Downtown Security Barriers and Mead Gardens Pond Cleanup Land in State Budget
Gov. Ron DeSantis has said expects to veto a number of projects but local lawmakers argue the money for two Winter Park line items should be spared
May 30, 2026
By Gabrielle Russon
The city of Winter Park is slated to get state money to help clean up Central Florida’s waterways and beef up security for public outdoor events as the Legislature approved the 2026-27 budget Friday.
State lawmakers passed a $114.5 billion spending plan that provides $500,000 for a Mead Gardens water project and $62,500 for Winter Park Police road barriers to keep vehicles from driving into crowds at festivals and other events.
Lawmakers inserted the pair of Winter Park projects into the state budget after they met behind closed doors this month to negotiate spending on everything from school funding, law enforcement and members’ pet projects during a special session this month.
The Legislature had failed to approve a budget — their only constitutional required job — during the 60-day regular session that ended in March.
Even though the Legislature approved the budget Friday, the money is not official for Winter Park until it survives Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto pen.
DeSantis has been clear he wants to trim spending.
“It’s probably a safe assumption that when I’m done with my veto pen that it’ll be less than the current year budget,” DeSantis said this week about the next fiscal year starting July 1.
DeSantis also is open about how he weaponizes his veto power to punish lawmakers who don’t support his agenda.
“If the members are supporting good policy, then, you know, I see their budget items, that’s just something you take into account,” DeSantis said earlier this month at The Federalist Society.
Winter Park officials declined to comment for this story as they await DeSantis’ spending decisions, but the state lawmakers who advocated for the Winter Park project spoke to The Voice about why they feel the money is important.
Mead Gardens Pond Flows to Chain of Lakes
State lawmakers want to tackle cleaning up waterways by lowering nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that cause algae booms and destroy biodiversity.
In the state budget, Winter Park would receive $500,000 to filter the excessive nutrients from Alice’s Pond in Mead Gardens as the Loch Haven Chain of Lakes flows into the Winter Park Chain of Lakes.
The funding request is a bipartisan effort from an influential Republican, state Sen. Jason Brodeur, and Democrat state Rep. Anna Eskamani. The two have a history of collaborating on water projects even though they are on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
“The Winter Park Chain of Lakes, its health impacts the health of all lakes in Central Florida,” Eskamani said.
Their project seeks to improve water quality throughout the interconnected lake systems of Winter Park and Maitland which are the headwaters to Lake Jesup and the St. Johns River, Florida’s longest river.
“People live on these water bodies and they’ve been there long enough to remember when it was actually a place you might actually want to swim or boat,” said Brodeur who grew up on Lake Jesup. “It gets gross because it gets overgrown with weeds and things that don’t belong there because the balance is out of whack with its nutrient load.”
Central Florida’s waterways play a big role in Florida’s ecosystem since three of the water management districts come together, Brodeur said.
“If a drop of rain falls somewhere in Central Florida, it could end up in Fort Myers, it could end up in the Everglades, it could end up in Jacksonville,” Brodeur said.
Keeping the waters clean is important to support local businesses and tourism because of a long list of water recreational activities, such as paddle boarding, rowing and boating, Eskamani added.
Street Barriers Would Help Protect Outdoor Crowds
Last year the city of Winter Park received $62,500 for the road barriers and now an additional $62,500 is included in the 2026-27 budget.
In the state House, Rep. David Smith sought the money both times even though Winter Park isn’t even in his district — Smith lives in Seminole County.
“One of the reasons that I supported the appropriation request not only last year but this year is, the city of Winter Park hosts a lot of street festivals,” Smith said. “So if we’re going to spend state money to protect pedestrians against a potential attack, that’s a legitimate use of state tax dollars.”
Each spring tens of thousands of people attend the three-day Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. Other popular events include charity runs down Park Avenue, beloved parades and more.
“Who doesn’t love the Winter Park Arts Festival?” said Brodeur, who handled the local funding request in the upper chamber. “We got people from all five surrounding counties driving in. We want to make sure they’re safe for events like that.”
Brodeur called the police barriers an important investment in the context of the region’s tourism industry.
