by Beth Kassab | Feb 23, 2024 | News
Family of man who police shot and killed at a wedding sues city
Daniel Knight, 39, was shot five times by a Winter Park Police officer in 2022
Feb. 23, 2024
By Beth Kassab
The family of a man who was shot and killed by a Winter Park Police officer at his niece’s wedding reception is suing the city in federal court on claims of wrongful death and a violation of the man’s federal civil rights.
Daniel Knight, 39, died on Feb. 19, 2022 after two officers responded to a 911 call from the Winter Park Events Center, where the wedding reception was underway.
The suit, filed by Melissa Cruz, who is the mother of Knight’s two minor children, questions the actions of the officers, who took just 67 seconds from the time they approached Knight until he was shot. Knight has an adult child who is also part of the claim.
City spokeswoman Clarissa Howard said she could not comment on pending litigation.
The federal complaint alleges that the member of the city’s event staff who called 911 and reported Knight was “irate” and becoming violent was “not justified” in calling law enforcement because “she did not personally observe Mr. Knight posing an actual threat to anyone.”
When police arrived, body camera footage and footage from the venue shows that Knight, who was intoxicated, had been standing outside away from anyone else and then was standing next to his sister, Katrina Knight.
The lawsuit claims the officers “aggressively approached” Knight event though they could tell he was “mentally compromised” from drinking. The family asserts the officers failed to deescalate the situation and intensified matters by rushing to handcuff Knight even though they had not observed him posing a threat to anyone.
The Orange County State Attorney cleared the officers of any criminal wrongdoing last year, finding they acted reasonably with force after Knight failed to obey their commands and, at one point, struck one of the officers causing him to fall and briefly become unconscious. An internal police department review also cleared the officers.
Experts in de-escalation tactics and advocates for police reform told the Voice last year that officers could have taken a different approach and avoided a physical confrontation. Central principles of police de-escalation typically call for officers to slow down and maintain space between themselves and subjects they are confronting.
“The video of Winter Park police shooting Daniel Knight is extremely disturbing and devastating. Police tased and then shot Mr. Knight within a few seconds of each other while his family was physically shielding him from police with their own bodies,” stated N.R. Hines, criminal justice policy strategist at the ACLU of Florida. “That the Winter Park Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office decided that these events did not violate Florida law further speaks to the need for more training in de-escalation tactics statewide. It is unconscionable that Mr. Knight needed to lose his life during a family wedding.”
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 16, 2024 | City Commission, News
Mayor Phil Anderson delivers state of the city address
Hannibal Square advocate Mary Daniels received the Founders Award
Feb. 16, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Mayor Phil Anderson on Friday honored Hannibal Square resident and advocate Mary Daniels, a regular critic of how development projects will alter the city’s historically Black neighborhood, for her service and leadership in his final State of the City Address before he leaves office in April.
Daniels, known as a fixture at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, moved to Winter Park as a child in the late 1950s from Georgia because her father was working for a man who returned to the city. She received the Mayor’s Founders Award for her longtime volunteer efforts and service on a variety of city and state boards.
Mary Daniels is embraced by friends and supporters at the State of the City Address.
“I’m very humbled and very appreciative that someone like me could even be considered for such an award,” Daniels said. “… for all the blessings given to you, pay it forward and bless someone else.”
Most recently, Daniels was part of the opposition to a rental townhome project on the city’s west side known as Winter Park Commons. As a result of concerns from neighbors, city commissioners approved a version of the project that included more single-family homes vs. multi-family units.
Anderson, who isn’t running for a second term in the March 19 election, alluded to recent controversial projects when he noted how Winter Park must find a balance between growth and maintaining its village-like charm.
“Time doesn’t stop,” he said. “You’ve got to change. You’ve got to adapt. Trying to do that while keeping a small town feel can sometimes be tough.”
He highlighted how the city has maintained one of the lowest property tax rates in the region while investing in everything from new police and fire positions to flood prevention and renewable energy.
Just three years after the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down travel and commerce across the globe, Park Avenue is vibrant, buoyed by a recent tripling of the budget for holiday lights, he said.
He also noted the city’s reserves stand at a record nearly $20 million. In a couple instances, Anderson appeared to talk directly to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings who was in the audience, when he said the Community Redevelopment Agency is poised to grow, too, if the city and county can reach an agreement.
