TRT for Men in Hunters Creek, FL

ORLANDO, Fla. — On Thursday morning, sunlight allowed WFTV to fly a drone over The Parkway Hunters Creek Apartment Complex.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

What was left was a shell of multiple apartment units, burned out after a possible lightning strike sparked a fire and eventually caused parts of the roof to collapse.

Luckily no one was hurt, but the building is now condemned.

Thursday morning, residents returned to what was once their homes to see what they could salvage.

Read: Officials: Lightning strike could be the cause of apartment fire and roof collapse in Orange County

Residents were told mother nature was to blame for the fire that destroyed their homes.

“The complex across the street got hit by lightening. it was likely the same thing,” resident Paul Rose said.

The fire started around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, as storms rolled through much of Central Florida.

According to the fire department, the first fire crews arrived within five to eight minutes when they found heavy fire coming from the building.

Read: Storms flip over 3 aircrafts at Kissimmee airport

Fire crews entered the building and started aggressively fighting the flames, but the roof partially collapsed and forced the fire crews to evacuate.

Three apartment units were involved in the fire and 40 people were evacuated from the area as firefighters fought the blaze.

Read: Earth hit an unofficial record high temperature this week – and stayed there

Red Cross is assisting 40 residents, including children, affected by the fire.

The Red Cross said they will have caseworkers available to help residents with resources and through the recovery process.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

KISSIMMEE, Fla., Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonata Senior Living, developer, owner and operator of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities, has announced it will assume management of Sonata Hunter's Creek in partnership with Providence One Partners, LLC, a multi-disciplined real estate development, investment and consulting company.

Formerly known as Sage Park Assisted Living and Memory Care, the 107,000-square-foot community will be rebranded Sonata Hunter's Creek and expand Sonata Senior Living's footprint in the state to 13 communities, including two planned senior housing developments in Central Florida.

According to Sonata Senior Living's COO Shelly Esden, the partnership with Providence One Partners provided an opportunity to bring Sonata's model of care to Osceola County and meet an unmet demand for assisted living and memory care with an innovative and affordable senior living option.

Built in 2018, Sonata Hunter's Creek met Sonata Senior Living's stringent quality expectations in construction, design and technology. It is advantageously located near The Loop Kissimmee, Kissimmee Osceola corporate center and the Hunter's Creek master-planned community.

"A move to assisted living shouldn't represent giving up the joy and dignity of living independently," said Esden. "At Sonata Hunter's Creek, residents will now benefit from Sonata's signature life enrichment programs as well as access to every convenience the surrounding area has to offer."

Programming at Sonata Hunter's Creek emphasizes the value of freedom to make daily choices as a fundamental element in assisted living and memory care. Guided by a lifestyles profile on each resident, person-directed care and activities are designed to help residents achieve higher levels of independence and well-being.

Existing and future residents of Sonata Hunter's Creek will also benefit from Sonata's award-winning memory care assisted living program, Serenades Memory Care.

Serenades Memory Care combines research-based design features with recent scientific advancements in memory care in order to emphasize the importance of personal choice in quality of life. Along with emphasis on abilities and engagement, the program focuses on Teepa Snow's acclaimed Positive Approach™ to Care, which has attained the highest national certification for the treatment of dementia.

Personalization carries over to care staff members trained by certified dementia specialists. Serenades works to achieve consistent staffing in each neighborhood in the interest of promoting familiarity and bonding, while developing a care plan fully reflective of the individual.

Sonata Senior Living has executed on acquisition and development transactions in excess of $87 million this year.

"We couldn't be happier about our expansion in Central Florida," said Esden. "This partnership represents a significant advancement for Kissimmee families in need of assisted living."

About Sonata Senior Living Orlando-based Sonata Senior Living is a licensed owner, developer and operator of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities located exclusively in Florida. Recognized by Argentum as a Best of the Best Award recipient, Sonata Senior Living is committed to enriching the lives of older adults through constant innovation, programming and services that recognize individuality and personal choice. Partners include the Florida Senior Living Association, the Alzheimer's Association, Teepa Snow's Positive Approach™ to Care and Argentum. For more information visit www.sonataseniorliving.com or call Shelley Esden at 407-286-6490.

