by Beth Kassab | Jun 30, 2023 | Uncategorized
Commissioners: Florida Legislature overreached to block local development rules
Winter Park attempts to put some guardrails on affordable housing projects after state’s Live Local Act removed local control
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park is working to ensure developers don’t exploit a new loophole in local development codes created by the Live Local Act passed by the Florida Legislature this year in an attempt to promote more affordable housing projects.
Commissioners expressed unanimous support for a new city ordinance that would require developers to document that affordable housing projects are actually providing units that are truly affordable and won’t quickly convert to market-rate apartments or condos.
Mayor Phil Anderson said the new ordinance being crafted now by city staff represents an attempt to “preserve home rule” after the new state law prohibits cities from restricting the height and density of new affordable housing projects.
The act is Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $711 million investment in affordable housing, but changes in the new law will alter how cities and counties can govern themselves. For example, the act allows affordable housing developers to construct buildings at maximum height and density, limiting a City Commission’s ability to restrict the number of units per acre to protect the the aesthetics, charm and consistency in a neighborhood.
“Occasionally the state Legislature overreaches and, in this case, they have overreached by preempting some of our land-use ordinances in the spirit of trying to create more affordable housing,” Anderson said during Wednesday’s meeting. “I want to thank our planning department for taking a look at the unintended consequences of this preemption.”
Planning and Zoning Director Jeff Briggs said the Live Local Act (SB 102) now allows affordable housing developers to ignore certain local requirements such as the height of new buildings. But the law does not require those developers to prove they are building affordable units.
“There are no requirements for a developer to provide any data that they are, in fact, providing affordable housing,” Briggs said. “All this does is ensure that people are authentically and honestly doing affordable housing.”
The Live Local Act takes effect on Saturday and the city’s new ordinance is slated to come back to the City Commission for approval later in July.
“I think we’re getting quite used to preemptions,” said Commissioner Marty Sullivan, a reference to a number of prohibitions by the Legislature in recent years that have usurped the authority of locally-elected city and county officials.
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by Beth Kassab | Jun 30, 2023 | Uncategorized
Largest homes will see increased stormwater fees
Costs will go up on some properties as the city seeks revenue to fight flooding, improve water runoff system
By Beth Kassab
City Commissioners this week approved higher stormwater fees for owners of the largest homes while those in the smallest homes will pay less, a move which could bring in an estimated additional $600,000 a year for sorely needed infrastructure projects to help control flooding and drainage.
The more than 540 owners of homes larger than 8,900 square feet will see the largest jump in price — an estimated $24.61 per month or nearly $300 a year more than under the old fee structure.
Houses less than 2,899-square-feet are likely to see a decrease in stormwater fees, with the smallest homes seeing the largest savings. The price drop is estimated to range from about $9 a year to about $60 a year.
That’s a reversal from the old fee structure, which required smaller homes to pay more per square foot than many larger ones.
“Right now the fees were a little bit regressive,” said Finance Director Wes Hamil. “The rate proposed is a little bit of a decrease for residential customers who have less square footage and it’s going to be an increase for residential properties that have more impervious surface area … It does give us some additional funding and we’re hearing a lot about demand for stormwater improvements so it’s a much needed funding source.”
Some on the increased revenue will come from another change approved by commissioners: monthly stormwater fees will now be part of property owners’ ad valorum tax bills rather than collected as part of utility customers’ monthly bills. That means owners without active utility service will now be billed. As a result, renters, who typically pay monthly utility bills, but not annual property taxes, will no longer be directly billed for the fees.
Residents on the city’s west side experienced severe flooding after Hurricane Ian as well as other storms and have voiced concerns for months over whether the city is doing enough to address the problems.
Douglas Avenue, just across Denning Drive from Martin Luther King Jr. Park, flooded again recently after a 45-minute rainfall, resident Bonnie Hamilton told commissioners on Wednesday.
“I really hope and pray that the city is doing everything … whatever you can do to fix the infrastructure in the Hannibal Square area,” she said of the historically Black neighborhood, noting one neighbor recently left her car keys behind while she went on vacation so other neighbors could move her car if the street floods again.
Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio expressed some urgency later in the meeting, asking city staff if reports related to proposed improvements will be ready for the heavy storm season later this summer and early fall.
“When are these reports going to come in? Six months from now? The season’s going to be over,” she said. “We have to do something.”
Final approval of the new rates will come later this summer as commissioners finalize the next budget.
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by Beth Kassab | Jun 10, 2023 | News, Uncategorized
How can we fix S.R. 426?
The state is seeking citizens’ input on plans to rehab the road and improve safety along the 1.7-mile stretch
More than 600 car crashes, including 203 injuries and two deaths, occurred on the curved sections of S.R. 426 between Park Avenue and Lakemont Avenue between 2017 and 2022 — statistics the Florida Department of Transportation is looking to combat with a series of changes to the road.
Construction is slated to begin in 2026 to add features like landscaped medians, pedestrian barriers, raised intersections and crosswalks to the narrow and curvy passage.