“Very frequently people have the mindset, or at least local municipalities have the mindset that ‘We want this really cool toy, we’ll just ask the state for it,’” Brodeur said. “The state funding should be state taxpayers paying for something of regional interest. Now because Winter Park has so many events that draw so many from all over Central Florida and the whole state, this is a safety issue of regional interest.”
As he talked about the water clean up and police barriers, Brodeur also revived an argument that’s been debated in Central Florida for years. Should taxpayer money fund these projects? Or should tourists foot those bills with revenue from Orange County’s hotel tax?
“Should we expand what we can spend tourist development tax on? If the tourists that we’re bringing in and doing all these things for are the ones that are lining the coffers, shouldn’t we be doing more things for our residents besides expanding the convention center?” Brodeur said.
Historic Preservation Disagreements Pile Up: Spend Money on a Consultant? Offer Tax Incentives?
The City Commission this week touched off what is likely to be a contentious debate over how — or even if — property owners should be encouraged to place historical assets on a local register to help protect them from demolition
May 29, 2026
By Beth Kassab
Preservationists pleaded with City Commissioners this week over what is likely to be only the first disagreement as Winter Park endeavors to save more houses from the bulldozer: Whether the Historic Preservation Board should be able to spend money on a consultant as it works to make recommendations tasked by the commission.
The request was simple: Hire an expert to help evaluate what’s been lost, what’s still worth saving and how to go about keeping more old homes off the rubble pile.
But preservation debates in the city have a long tradition of drawing entrenched camps in which one side argues private property rights trump all else and that public dollars shouldn’t be used on private assets while another side says each teardown irreversibly erases a piece of the charm, eclectic architecture and history that makes Winter Park so unique and desirable.
The latest round of preservation talks are complicated by the backdrop of the Florida Legislature’s special session next week that could result in a proposal to significantly decrease property taxes collected by local governments such as Winter Park to pay for needs such as police, fire rescue, parks, roads and more.
“I don’t think history can just live on a plaque or marker, it has to be seen and observed,” said Commissioner Elizabeth Ingram, who said during the discussion at Wednesday’s commission meeting that she supported hiring an expert to focus on the task of forming a historic preservation strategy for the city. “I don’t believe the Historic Preservation Board can do this on their own … they could put out a call for guidance and start planning for creating this position for historic preservation.”
Ingram noted that other cities have designated historic preservation officers with specialized expertise that members of the volunteer advisory board may not have.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio almost immediately threw water on that idea.
“But how are we going to pay for a person, Commissioner Ingram? Where do we get the money?” DeCiccio asked.
Earlier in the meeting the mayor said the property tax reform being pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis could mean, “We’re not going to have any more taxes … I don’t know how we are going to keep the roads going … keep City Hall going?”
Betsy Owens, executive director of Friends of Casa Feliz, countered that local governments make funding choices all the time when something matters.
“We find room in the city budget for a lot of things we value,” she said. “We spent $200,000 today to undo a mistake that was made on the golf course … Heaven help us if we can’t find a few thousand dollars to hire a respected consultant to guide us through this process and help us out of this quandary.”
Earlier this month the city shut down the Winter Park Nine after the wrong chemical was applied to the course, killing off the grass. On Wednesday the commission approved a $197,000 course maintenance contract for four months — or nearly $50,000 per month. City Manager Randy Knight said the purpose was to test whether staff should farm out golf course maintenance or keep it in house.
The longtime owners are selling the property and the contracted buyer is seeking special permission to split the lot in two so that the Merrywood portion can be sold off again and a new home can be constructed on a new lot next to it.
Without a buyer willing to restore Merrywood, it appears destined for the bulldozer whether or not the Planning & Zoning Board approves the lot split request at a hearing scheduled for next Tuesday at 5 p.m. And, so far, no buyer has emerged, Owens said.
People who showed up to speak on the matter at Wednesday’s meeting lamented the potential loss.
Carolyn Gould, who has lived in the city 70 years, said she recalls riding her bike down Palmer Avenue past Merrywood and the wonder it inspired even from the driveway gate.
“When it’s bulldozed it’s gone,” she said. “You need to walk through those rooms and look through those windows … the moldings and appointments are just one-of-a-kind … I’m on fire about this for some reason. We have to get busy and do something.”
