NORTH PORT, Fla. — A development company's plans to build a five-story apartment complex in North Port has sparked opposition from neighbors who said the project will hurt their community.
WATCH: Neighbors claim new building violates city code:
Miami-based Sunexus Group is planning to construct the apartment building just west of Sumter Boulevard, near the I-75 interchange. Camilo Hasbun, one of the developers behind the project, said there will be 42 units in the building.
Hasbun said North Port's growth attracted Sunexus to the city. The planned building will be just down the road from where Sarasota Memorial Hospital is building the city's first full-scale hospital.
WATCH: Sarasota Memorial Hospital expands plans for North Port's first hospital
Construction is expected to start February 2026, Hasbun said, and be completed in a little more than a year. But not everyone is excited for work to get underway.
The proposal has drawn criticism from neighbors who live near the planned development site. Several neighbors tell FOX 4 they believe the apartment will increase traffic, worsen flooding, and disrupt their neighborhood.
"Who wants to come out their backyard and drink their coffee and look at an apartment building," said Eddie Garcia, who lives next to the site with his wife Sandra. "It's not gonna feel like home anymore."
The couple said they enjoy spending time in their backyard, including playing with their grandchildren. But now they worry about changes coming to the neighborhood, including concerns about privacy. The five-story apartment building will be right next to their property.
Garcia also raised concerns about increased stormwater flooding in the neighborhood - a common issue throughout the city. The complex will be nestled between Adina Circle to the west and Sumter Boulevard to the east.
Hasbun said the company is working to ensure that flooding is not an issue. The project includes plans for two drainage systems, according to Mathew Mikovich, the engineering director for the apartment's design company.
One system will collect storm water runoff and funnel it to the ditch just west of Sumter. The other system will deposit water into a swale along Adina Circle.
The Garcia's backyard faces Adina Circle. Eddie said he's concerned stormwater runoff will collect on his property.
"It's all gonna run down this way, so what's going to happen to my property?" Garcia said.
Hasbun defended the project and said the company wants to be part of the community.
"We are not those developers that just build and sell. That's not what we do," Hasbun said.
On Monday, Sunexus held a public meeting to listen to concerns. Some neighbors say they don't feel heard.
"They're supposed to be 'luxury' apartments, Sandra Garcia said. "And this is a neighborhood with families. That should just be houses, not apartments."
Neighbor accuses project of code violation
Randall Hess lives right next to the Garcia's. He opposes the project and claims the company's plans violate city code.
He points out Section 4.4.5 of the city's Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) says new buildings more than twice the height of any existing building within 300 feet must have some type of transition.
A North Port city spokesperson said a transitional element is meant ease the height difference between buildings. That could include changes in roof shape or height to break up the size of the building.
Hess reached out to the city with his concerns. So did FOX 4. A city spokesperson provided an email from Alaina Ray, North Port's development services director.
Ray said the property where the building is planned has been zoned for high-density multifamily residential development for over 20 years.
North Port's updated ULDC - which requires a transition - was adopted in August 2024. However, Ray said the city can't enforce the rule because of Florida Senate Bill 180.
Passed during the 2025 legislative session, it is a developer-friendly law that prevents local governments from creating new land-use and development regulations that are "more restrictive or burdensome."
Lawmakers argued it helps speed up disaster recovery. But now cities around Florida are suing to challenge the law, arguing it limits local autonomy. Senate Bill 180 starts retroactively from August 2024. That nullifies parts of North Port's updated code, according to the city.
"City staff is only able to ensure the proposed plans comply with the Comprehensive Plan and ULDC and cannot require changes if the plans are in compliance," Ray said.
Hasbun, the developer, said Sunexus wants to create eye-catching architecture. He said the group has been involved in four other projects over two decades.
"Even more than the financial part of it, we just decide to build beautiful buildings that, you know, enhance the community and enhance the city," Hasbun said.
But some neighbors don't see it that way. Hess said his backyard will be right up against the new property, obstructing his view.
"The only thing we'll see is our parking lot," Hess said.
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