by Beth Kassab | Dec 12, 2025 | City Commission, News, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development
Via Tuscany Homeowner Owes More Than $300k in Code Fines
Construction on the house began in 2018 and just concluded this year, prompting repeated complaints by neighbors
Dec. 12 , 2025
By Beth Kassab
The owner of an ultra modern mansion on the corner of Via Tuscany and Howell Branch Road owes more than $331,000 in code enforcement fines after the City Commission refused the man’s request to eliminate the fines he accumulated during nearly seven years of construction.
Fernando Bermudez, the owner of the home through Casselberry-based Developer and Builder Group LLC, told city officials in a letter dated Sept. 5, 2025 that the drawn-out construction timeline was the result of complications brought on by COVID-19, which killed one of his partners, and Hurricane Ian, which struck in September of 2022.
A snapshot included with Winter Park code enforcement documents shows a notice of violation posted in front of the home.
But the construction process at 2661 Via Tuscany started long before those events when the first permit was granted by the city in September of 2018. The certificate of occupancy for the 4-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot house was finally issued in July of this year.
Bermudez, who attended the City Commission meeting on Wednesday, said through his attorney that he was unaware of the fines and blamed a number of problems on his contractors, which changed repeatedly during the project.
But Gary Hiatt, building and permitting director, showed commissioners minutes from a Code Enforcement Board hearing in November of 2022 that showed Bermudez was in attendance and spoke along with a contractor about the timeline of the project. At that meeting, the board ordered that fines of $250 a day per violation would begin accumulating if the house wasn’t completed in 60 days, according to records.
“There were multiple times where they gave us, ‘We’ll be done by here or we’ll be done by here,’ and it just never came to fruition,” Hiatt said.
Violations, which included allowing permits to expire without completing the project and failing to meet deadlines, went on in at least one case for more than 900 days and, in another, more than 300.
“The incomplete vacant structure remains a public nuisance,” the code board concluded in a March 23, 2023 order that said fines would continue and the city would place a lien on the property.
In his letter to city officials to request the fines and lien be eliminated, Bermudez claimed ignorance about the existence of the fines and detailed how construction materials ordered from Europe were delayed by the pandemic as well as how the project was impeded by his own illness and the loss of his partner to the virus.
A Realtor.com listing for the property, which is now up for sale for $6.6 million (more than $1,400 per square foot), boasts of two primary suites (one on each floor), lighting fixtures from Greece, Italian porcelain flooring and “unparalleled craftsmanship, high-end finishes, and an open-concept layout for those who appreciate architectural brilliance and luxury living.”
The house, “follows commercial-grade construction standards, making it a bunker-style fortress unlike any other,” according to the listing.
But Bermudez wrote that the amount of the fine is “a debt impossible for us to pay.”
He said “the real estate market is now extremely slow” and he faces potential foreclosure by a private lender.
But commissioners said they didn’t hear any good reasons to reduce or eliminate the fines.
“These are legitimate fines in my opinion,” Commissioner Craig Russell said, noting that Bermudez’s company had developed other houses so should have had some familiarity with the process.
Russell and Commissioner Warren Lindsey also noted how the lengthy construction process affected the neighborhood.
Neighbors complained to the city about the project repeatedly, citing the unfinished work, debris and other violations.
“Overall, the process has been unprofessional (single workers showing up after hours or on weekends as if the whole project is some sort of shady after thought), unnecessarily drawn out and damaging to our property,” one neighbor wrote the city.
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by Beth Kassab | Dec 11, 2025 | City Commission, News, Zoning and Development
Up to Eight Billboards in Winter Park to be Removed
The concept of a deal approved by the City Commission calls for four new billboards along I-4 while eight billboards along surface roads come down
Dec. 11, 2025
By Beth Kassab
For years, Winter Park officials have wanted to rid the city of billboards — considered by some to be analog roadside spam — and this week brought the first step in taking down as many as two billboards on Fairbanks Avenue, four of the structures on Aloma Avenue, one on Lee Road and one on Interstate 4.
City commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the concept of a deal that will require a series of land swaps and annexations and the permitting of four new billboards along I-4 in exchange for the eight other signs coming own.
