Disney’s proposed affordable housing project won a narrow endorsement Thursday from Orange County’s planning and zoning board, as objections from its neighbors dampened enthusiasm for the desperately needed below-market homes.

The advisory board decided 4-3 to recommend Orange County commissioners support a land-use change needed to build the 1,410-unit project on about 80 acres owned by the entertainment giant near State Road 429 and Hartzog Road. The vote came despite concerns from residents in the nearby Horizon West community and elsewhere about the project’s impact on roads, schools and emergency services.

In response, Disney promised to hold another community meeting to hash out those issues before county commissioners decide next month whether to recommend the proposal. It would then go to state authorities for a mandatory review.

Disney’s hand-picked developer, The Michaels Organization, known for building and managing affordable housing communities, also pledged to explore reducing the number of units, a suggestion proposed by the planning board chairman, Nelson Pena.

But it’s not clear whether the developer ultimately would favor such a path, since it would further limit revenues already constrained by the affordable nature of the units.

Tajiana Ancora-Brown, a Disney official, said the company donated the land and will not own the development.

“The Michaels Organization will build, own and operate this development. Disney won’t profit from it,” Ancora-Brown said. “We plan to set a 75-year lease on the land to ensure affordable housing remains available to Orange County residents on this property for decades to come.”

Unlike many affordable-housing projects, Disney’s development is not government-subsidized nor is the company seeking impact-fee waivers, meaning it ultimately will have to contribute millions for the schools, roads and other infrastructure needed to accommodate its residents.

Ancora-Brown said the company was eager to work with the community.

“Community leaders have identified affordable housing as one of the biggest needs in our region, and our plan can contribute to the solution,” Ancora-Brown said. “We are working very thoughtfully alongside a prominent developer to create a place that strengthens the surrounding area while making a real difference in people’s lives for years to come.”

The housing community is planned to open in phases, with the first units projected to open in 2026. Construction could begin in October.

The project received a far friendlier reception in April 2022 when it was announced. At the time, theme park owners were under pressure to help find solutions to the region’s housing crisis, given the low wages earned by many of their workers.

Disney was not the only company to respond. In November, Universal Parks & Resorts executives staged a ceremonial ground-breaking for a $350 million development called Catchlight Crossings, a 1,000-unit affordable housing project near the Orange County Convention Center.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com