Mayor Phil Anderson gives the State of the City remarks as commissioners Marty Sullivan, Sheila DeCiccio and Kris Cruzada look on.
The city’s plan to purchase at least 80% of its power from renewable sources by 2035 without increasing rates is perhaps one of its most forward-looking accomplishments, he said. He called the decision more than 20 years ago to purchase the city’s electric utility a hard-fought battle to “control our own destiny.”
“What other decisions can we make to control our own destiny,” he said.
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 15, 2024 | Library, News
Starting Feb. 25, Winter Park Library will open on Sundays
The new hours are part of Executive Director Melissa Schneider’s goals to expand access and services
Feb. 15, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Later this month the Winter Park Library will be open on Sundays for the first time since before the pandemic.
The new hours from noon to 6 p.m. starting on Feb. 25 are the result of increased investment in the library by the City of Winter Park through its Community Redevelopment Agency.
City Commissioners last year approved an additional $350,000 contribution to the library, which allowed Executive Director Melissa Schneider to fill an additional seven full-time equivalent positions.
The extra staff will make the Sunday hours possible along with expanded access to the library’s archives, technology and maker spaces, which were previously only available by appointment.
Schneider said there will be an emphasis on helping small businesses and entrepreneurs within the city’s CRA, which exists to help the area near downtown become more economically vibrant.
So far she said the bump in library users that resulted from the opening of the new building at the end of 2021 next to MLK Park and also within the CRA has held steady. A gala last weekend raised $200,000 for the nonprofit library.
“The first year we thought maybe this was an anomaly,” she said. “But so far we’re maintaining where we were in 2024. We’re anticipating this is going to be our biggest year yet.”
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 15, 2024 | City Commission, News, Uncategorized
Commission to consider resident vote on gas leaf blower ban
Sen. Jason Brodeur signaled he would not try to preempt the ban if commissions let voters decide its fate next year
Feb. 14, 2024
By Beth Kassab
The noise over Winter Park’s ban on gas leaf blowers intensified Wednesday at a hastily called work session for the City Commission to decide how to respond to a threat by Sen. Jason Brodeur (pictured above) to take away control over the issue from local officials.
City Manager Randy Knight told commissioners he spoke with Brodeur and the senator would be willing to drop his plan to pass a state law to prohibit all cities and counties from banning the gas devices — but only if Winter Park met Brodeur’s demands:
- Commissioners must delay enforcing the ordinance to June 1, 2025 rather than Jan. 1, 2025 as they decided last month.
- Commissioners must also place a question on the March 2025 ballot so voters can decide whether the ban should be repealed.
Mayor Phil Anderson, Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio and Commissioner Kris Cruzada said they would be open to following those orders, but the commission did not reach a decision and opted to consider the matter again at the next meeting on Feb. 28.
DeCiccio, who is running for mayor in the March 19 election, was the swing vote as the necessary third commissioner to potentially pass the voter referendum. Commissioners Todd Weaver and Marty Sullivan said they were against it.
Knight suggested that agreeing to the voter referendum could be the only way to keep Brodeur from attempting to pass a preemption law this legislative session, which is more than half way over. A number of Florida cities such as Naples and Biscayne Bay have already enacted bans, but even those could be thrown out by Brodeur’s legislation.
Brodeur briefly introduced an amendment on Feb. 6 in Tallahassee to preempt cities from enacting such a ban and then immediately withdrew it.
Just two days later on Feb. 8, Knight sent a text message to Brodeur asking to have a discussion, according to text messages provided to the Voice through a public records request.
On Monday morning, Knight reached out to Brodeur again and let him know that the city scheduled a work session about leaf blowers for Wednesday and referred to the idea of a referendum as if it was already a done deal.
“I have briefed all commissioners on our discussion and I feel good about it,” Knight wrote. “We don’t take public comment at work sessions but of course will when the referendum ordinance comes forward.”
“Outstanding,” Brodeur responded. “Much appreciated.”
Brodeur got involved in the issue just weeks ago after complaints from constituents escalated after the city passed a rebate for homeowners who purchased electric leaf blowers.
The ban has been around since 2022, but commissioners opted to delay its start until July of this year.
Landscape companies say the electric devices are too expensive, don’t have enough power and will bring an increased burden on their small businesses and individual workers.
Anderson said Wednesday that he recalls the survey the city conducted more than two years ago before passing the ban came back split about 50-50 in terms of support and opposition.