“We’ve been working for many, many many years to try to eliminate as many billboards in the core of the city,” City Manager Randy Knight told the commission.
The terms call for:
- Clear Channel Outdoor will remove two billboards at 1873 and 2095 Fairbanks Avenue and one at 2522 Aloma Avenue. All three of those signs are double-sided. In exchange, Winter Park will issue a permit for Clear Channel to construct a new billboard at 2600 W. Fairbanks with a digital sign facing westbound I-4 traffic and a static sign facing eastbound traffic. Clear Channel would also remove a three-sided billboard at the southeast corner of I-4 and Lee Road. It would be replaced by a new billboard about 300 feet to the south, which will require a property swap with the city. The property swap could come before the commission as early as January.
- The Lamar Company will remove a digital billboard at 1621 Lee Road and the city will permit a new digital billboard at 909 N. Wymore Road. This means the city will also need to annex a portion of land for the structure.
- Outfront Media will remove three billboards at 2090, 2145 and 2431 Aloma Avenue. The city will issue a permit for a new digital billboard at 1885 Dartmouth Avenue. The city must annex several properties on Dartmouth to make that portion of the deal happen.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio asked if Clear Channel could also remove a billboard on U.S. 17-92 and Gay Road. The company would not agree to remove it but said it would replace the digital side of that billboard with a newer technology that creates less light pollution.
“We definitely want that,” DeCiccio said of the upgraded features.
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by Beth Kassab | Dec 8, 2025 | City Commission, Election, News
Unopposed Races Seal Seats for Craig Russell and Elizabeth Ingram, Canceling Winter Park’s March Vote
The Winter Park High School coach will get a second term and a political newcomer will join the commission in March
Dec. 8, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Two City Commissioners were elected without opposition on Monday after the qualifying period ended at noon with only one candidate filing for each of the two seats that would have appeared on Winter Park’s March ballot.
City Commissioner Craig Russell was re-elected to his first full term in Seat 2 after winning a tight race in 2024 to finish the term vacated by Sheila DeCiccio when she became mayor. First-time candidate Elizabeth Ingram was elected to fill Seat 1, which was an open seat after Commissioner Marty Sullivan chose not to run again.
Elizabeth Ingram. Above photo: Ingram talks with a supporter at a recent event. Photos courtesy of the Ingram campaign.
Ingram, 38, will become the youngest member of the five-person commission.
A trained opera singer, she serves on the Public Art Advisory Board and previously led the Dommerich Elementary PTA. She said she hopes to focus on protecting the character that sets Winter Park apart from other communities.
She has been campaigning since the summer and filed to run in July.
“I’m so, so thankful for all of the supporters who rallied around me from the beginning,” Ingram said Monday afternoon, shortly after learning she would be elected without an opponent. “The most important thing for me as a commissioner is just being there for the residents. Am I representing them as well and as accurately as I can? Because that’s truly what my job is about. I’m excited to be a new young voice for Winter Park, and I’m excited to represent everybody.”
She raised just under $13,000, according to the most recent campaign finance report.
Michael Carolan, chairman of the real estate department at Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman, told the Voice in September that he planned to run for Seat 1 with backing from the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. But Carolan announced on Facebook last month that he had decided not to run.
Russell said Monday that he is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve another term.
The Winter Park High School teacher and coach made history nearly two years ago as the first Black candidate elected in the city in more than a century. At 45, he is the youngest current commissioner.
Craig Russell
“I’m excited to continue the work that I started,” Russell said. “And I’m excited to hopefully gain the trust and respect of those who didn’t vote for me, because I work for and speak for all the residents.”
He listed engaging young people, improving infrastructure and transportation, and boosting community volunteerism and civic involvement as priorities. He helped spearhead the formation of a youth advisory council as well as an educational series on the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters for kids.
He has not yet filed a campaign finance report because he just filed his initial campaign documents last month.
Unopposed contests—particularly in local races—aren’t unusual and may even be increasing. According to data from BallotReady, 61% of city contests across the country were unopposed last year, compared to 44% in 2020.