Daryl Carter, who purchased and renovated a Gamble Rogers house on Palmer Avenue in recent years, said most people who looked at the home considered tearing it down.
“We did not,” he said. “Our house doesn’t have a historic designation. We did what we did voluntarily … we love beauty, but we’re also private property owners and believe in private property rights. I hope this board will take that into consideration and not take private property rights from owners.”
While some cities designate properties as historic without an owner’s consent, no one is suggesting such a policy change in Winter Park.
The discussion is more about how to offer additional incentives to urge more people to seek historic designation if their property qualifies. The city has the ability in its code already to provide tax exemptions to historic properties, though no one appears to be taking advantage of that as of now, said Planning & Zoning Director Allison McGillis. The city also offers a 50 percent matching grant for renovation work that qualifies, up to $18,000, she said.
The local historic register and designated historic districts do not outright prohibit demolition in Winter Park. But the request must be approved by the Historic Preservation Board. The board does not have control over interior renovations — only major changes to the facade of the structure.
Those who designate their homes often receive special permission for variances during a renovation that wouldn’t be allowed in a non-historic structure and they are also allowed to add accessory dwelling units (such as a small rental or mother-in-law suite) to their properties.
“We have the easiest to skirt around ordinance in the entire state of Florida,” said Aimee Spencer, a former member of the Historic Preservation Board who lives in a 102-year-old house. “Even Quincy, Florida out does us in their preservation standards,” she noted of the Panhandle town of fewer than 8,000 people.
She said Winter Park needs better rules and also education against misinformation circulating about historic homes such as how they are ineligible for financing or insurance.
“I have a typical mortgage and homeowners insurance with State Farm,” she said. “It’s not a problem to insure or finance.”
Kelsey Wolfe, who serves on the preservation board, noted the board is all volunteers with related skills and a passion, but not necessarily the professional expertise needed to prepare a comprehensive strategy to shift the direction from tear downs to preservation.
“We’ve spent countless hours making changes to the ordinance already and we are waiting on a survey that hasn’t been done in 20 years and we brainstorm every meeting and work session about the very thing you’re officially charging us with,” Wolfe said. “The vast majority of our ideas and requests don’t get implemented because we don’t have the help or the budget.”
She noted that the McGillis, the staff person devoted to the Historic Preservation Board also oversees all of Planning & Zoning for the entire city.
The commission remained unmoved, however, and voted 4-0 to charge the advisory board with formulating recommendations without, at least for the time being, any additional resources.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect Winter Park’s current property tax exemption and matching grant program for historic properties that qualify.
Alan Chambers Facing Charges Related to Messages with a Detective Posing as a Teen
The executive with John Craig Clothier is also known for his work with the Park Avenue District and for his work two decades ago as a leader in the “ex-gay movement”
May 19, 2026
Alan Chambers, well-known for his work with the Park Avenue District and as an executive with John Craig Clothier, was arrested by Orange County Sheriff’s detectives on Tuesday morning and is facing charges related to conversations over Snapchat, text and other apps with a detective who he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, according to a report from the sheriff’s office.
Chambers, 54, began exchanging messages with an undercover Snapchat account operated by Orange County Det. Jeffrey Payne in February, according to the report. The detective portrayed himself as a 14-year-old living in Orlando “near Millenia.”
“This user expressed concern over our age difference,” according to the sheriff’s report and attempted to arrange several meetings, but the two never met.
The report detailed multiple messages with sexually-charged content.
The detective’s written narrative described a digital trail of communications linked to Chambers after the sheriff’s office subpoenaed records from AT&T, Charter, Snapchat and Google.
Chambers was arrested Tuesday about 8:30 a.m. after detectives pulled over his vehicle on Aloma Avenue near Strathy Lane.
“When I asked Alan if he communicated with any children, he told me that he communicates with one, who he identified as [redacted] who was fourteen years old and who he met on Snapchat,” the detective wrote. “When I asked him what they discussed, he told me that they discussed meeting but would not specify to do what. When I asked Alan further questions he told me that he would rather not say anymore.”
