangle also said this rezoning would abide by the urban growth boundary, which is set in place in by Osceola County to balance both development and land conservation.

“We have a lot of conservation areas that the county has purchased land,” he said. “We’ve purchased around 3,500 acres of land in the county with our SAVE program that was recently approved by the voters ... So, we have a long-term relationship with our citizens where we do conserve lands throughout the county.”

Tuesday’s meeting was not the final determination of whether the area in St. Cloud will become developed or not.

“The goal is for the board to bring all the zoning laws that are in this in this future land use category into compliance with that future land use by 2045,” Strangle said. “It doesn’t have to be today, but we want a planned progression to get to these densities by no later than 2045.”

Ginsberg said he and other residents in opposition of these changes hope to continue speaking out during the next stages of this rezoning proposal.

Saint Cloud, FL (June 13, 2025) – A crash involving injuries was reported Friday along E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy near the intersection with Hickory Tree Rd in Saint Cloud. While details remain limited, emergency crews were dispatched to the scene and road block status is still being evaluated by officials.

Authorities have not released dispatch or arrival times at this stage, but early indications confirm that at least one individual sustained injuries as a result of the crash. On-scene responders initiated treatment for those involved, though the number of victims and extent of injuries have not yet been made public.

The crash occurred on a busy stretch of E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy (US-192), a major route in Osceola County that connects the city of Saint Cloud to various suburban and tourist-heavy zones. The highway often sees a mix of commercial trucks, local traffic, and out-of-town travelers, making it a frequent site for collisions—especially near intersections like Hickory Tree Rd, where speed and visibility are key concerns.

At the time of reporting, law enforcement had not confirmed whether traffic flow was significantly affected. The Florida Highway Patrol noted that the crash remains under investigation, with additional details expected to emerge as reports are finalized and interviews are conducted.

Our thoughts go out to the individuals injured in this crash, and we hope for a swift and full recovery.

High-Speed Corridor Crashes in Central Florida

Friday’s injury crash on E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy underscores the persistent dangers present along Florida’s high-speed arterial highways. In communities like Saint Cloud, where urban expansion meets high-traffic corridors, the risk of serious accidents rises due to speed variances, increased congestion, and varied driver familiarity.

E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy (US-192) serves as a vital east-west link across Central Florida, running through both densely populated areas and commercial zones. Crashes along this corridor often occur at intersections where merging traffic, quick lane changes, or left-hand turns at high speeds create dangerous conditions. In this case, the presence of Hickory Tree Rd—an important local access point—adds another layer of complexity for traffic management.

While the full roadblock status remains unknown, even partial lane closures on routes like US-192 can cause cascading delays across nearby intersections. More importantly, crashes at these speeds often lead to significant injuries, including whiplash, concussions, and orthopedic trauma that may not manifest fully until hours or days after the crash.

Timely medical intervention and detailed incident reporting are crucial steps following any crash, especially when recovery paths may involve multiple stages—medical, legal, financial, and emotional.

Drivers navigating this region are encouraged to reduce speed when approaching intersections like Hickory Tree Rd, particularly during peak hours or inclement weather. Local authorities continuously evaluate traffic safety measures in areas like Saint Cloud, but driver awareness and defensive driving remain essential components of accident prevention.

At Local Accident Reports, we’re committed to providing timely, accurate coverage of injury crashes across Florida. If you or a loved one were hurt in today’s incident in Saint Cloud or elsewhere along US-192, know that resources are available to support your recovery. Contact us today for access to updates, recovery guidance, and connections to professionals who can help you move forward confidently.

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Disclaimer: We are providing this information to the general public as a resource to use in the event you or a family member are injured in a similar incident. Every effort is put forth to honor the victims of accidents, and hope the information presented helps others avoid the same type of accidents in the future. The photos depicted in these posts are not representative of the actual accident scene. Please contact Local Accident Reports at (888) 657-1460 to be connected with an attorney in your area who will answer any legal questions you may have.