About Providence One Partners, LLC Providence One Partners is a multi-disciplined real estate development, investment and brokerage company focused on client-driven real estate solutions. The company has a distinguished track record in developing commercial and residential real estate along with a focus on sustainable senior living communities throughout Florida. For more information visit www.providence-one.com or call 407-333-0900.

SOURCE Sonata Senior Living

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The drop off and pick up zone can be one of the most dreaded spots when school is in session.

What You Need To Know

In this week’s Traffic Inbox, Robert Kelley tells us school traffic can cause dangerous problems in Hunter’s Creek.

“I’ve had two close calls over the past couple of years,” said Kelley, who moved to Hunter’s Creek in 2002.

Kelley says when Renaissance Charter School moved into the Publix shopping plaza at John Young Parkway and Town Center Boulevard a few years ago, it brought in more traffic.

The student drop off and pick up zone closed the plaza exit he used to leave from, forcing him to exit off Town Center Boulevard closer to the John Young Parkway intersection.

“My suggestion is they open another exit over here behind the school onto Town Loop Boulevard, not nearly heavily used road,” Kelley said.

But a spokesperson for the school tells us there’s no need to move the drop off and pick up zone.

“There are multiple exit opportunities within the plaza away from the school and those who utilize the plaza during drop-off/pick-up times can use alternate exits to avoid delays,” said Colleen Reynolds, a spokesperson for Renaissance Charter School.

If that’s not possible, Kelley would like a new signal at the intersection he currently has to use. But a project manager for the Orange County traffic engineering division says that’s unlikely as well.

“A signal on Town Center Blvd would not be warranted due to the location, it is too close to signals on Town Loop Blvd and John Young Pkwy,” said Lauren Torres with Orange County’s traffic engineering division. “Instead of making left turns, there are opportunities for U-Turns at the signalized intersections and at the two full median openings on Town Center Blvd.”

Torres told Spectrum News the county will conduct a field review to ensure safety in the area.

Kelley is just concerned something bad will happen until something is done at the shopping plaza.

“You’re really taking your life in your hands exiting Publix and turning back to the left over here,” he said.

If you have a traffic trouble spot, go to mynews13.com/trafficinbox and fill out the form.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —

It's been two weeks since the city of DeLand's code enforcement officers inspected an apartment complex after receiving several complaints from residents.

One resident says maintenance issues are taking weeks to resolve. Antrie Robinson has been living at Hunter's Creek apartment complex for a short time.

"I moved in May of this year," she said.

A short time but a time, Robinson said, has come with several issues.

"When we moved in, the AC was broke," Robinson said. "They had to fix it the next day, and then it was fine till Sept. 6."

Robinson says she has been without a working AC unit for almost three weeks. The apartment complex provided her with a portable air conditioning unit, but she says unless she's standing right next to it, it doesn't do much.

"Sitting right here, it's OK," Robinson said. "But to go even past the sofa, you're going to sweat. Just walk into the bathroom — that's not good to me."

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And according to the report provided by the city of DeLand to WESH 2, dozens of other residents are struggling with similar issues.

The report states one resident has been without working AC for three months.

Others have roaches coming out of their sinks and broken kitchen appliances.

"Everyone deserves to live in a place that they can really call home," Chris Graham, DeLand community information manager, said. "And so, you know, our hearts go out to them. And, you know, really, when we heard about these conditions, you know, to us, it was unacceptable."

Graham says they've been working with the apartment complex, and they've made progress, but he admits there's still much work to be done.

"We're going to be going there every week," he said.

Graham told us if issues are not fixed — they may be subject to fines.

WESH 2 News reached out to Hunters Creek several times through email and phone calls and, as a last effort, paid a visit to their leasing office, but they said they would not comment.

Now, all residents want is answers. Living in Florida with no AC isn't an ideal situation.

"That's all I wanted to help everybody live comfortably because you pay your money. You want to live comfortable," Robinson said.

All Robinson can hope is things get resolved soon.