“I don’t know that we have 100% of the answer what our constituents want and I don’t know that Sen. Brodeur has 100% of the answer so it’s kind of an interesting idea to let the citizens weigh in on it,” he said. “It’s better than Survey Monkey.”
Commissioner Marty Sullivan expressed more skepticism.
“Even if the majority said no,” to a leaf blower ban, Sullivan said, “I think it’s incumbent on us to look to the future and do what’s right for the future. I believe this leaf blower ban is a great step forward for our city. I am hesitant about this compromise put forth by our senator.”
Commissioner Todd Weaver pointed out that the original vote for the ban was unanimous and that commissioners are elected to represent the interests of the city, rather than manage “threats” and edicts handed down from Tallahassee. He said he would rather see the question make it to the ballot because citizens gather enough signatures to place it there — an estimated 1,400 or so — rather than by a vote of the commission.
DeCiccio also said she support a citizen-led effort to put the question on the ballot next year and asked Knight to approach Brodeur to see if he would also be amenable to that option.
Knight will bring another report back to the commission on Feb. 28 when they will also take a vote on whether to allow voters the chance to repeal the ordinance next year.
The legislative session is scheduled to end the following week on March 8, which still leave Brodeur nine days to slip the preemption language into a bill if he doesn’t like the results of the next city meeting.
In recent years, Florida legislators have taken control away from municipal and county elected officials on everything from setting renewable energy standards, gun ranges, tenants’ rights, affordable housing projects and even the books on the shelves at public schools.
Anderson, who met with landscape company owners last month to hear their concerns and called a special meeting to potentially change the ordinance, is pushing the city to provide a directory of companies that have already converted to electric equipment so residents can make more informed decisions about who they hire.
“Whether we’re preempted or not, the city believes this is the right thing to do,” he said, noting he wants more resources and education available.
DeCiccio asked how bans are playing out in other cities that have enacted them for the same reasons — to reduce nuisance noise and pollution.
“They’ve all stuck with it,” Knight said. “They haven’t repealed it. They haven’t expressed that it’s been much of a challenge for them.”
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 10, 2024 | City Commission, News, Orange Avenue Overlay, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development
News & Notes: What's happening with Rollins apartments and more
Plus Super Bowl Sunday and the latest on the McCraney office tower
Feb. 11, 2024
By Beth Kassab
First, it’s Super Bowl Sunday and we all expect Winter Park-adjacent resident Donna Kelce (she lives in Baldwin Park) will be in attendance to cheer on Taylor Swift’s boyfriend (also known as her son, the Kansas City Chief’s Travis Kelce).
Could it be just a coincidence that only months after Donna Kelce posted a big shout out to Winter Park and the city’s famous boat tour that Swift announced there will be a song titled “Florida!!!” on her new album “The Tortured Poets Department” set to release in April?
Yes. It is definitely a coincidence. The song is most certainly not about that. But a city can dream, right?
On to a look ahead for the week:
Rollins proposal for faculty apartments
For those looking to speak for or against the plan by Rollins College to build faculty housing, you’ll have to wait a few extra weeks. The proposal was on Wednesday’s agenda, but has been postponed at the request of the college until Feb. 28.
At the last meeting, Rollins reduced the number of units it plans to build from 48 to 39 and the city postponed a decision on the matter that residents have complained won’t fit in with the surrounding area along New England Avenue.
McCraney Property next to Seven Oaks Park
After an initially chilly reception, members of the Planning & Zoning Board unanimously approved a proposal for a three-story, 29,500-square-foot office tower at 1100 Orange Avenue next to where Seven Oaks Park is underway.
Now the City Commission is set to consider the project on Wednesday. The Orange Avenue Overlay board approved the concept last month. 
Steve McCraney, who is planning to building the space for his development company’s corporate headquarters, made changes to the original plans and is now offering right-of-way to the city that could be used in the future for a traffic roundabout on Orange Avenue.
“In order for a roundabout to actually be realized at this corner, there will be a much larger and timely community discussion, but this trade-off ensures that the City is not missing an opportunity for the roundabout,” according to a staff memorandum on the project. “Furthermore, the immediate effect of this right-of-way dedication, is a much larger setback than what was previously proposed, which helps reduce the impact of this three-story building at this corner.”