Craig Russell poses with students who came out to support him at a candidate forum in 2024.
Fewer candidates mean voters have fewer choices about who represents them at the level of government closest to home—the policymakers who decide police and fire budgets, set road and traffic priorities, and shape the community through decisions about development, parks and how much residents pay for electricity and clean water.
Because both Winter Park races drew only one candidate, the March city election is canceled, and Russell and Ingram will be sworn in that same month. Commissioner Warren Lindsey was also elected without opposition earlier this year to Seat 4, meaning three of the five members of the incoming commission did not face voters at the polls.
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by Beth Kassab | Nov 13, 2025 | City Commission, News, Police and Public Safety, Taxes, Uncategorized
New Firefighter Contract Boosts Pay as Winter Park Faces Rising Public Safety Costs
Base pay will rise 12% this year after negotiations with the union plus cost-of-living and potential merit increases as part of a new three-year contract
Nov. 13, 2025
By Beth Kassab
The base pay for Winter Park firefighters will increase by 12% this year, along with additional cost-of-living and merit raises, under a new three-year contract with the department’s union.
The City Commission approved the contract with little discussion in a 4-0 vote. Commissioner Marty Sullivan was absent.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio briefly remarked that the city was “fortunate” to have a “high-quality department” serving residents.
Under the new agreement, base salaries for firefighter EMTs will rise from $50,618 to $56,700. Firefighter paramedics will see their base pay increase from $61,908 to $69,300. Both groups will also receive a 2% cost-of-living adjustment and up to 3% in merit raises.
The contract includes merit and cost-of-living adjustments in the second and third years, consistent with those provided to other city employees.
Union President Joe Celletti, a firefighter paramedic who has been with the department about eight years, said the contract will provide increased financial stability for firefighters.
“We’re appreciative of the commission,” Celletti said. “It’s a historic raise for the fire department … we’re on par with Orlando, which is our biggest competitor.”
In addition to the built-in increases over three years, firefighters also have plenty of opportunities for overtime pay and special holiday pay. The contract changed the way firefighters are paid when they call out sick, but Celletti said it was a small concession.
“I think it will definitely keep us at an elite level,” he said. “People might even move out of state to come to a department like ours … you can be a great fireman, a great paramedic and have the financial stability to raise a family comfortably.”
Fire Chief Dan Hagedorn told The Voice in an email that the contract is designed to “maintain Winter Park’s competitiveness in a rapidly evolving regional market.”
Fire Chief Dan Hagedorn. (Photos courtesy of the city of Winter Park)
He said other area fire departments are “negotiating base pay increases as high as 25–30%,” making it harder for Winter Park to retain firefighters. Turnover, he noted, is costly.
“Losing experienced personnel costs the city thousands of dollars in retraining, onboarding, and lost operational expertise,” he said. “Any turnover impacts the continuity of service and public safety readiness.”
The pay increases come as the Florida Legislature prepares for its session in January, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has urged lawmakers to cut property taxes. Such a measure—if it reaches the November 2026 ballot and passes—could significantly reduce local government revenues.
Property taxes provide the largest share of the city’s General Fund, which pays for police, fire, parks, roads, and other services, including cybersecurity for public data. The General Fund totals about $90 million this year, with property taxes contributing roughly $39 million, or 44% of the total—enough to cover both the police and fire budgets, which are the fund’s largest expenses.
Hagedorn noted that the fire department doesn’t have the option of operating short-staffed, even briefly, when someone is out sick or on vacation. That means paying overtime or other costs to ensure stations are fully staffed every day.
The contract also includes policy changes for personal leave and overtime management aimed at “reducing unscheduled leave, improving staffing reliability, and lowering overtime costs.”
Staffing levels directly affect how quickly paramedics and firefighters can respond to 911 calls for medical help, fires, accidents, or other emergencies.
In 2024, the department’s average response time was six minutes and 52 seconds. So far in 2025, that average has improved to six minutes and 41 seconds. The goal for 2026 is to reach six minutes, according to performance metrics listed in the city’s budget.
The raises will be funded by an additional $350,000 allocated for fire department personnel in the city’s 2026 budget, which took effect Oct. 1.