Chambers faces three third-degree felony charges: soliciting a minor via a computer; distributing harmful material to a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no attorney was listed in his court file as representing Chambers.
A sheriff’s spokesperson said detectives are interested in knowing whether any minors communicated with him and asked for anyone with information to call the non-emergency line at 407-836-4357.
Chambers’ bio appeared to be removed from the Park Avenue District web site, where he was previously listed as co-president.
“The Park Avenue District and its leadership are committed to maintaining the trust of our community, businesses, residents, and visitors,” read a statement from the district. “While this matter is unrelated to the organization or its work, we take situations involving allegations of this nature extremely seriously. At this time, Mr. Chambers is no longer associated with the organization. Out of respect for the legal process, we will not comment further on the specifics of the case. Our focus remains on continuing to support the Park Avenue community and the many businesses, events, and initiatives that make this district such a special part of Winter Park.”
Chambers had recently been an outspoken advocate for fellow merchants, including about frustration related to city construction along Park Avenue and last year when the district went through a shake-up last year over a controversy stemming from a misinformation campaign about the city’s Christmas events.
Chambers made national headlines for his work with a Christian group known as Exodus International, which promoted a discredited therapy to “convert” gay people to straight, and for his previous opposition to gay marriage. He later apologized for that work, penned an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2015 supporting gay marriage and authored a book that same year with his wife called “My Exodus.”
Update: This story has been updated to include a statement from the Park Avenue District.
Rare Peacock, White as Snow, Turning Heads in Winter Park
City Commission also sets a discussion about the fate of Blue Bamboo for next month and green lights a new parking garage
May 14, 2026
By Beth Kassab
City Manager Randy Knight was at home one day about a week ago when spotted a strange sight out his window.
Perched on his neighbor’s fence was one of the city’s trademark peacocks, but not the vibrant blue and green variety enshrined on the city’s seal.
“It was all white,” Knight said. “I don’t know if I have ever heard of a white one.”
Neighbors have spotted a rare white peacock near the Winter Park Pines Golf Course. (Photos courtesy of Randy Knight)
It was such a rare sight, he immediately snapped some photos and let his neighbors know, too.
Now the snow white peacock is getting buzz like occasional sightings of celebrities on Park Avenue (think comedian Carrot Top or, a few years ago, Paul McCartney).
Commissioner Kris Cruzada, who also lives near the Winter Park Pines Golf Course, said he hasn’t seen the rare bird yet, but is on the lookout.
It looks “almost heavenly, like an angel practically,” in the photos, he said, after he brought up Knight’s sighting at Wednesday’s City Commission meeting.
White peacocks occur in the wild at an estimated rate of just one in 30,000, according to a post published last year by the Environmental Literacy Council. They are found in Florida and California and descend when a genetic mutation occurs in the more common Indian Blue Peafowl.
The white peacock perched on a roof in Winter Park recently.
Winter Park is well known for the blue variety, which have lived for decades in the Windsong neighborhood, often spotted along Genius Drive.
The council’s post reported that most white peacocks are not albino, but have a condition known as leucism, which results in a reduction of pigment and can still have blue eyes.
Knight said he read that white peacocks can struggle to find mates because they lack the typical brightly colored plume and perhaps this one made its way from the Windsong area to his neighborhood.
“I’ve never even seen the colorful kind in our neighborhood,” Knight said. “I don’t know if this one was in Windsong and started looking for love in all the wrong places, but its been there for about a week and a half.”
Knight, who is set to retire early next year after 35 years with the city, joked that perhaps it’s a good sign for his next chapter.
“It does mean prosperity,” he said.
Blue Bamboo Discussion to be in June
The City Commission on Wednesday scheduled a work session about the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts’ proposed sublease to a school for June 25.
While members of the public are typically not allowed to speak at work sessions, commissioners said they would make an exception and allow people to sign up to voice their opinions at the June meeting.
There was a brief debate among commissioners about whether the work session should take up only the proposed sublease or if there should also be a discussion about what to do with the building if Blue Bamboo is unable to continue operating after its lease payments are scheduled to increase in August.
The comments signaled a clear concern by multiple commissioners about the future of the operation if a sublease is not approved.
