Eatonville's historic Hungerford property has become the core of a contentious dispute, with advocates firmly stating that the land should be returned to the community. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), representing the advocates' interests, sought a legal declaration today. The lawsuit stipulates that the Orange County School Board is exceeding its authority by seeking to use the Hungerford land for anything other than educational purposes, as a deed from the 1950s specifies, according to a report by ClickOrlando.
In response to the community's concerns, Kirsten Anderson, Deputy Legal Director of the SPLC, stated, "Ultimately our goal is to call on the school board to do what’s right and to return this land for the community to control because this is sacred land for the people of Eatonville and they should exercise their own self-determination over what happens to that land." This statement, detailed by ClickOrlando, emphasizes the land's significance to the community and their desire for autonomy regarding its future. The Orange County Public Schools retains ownership of the property despite the aborted residential and retail development plans and the community's rejection of a zoning plan, as per earlier votes by Eatonville leaders.
The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, in their legal battle against the Orange County School Board, wants to ensure no further developments similar to the failed project that originally sparked the lawsuit proceed. According to WESH, attorneys for OCPS argued during a court hearing that several subsequent agreements have made the deed restriction of 1951 irrelevant.
During the hearing, the SPLC reiterated the cultural and historical importance of the Hungerford property. Anderson said, per WESH, "This is land that is pivotal to the future of the community. This is land that Zora Neale Hurston referenced in books, in 'Their Eyes Were Watching God,' that they were attending a football game at the Hungerford property." The judge has heard both sides and is set to deliver a verdict later.