The increases reflect a broader trend of rising public safety costs for local governments.
Winter Park’s budget includes an additional $700,000 this year for public safety wages across the fire and police departments. Meanwhile, city pension costs for public safety employees are expected to rise by $671,000, according to budget documents.
“Additionally, the governor has recommended in HB 929 that fire personnel have reduced weekly shifts with the same pay,” the budget states. “If this becomes the new standard in the state, the Fire Department would need to hire over 15 additional personnel to provide shift coverage. While only a few cities, such as Kissimmee, have enacted this change, staff is watching closely to see how it might affect future budgets.”
Police and fire expenses account for about half of the growth in the city’s General Fund this year—roughly $3.2 million.
Overall, the fire department’s budget increased by more than $800,000 this year to $17.1 million, with 85 full-time positions.
Just four years ago, in 2022, the fire budget was $13.6 million with 81 full-time positions.
The police budget increased by $2.4 million this year to $21.8 million, with 122 full-time positions. In 2022, the police budget was $16.3 million with 114 full-time positions.
No new positions were added this year. The higher costs stem from wage increases and the city’s new responsibility for providing dispatch services to Maitland, which will reimburse Winter Park for those services.
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by Beth Kassab | Nov 12, 2025 | City Commission, News, Zoning and Development
Backyard Palm Trees on Lake Spark a Pricey Legal Battle in Winter Park
A homeowner is suing the city over a decision that the height of his landscaping must be limited to help maintain the lake view of his neighbors
Nov. 12, 2025
By Gabrielle Russon
A fight over two palm trees has cost the city of Winter Park nearly $29,000 in legal fees so far.
Jonathan Cole, the owner of a newly constructed 5,300-square-foot home at 721 Virginia Dr., filed a legal challenge to keep a pair of backyard palm trees that his neighbors say impede their view of Lake Virginia.
Cole is asking Orange Circuit Court to overturn a decision by the city — and a construction condition Cole originally agreed to — that limits landscaping behind his house to less than six feet in height.
Winter Park spokeswoman Clarissa Howard said in a statement, “The case has been fully briefed and is in the hands of the three-judge panel for a ruling. We have been given no indication as to when that ruling might be issued.” She said no settlement talks are currently underway.
Cole’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
A photo of Cole’s backyard included in the court file shows the palm trees in question.
Cole argued he should be allowed to keep his trees since his interpretation of the Planning & Zoning Board’s decision is that the height limit doesn’t apply to his entire backyard, only the property line.
“This is a case of local government overreach and cries out for reversal,” he said in his February court petition. “Almost every single home on Lake Virginia has either very large trees on or near its property line running down to the lake or very large privacy hedges — and this includes the eastern neighbor who’s the one that complained about this.”
The tall, skinny palm trees don’t ruin anyone’s view, Cole’s legal team said when the issue went before the Winter Park City Commission in January. But several city officials said they were concerned about setting a precedent to allow the palm trees and unanimously voted to uphold the P&Z Board’s 2021 decision. Cole then filed a circuit court challenge.
Winter Park officials said the six-foot limit is reasonable to protect his neighbors, and Cole had been given more than his fair due process.
With the approval of P&Z, Cole “got everything that he asked for (all the square footage, construction closer to the lake, all the coverage of property, etc.) but was merely required to be considerate of his neighbors by restricting the height of the landscaping behind his home to no more than six feet,” the city said in an August court filing in response to Cole’s complaint, which is part of the hundreds of pages of court records.
The city also pointed out that Cole and his attorney both agreed to the six-foot requirement at the time in 2021. Cole missed the 30-day window to challenge the P&Z decision.
Construction was delayed on Cole’s house, and the lakefront landscaping was finally installed last year. That’s when his neighbor alerted the city about the two palm trees and overgrown holly shrubs.
Cole maintained he was in compliance, while the city called the plantings a violation of the original agreement.
Both Cole and his neighbors made emotional arguments to the City Commission earlier this year.
Neighbor Michelle Randolph said Cole already received special permission to build his home and now he wanted more.