“To me, it feels strange to discuss, if they don’t stick around past August, to discuss future plans with them there,” said Commissioner Elizabeth Ingram.
“I would concur with you. I don’t want to talk about trying to sell it out from under them while they are still in there making lease payments,” Mayor Sheila DeCiccio said.
The Blue Bamboo, which opened last summer, has so far met its financial obligations to the city and President Jeff Flowers said the venue is mostly booked with shows through January. But Flowers has also acknowledged the importance of a sublease for the second and third floors to help the music venue cover its increasing rent payments.
A New Parking Garage Behind City Hall
Commissioners on Wednesday also decided to move forward with asking developers for concepts to build a parking garage behind City Hall to help alleviate concerns about enough parking spaces off Park Avenue.
The idea is that the city would provide the land — now a parking lot — and a developer would build the garage, potentially with retail or other commercial spaces, as a public-private partnership.
The city’s ask is for a minimum of 265 spaces or a minimum of 120 new parking spots in the area on top of what is needed for city employees and operations.
Whether the new public parking is free and how many spaces will be added will be part of the negotiations as the city reviews whatever ideas are submitted in the coming months.
Most commissioners appeared in favor of a new garage, but Ingram expressed reservations.
“I’m going to be a hard sell on parking garage but I might be out-voted anyways,” she said. “I just feel it is so permanent and so in your face … I can still find a parking spot anytime I come down here. Sometimes it’s a little farther away or I have to circle around, but even at Christmastime I can find a parking spot.”
Other commissioners agreed they can also typically find spots — and know where to look because they live there — but fear visitors are unfamiliar with the side streets and might experience more frustration at peak times. According to city data the Park Avenue area attracted some 3 million visitors last year.
Preservation Advocates Say Winter Park Must Do More to Save Historic Homes
With three John Gamble Rogers II homes under threat of demolition this year, advocate says dwindling assets should serve as ‘wake up call’
May 14, 2026
By Beth Kassab
With three homes designed by James Gamble Rogers II currently under threat of demolition, historic preservation advocates pleaded with the City Commission on Wednesday to make meaningful changes to the way Winter Park protects its historic assets.
Betsy Owens, executive director of Friends of Casa Feliz and granddaughter of Gamble Rogers, said she hopes the potential loss of three significant houses — all more than 85 years old — in a single year will serve as a “wake up call” for the city to strengthen its historic preservation ordinance. She said the city’s ordinance is among “the weakest in the state.”
“These are not anonymous old buildings,” Owens said. “They are irreplaceable works by the architect who more than any other helped define the visual character of Winter Park.”
None of the three homes are listed on the city’s historic register, meaning there is no protection from demolition. The register is voluntary and many owners deliberately opt to keep homes off the register under the theory that the home will be worth more without demolition restrictions.
Owens, and other advocates who spoke at the meeting, including Jack Rogers, said it’s time for Winter Park to get serious about preservation.
They are recommending the commission consider adding incentives such as property tax breaks or rehabilitation help for people who list their homes on the register. They are also calling for new ideas such as an investment fund to help with purchasing and then reselling historic homes to people who are willing to invest in and preserve them.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio recommended a discussion about potential changes be added to the next City Commission meeting on May 27 and the other commissioners agreed. The commission would likely send the matter to the Historic Preservation Board for further evaluation before making a final decision on changes.
The homes currently under threat are:
1020 Palmer Avenue, also known as Merrywood, which is under active demolition permit and could be demolished by the end of May. The home is one of the largest and most ornate in the dwindling collection of Gamble Rogers homes. Tara Tedrow, the prospective buyer who has the property under contract, facilitated the demolition permit in March and is also asking the city to amend its comprehensive plan to allow the lakefront property to be split into two lots. Under that scenario, she said, she would attempt to find a buyer interested in restoring Merrywood while her family could build a new home on the other portion of the property. A Planning & Zoning Board hearing on the request was delayed at Tedrow’s request until June. “Despite enormous public interest and dozens of interested investors touring the property, no buyer has yet emerged able to reconcile the nearly $10 million (estimated) asking price with the substantial restoration needs of the house, conservatively estimated at more than $3 million,” Owens said in an email to supporters.