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 8, 2024 | City Commission, Election, News, Uncategorized
Candidates offer views on parking and development at Chamber forum
Two candidates failed to show (again) to face voters
Feb. 7, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Mayoral candidate Sheila DeCiccio and Commission Seat 2 candidates Jason Johnson and Craig Russell met Wednesday afternoon at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce to answer questions that largely centered on future development. (You can watch a recording of the debate here.)
Michael Cameron, a candidate for mayor, and Stockton Reeves, a candidate for Seat 2, declined to attend. Both also failed to show up for public forums for their races at the Winter Park Library.
Reeves told the Voice this week he does plan to attend forums at the Mayflower and Westminster senior residential complexes, but those are not open to the public. Turnout among senior voters is reliably strong and considered crucial in Winter Park elections.
The Chamber forum offered an opportunity for Johnson and Russell, two first-time candidates for the seat vacated by DeCiccio because she is running for mayor, to draw some clear distinctions about what they would bring to the office.
Topics that highlighted those differences included the Orange Avenue Overlay, a special zoning district that was put into place by a previous commission and overturned in 2020 after DeCiccio was elected. The district allowed for taller and denser development along Orange Avenue roughly between Rollins College and U.S. 17-92.
The effort to overturn the OAO became the subject of a contentious lawsuit brought against the city by major property owners Mary Demetree and the Holler Family. The city prevailed in the lawsuit last year.
Forum moderator Fred Kittinger asked the candidates if they had any appetite to revisit the original provisions to help encourage investment along the corridor.
Russell, a teacher and coach at Winter Park High School, was the only candidate who said yes and the only candidate on Thursday whom the Chamber announced it would endorse this year through its political action committee known as Winter Park PAC.
He noted a lot of time and taxpayer money was spent on the original overlay and then a new commission said, “never mind.”
“I’m not OK with that,” Russell said, calling it “careless” to not at least take another look at a “great project.”
Johnson, though, emphatically stated he was not in favor of returning to the original OAO and wondered aloud if the large property owners along the strip were waiting for the makeup of the City Commission to change before moving ahead with redevelopment plans.
“I’m not sure I’m going to be their guy if that’s what they want,” he said.
DeCiccio, who was instrumental in overturning the OAO, said that without that decision Seven Oaks Park — the city’s newest open space under construction at Orange and Denning — would instead be a new tower and pointed out that badly needed road alignment and drainage projects could not have gone forward as they are today. She said she is open to tweaks in zoning along the corridor, but that the vast majority of residents did not want the kind of development the original OAO would have allowed.
Another question that showcased differences in the candidates related to parking. Candidates were asked how they might change the city’s rules about how many parking spaces developers must provide for different types of development — a code some chamber members consider antiquated and wasteful because they say too much land is set aside for parking that goes unused.
Again, only Russell appeared open to the types of changes the Chamber has advocated for, noting that he doesn’t mind “parking and then walking to where I need to go.” He didn’t offer specifics, but suggested the city look to other municipalities and experts for solutions.
Johnson said he would be OK with making some changes to the code, but he noted the challenges residents face finding parking along Park Avenue and other busy areas.
“I’m open to making those tweaks, but I’m not in favor of eviscerating the parking code as it stands,” he said.
DeCiccio added that the city is building parking along with Seven Oaks Park to help merchants on that end of Orange Avenue where parking is scarce.
The moderator also asked candidates what they would do to “generate charm” in the business areas such as Fairbanks Avenue and Lee Road.
DeCiccio pointed out that those roads are controlled by the state and said working with business owners is key to a solution.
Johnson suggested additional trees, wider sidewalks and offering incentives for businesses to redevelop their properties would be part of the answer.
For his part, Russell said, “I just have a problem with the word ‘charm.’ “I’m charming,” he joked. “This city is rich with history and tradition and we need to preserve that.”
Johnson used his closing statement to rebut that sentiment.
“Lots of people I’ve been talking to have asked me what’s the difference between you two?” he said referring to himself and Russell. “Craig, I appreciate anybody who puts his name on a ballot. I certainly appreciate Craig for showing up here tonight. But you heard one of the contrasts between us. Craig doesn’t like the word charm. I embrace it. It is my north star for running in this election. I’m not a politician, I’m just trying to do some public service for a city I love. The whole reason I’m running is to preserve the charm and village feel that we all love about Winter Park.”
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Parking, Orange Avenue Overlay, CRA
Johnson on charm
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