Graham said repairs have been made to some units since their initial inspection, and code issues have been addressed in common areas.

Graham said other repairs will require permits, and that could be a reason why things take longer than usual in the coming weeks.

A lawyer for Hunter’s Creek in south Orange County is warning Central Florida transportation leaders of the community’s intention to fight Brightline efforts to build railroad tracks along State Road 417.

“Our residents and business owners are expressing concerns about the noise, safety, dirt and property values,” the lawyer said in an email to the Central Florida Expressway Authority, which owns and operates the tolled S.R. 417. “The proposed route through the SR-417 would impose all of the burdens of a high-speed train on the Hunter’s Creek community with none of the benefit.”

The letter was read during a meeting Thursday of the expressway authority, which is negotiating to provide track space to Brightline in exchange for the company paying for losses of toll revenue from drivers switching to rail transportation.

Brightline expects a completion next year of its $2.7 billion extension of tracks from South Florida to Orlando International Airport.

The privately owned company also is pursuing planning and permits for an additional expansion from Orlando’s airport to Tampa, most of which would follow public right-of-way along Interstate 4.

That would make Orlando the central hub in Brightline’s Miami-to-Tampa service, the only privately owned, higher-speed passenger rail in the nation.

But establishing a route within Central Florida from the airport to I-4 has raised daunting challenges.

The company must work out agreements for track space with the state, Orlando, Orlando Utilities Commission, airport authority and the Central Florida Expressway Authority.

Brightline also faces pressure from some leaders to step up where public agencies and municipal governments have failed: provide local passenger rail service to the airport and to the International Drive and Orange County Convention Center area.

In particular, Brightline has considered two routes that would connect with I-4. One would follow S.R. 417 through Hunter’s Creek and another would run alongside State Road 528 to the International Drive area.

“We as a community have made a heavy investment in the convention center,” said expressway authority member Jay Madara, a governor’s appointee, who previously has urged Brightline to focus on the S.R. 528 and International Drive option. “It just feels like a miss to me, missing a population center, a convention center.”

Brightline has pushed back that the S.R. 528 route would cost much more than the S.R. 417 option.

Mike Cegelis, Brightline’s executive vice president for rail infrastructure, emphasized that contention again for the expressway authority.

“A route that passed by the convention center would have certain advantages, for sure,” Cegelis said. “It has a massive disadvantage in cost. As a private company trying to create this service without government support it just isn’t going to work.”

Brightline has disclosed cost figures for the portions of the S.R. 417 and 528 routes from the airport to a planned stop at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, each spanning about 16 miles. The 417 option would cost $1.03 billion and 528 route would cost about twice that amount because of compensation for nearly 70 private properties and the need for extensive elevation of the track, according to Brightline.

Cegelis said projected ticket revenues do not justify opting for the more costly S.R. 528 route.

Not convinced of the accuracy of those figures, the expressway authority has demanded a breakdown of estimated route costs.

“We have seen the big number, but we have not seen the details,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, a member of the expressway authority.

Madara added: “We haven’t seen the details and details matter.”

Cegelis said Brightline will continue to consider the S.R. 528 option but that delaying the intensive planning, design and negotiation for the S.R. 417 route runs the risk of missing opportunity, including the current availability of track space along Interstate 4.

Cegelis acknowledged that it’s up to Brightline to resolve opposition from Hunter’s Creek, which is just west of U.S. Highway 441 and north of Osceola County.

S.R. 417 cuts diagonally through the community as one of the region’s busiest highways. Brightline tracks along the expressway would encounter no road crossings where train horns would be used.

The community’s lawyer Mary Doty Solik said in her letter to the expressway authority that Hunter’s Creek development began in the 1980s and now is home to nearly 25,000 residents.

Solik said she represents Hunter’s Creek Community Association and Hunter’s Creek Town Center Property Owner Association.

“The Associations would request that their opposition to the use of the SR-417 corridor for high-speed rail be on record with CFX,” Solik wrote.

“On behalf of these residents and the commercial community within Hunter’s Creek, we ask that you not allow the community to be ruined by a high-speed train,” Solik concluded.

kspear@orlandosentinel.com