250 Virginia Drive sits on a large lot overlooking Lake Virginia. The home was sold last year for $2.6 million and a demolition permit was filed by the new owner last month. The home is considered an example of the Colonial Revival style with strong New England influences, including shaker shingles.
617 Interlachen Avenue is possibly “the most eclectic and artistically ambitious of Rogers’ Spanish Eclectic residences. There is no demolition permit filed yet, but Rogers said the home is expected to go up for sale soon and in one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods. “History has shown that when the dirt beneath a home becomes worth many multiples of the structure itself, it is time for that home to get its affairs in order,” she said.
Blue Bamboo Pulls AI School Sublease from City Commission Agenda
The president of the arts group that rents the old library from the city of Winter Park said it will “take a pause” on the idea of renting out the second floor to a private school
May 12, 2026
By Beth Kassab
The leader of the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts said on Tuesday morning that he would pull a request from this week’s City Commission agenda a request to rent out the second story of the group’s venue to an artificial intelligence-driven private school.
The sublease request, first reported by the Voice on Friday, prompted a number of community questions about whether the for-profit school to be run through a Winter Park couple’s disaster relief foundation met the original intent of creating an arts hub in the old city library building.
“The Blue Bamboo Board of Directors has decided to take a pause on the agenda item at this time,” read a message from President Jeff Flowers to the group’s supporters. “We feel that the issues the sublease raises will be better addressed by requesting a city work session where the best use of the facility can be addressed.”
Todd Weaver, a former city commissioner who was instrumental in securing the lease for Blue Bamboo during his tenure, is now the group’s vice president.
The Commission, including Weaver, voted 4-1 in July of 2024 to lease the building to the small nonprofit arts venue. Mayor Sheila DeCiccio was the only no vote after she questioned the group’s financial sustainability. Before the Blue Bamboo won the lease, Rollins College was aiming to repurpose the building into a new art museum.
The venue opened in the summer of 2025 and just months later Blue Bamboo founder and musician Chris Cortez died from brain cancer.
But questions about the future use of the building were already mounting. Just months before Cortez died Central Florida Vocal Arts, which had partnered with Blue Bamboo to secure the city lease as well as a nearly $1 million Orange County grant for the venue and was planning to occupy the second floor, walked away from the deal when the two groups couldn’t come to terms.
That left Blue Bamboo without a sublease to help meet a higher rent obligation to the city that is set to begin in August.
Blue Bamboo’s lease payment is scheduled to increase from $132,000 a year to $276,000 a year in three months.
The proposed sublease to Matthew and Paige Wideman’s Love & Life Foundation was the first concept for the second floor to be brought to the commission since Central Florida Vocal Arts opted against moving forward with Blue Bamboo.
The draft lease calls for the foundation, which says it specializes in helicoptering in aid after hurricanes and other disasters, to pay an annual rent of $198,000 for the second floor, or about $18 per square foot for 11,000 square feet.
The lease between Blue Bamboo and the city calls for the second and third floors of the building to be renovated within two years for “arts education, recording studio and local non-profit use.”
Matthew Wideman told the Voice he planned to use the space to start a location of Alpha School, a for-profit model of private school founded in Austin, Texas that has been lauded by the Trump administration and where tuition is expected to be about $45,000 a year.
The Alpha model calls for students to spend about two hours a day on core subjects such as math using AI-led instruction. Human staff members — known as “guides” rather than teachers — spend the rest of the day helping students develop business, public speaking and other project-based skills.
“The school shall not have more than 50 students, and will not accept school vouchers funded by the State of Florida for those students’ tuition or expenses,” according to a copy of the lease posted with the City Commission agenda for Wednesday’s meeting.
The idea, Flowers told the Voice last week, was to use the music and arts expertise of Blue Bamboo to help instruct students at the school.
City spokeswoman Clarissa Howard said commissioners will now discuss on Wednesday whether to hold a potential work session about the lease at a later date.
We Depend on your support, make a tax-deductible donation here.
Mission
The Winter Park Voice is a trusted nonprofit journalism site that covers our City Hall and beyond. We endeavor to engage, inform and connect citizens on all sides of issues affecting the quality of life in Winter Park.
Recent Comments