“He was granted a major privilege to be able to build a house of this size and to be able to shift the house against the code … towards the lake,” Randolph told commissioners in January, according to court records. “This is what we were given as residents — just the common courtesy of please don’t plant anything over six feet. Like, you’re getting the house you want. You get to move it towards the lake. Please don’t plant anything over six feet.”
She insisted the palm trees did affect her lake view — even more so because of the house’s ultimate location.
Cole said he was exhausted by the construction process and has worked to satisfy his neighbors.
“Clearly I’m being painted as this guy that’s built a privileged monstrosity,” he told city leaders. “I’ve tried to be neighborly. I’ve tried to have discussions.”
When construction started, his daughter was 12; now she is 16, he said. Cole bought the vacant lot in 2020 for $2.1 million, according to Orange County Property Appraiser records. The property’s value was assessed at about $3.8 million this year.
“I’m sick of dealing with the stress of building a house,” Cole said. “At this stage, I want to be done with it. I don’t have time to fight this forever. I’m shocked that I’m here talking about palm trees.”
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by Beth Kassab | Nov 7, 2025 | Arts and Culture, City Commission, Events, News
Veterans Honored and Shared Stories at Annual Veterans Day Event
Two veterans were gifted Quilts of Valor and a local mother who lost her son in the U.S. Army earlier this year shared his story and legacy
Nov. 7, 2025
By Beth Kassab
A 28-year employee of the Winter Park Library and the city worker who runs both Winter Park-owned cemeteries were awarded Quilts of Valor on Friday as part of an emotional ceremony honoring locals who have served ahead of Veterans Day.
Sarah Williams, who is acquisitions manager at the library, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1982 to 1994 during the Cold War, Persian Gulf War, Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Sarah Williams, a Marine Corps veteran and Winter Park Library employee, is presented with a Quilt of Valor on Friday.
At one point, she was deployed when her daughter was about 8 months old and returned when she was 2.
“It means the world,” Williams said after she was presented with the colorful quilt bordered in a red, white and blue floral pattern that Melissa Mathews and other representatives from the Quilts of Valor Foundation wrapped around her shoulders.
Michael Webb, who served in the U.S. Army from 1994 to 2015 and joined the city’s Parks & Recreation Department in 2017, was also moved by his quilt as it was placed around him. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. (Webb, second from right in the photo at the top of this page, receives his quilt from the foundation.)
“I’ll definitely keep this in the family forever for my sons,” said Webb, who runs Palm and Pineywood cemeteries, after the ceremony. “It will become a family heirloom.”
Quilts of Valor was founded in 2003 and has comforted more than 400,000 veterans with handmade quilts, according to its website.
The crowd at the city’s 15th annual Veterans celebration at the Community Center also heard from Laurie Houck, a Gold Star Mother and vice president of institutional advancement at Rollins College.
Laurie Houck, a Gold Star Mother and a vice president at Rollins College, addresses the crowd at the city’s Veterans Day celebration on Friday.
Houck lost her 22-year-old son David, a U.S. Army Supply Specialist and company armorer stationed at Fort Eisenhower near Augusta, Ga. He was killed in a vehicle accident in January just outside of the base.
Houck remembered how her son struggled when he first enlisted and didn’t care much for bootcamp. But in the military, she said, the tiny malnourished 2-year-old she adopted from China 20 years ago “had found his second home.”
She recalled how he worked to overcome his earliest years in an orphanage where he was left in his crib so long the back of his head was flat to his days in Boy Scouts and, later, as a camp counselor. Skills — she said — that eventually helped him in the Army.
“He belonged and he mattered,” Houck said. “David was known for the way he made people feel valued.”
Ben Mack-Jackson, founder of the WWII Veterans History Project and a Winter Park resident, displays a uniform that belonged to Tuskegee Airman Richard Hall Jr.
The ceremony was emceed by Pastor Troy East of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and also featured a number of city officials, including Mayor Sheila DeCiccio and a performance by Maria Bryant and the VFW Post 2093 Community Band.
DeCiccio noted the lineup of events the city has planned beginning in January to celebrate the nation’s 250th year. For more information click here.
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