Residents can drop in to a meeting in-person or virtually on Tuesday between 5:30 and 7 p.m. at the Winter Park Events Center. A 20-minute video presentation will play on a loop and FDOT staff will be on hand to answer questions and hear ideas. For more information and link to connect virtually click here.
One potential new design for S.R. 426 at Phelps Avenue, the site of the highest number of traffic crashes.
To determine exactly how the plan looks, the state is presenting two alternatives to residents and will combine the best features of both into the final design, according to materials provided by FDOT.
The idea is to reduce traffic speeds and increase driver awareness through the corridor that serves as an important east-west connector from Winter Park to Oviedo and beyond. Speeding is common through one of the main curves near Alberta Avenue, known as the Southern Curve, where the posted limit is 25 miles per hour, but FDOT data shows the average speed is more than 34 miles per hour.
Distracted driving and lane departures were the most common factors in the traffic accidents on the stretch, FDOT reported.
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by Beth Kassab | May 11, 2023 | City Commission, News, Uncategorized
City Manager Randy Knight applied for Ron DeSantis' Disney oversight board
Knight did not immediately respond to a request for comment
By Beth Kassab
City Manager Randy Knight applied for the top job at the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, created by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature to take back power from Walt Disney World over the special taxing district formerly known as Reedy Creek.
Knight’s resume was one of four received by the board, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Knight, who has worked for Winter Park for more than 20 years, let commissioners know privately after Wednesday night’s meeting that he applied for the job, according to three commissioners.
“Randy let me know he had been asked to submit his resume for the position last night,” said Mayor Phil Anderson. “But I’m relieved that Randy will continue to be able to work on the commission’s priorities.”
DeSantis’ board hired Glen Gilzean, president of the Central Florida Urban League and a former lobbyist for Step Up for Students, for the position at a salary of $400,000. The Legislature created the new board in the wake of a political showdown between DeSantis and Disney after the company spoke out last year against about the law known as “Don’t Say Gay” and stopped making political contributions in Florida. Disney has filed a lawsuit alleging that the state’s actions are a retaliatory response to the company’s free speech.
Commissioner Marty Sullivan said Knight, who earns about $220,000 in his current role, also told him last night that he applied.
“He said the job paid $400,000 and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” Sullivan said.
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by Beth Kassab | May 11, 2023 | City Commission, News, Orange Avenue Overlay, Uncategorized
Commissioners: Can we buy Winter Park Playhouse building?
The potential purchase is an alternative to a new building at Seven Oaks Park as the City Commission also considers concepts for the old library
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park City Commissioners on Wednesday tossed around the idea of using Community Redevelopment Agency funds combined with Orange County Tourism Development Tax dollars to buy the building occupied by the Winter Park Playhouse, currently on the market for about $4.25 million.
The potential purchase came up as an alternative to allowing the theater, which is set to lose its lease at 711 N. Orange Avenue as early as next year, to build above the parking lot at the new Seven Oaks Park.
That concept has been discussed since February, though some commissioners have been hesitant to commit to the idea because of the likely need for more parking in the future as well as concerns about how the structure would alter the look and feel of the park.
“I want to do everything we can do to keep [the playhouse], but we don’t know what 10 years is going to bring for Seven Oaks and that whole area could change,” said Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio.
Heather Alexander, executive director of the playhouse, said she is open to the city’s help to purchase the current building, but also remains interested in building at the park or even the old Winter Park Library site.
Ultimately, commissioners voted to put on hold for two weeks a Request for Proposal for the air rights above the Seven Oaks parking lot.
Earlier in the meeting, the commission voted to go forward with asking for redevelopment concepts for the old library and, once again, voted to give preference to proposals that keep the old building rather than demolish it. Commissioner Todd Weaver pushed for the change, arguing it would be wasteful and harm the environment to take down the 1978 building. That amendment passed by a 3-2 vote with Mayor Phil Anderson and DeCiccio dissenting.
Last year the commission issued an RFP for the site and required the building stay put, but abandoned the concept for office and other uses earlier this year.
This time they voted to allow residential units as part of the plans, though some commissioners expressed reservations about the city retaining ownership over a building with apartments or condominiums.
Six nonprofit groups expressed interest so far in being part of such a proposal. Groups are still invited to write letters of interest, Anderson said.
He also advocated for a community meeting to be held on the redevelopment of the old library so people who live nearby can have a better understanding of what to expect and weigh in on the concepts.
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by Beth Kassab | May 9, 2023 | City Commission, Library, News, Uncategorized
Six nonprofits seek space in old library
Vocal arts group, space museum and theater among contenders to redevelop New England Avenue property
By Beth Kassab
A half dozen nonprofits declared interest in the old Winter Park Library site, answering the city’s call for concepts to remake the old building into a space with an arts and culture component.
The letters of interest to reuse or demolish the 33,000-square-foot former library are scheduled to be discussed at Wednesday’s City Commission meeting along with a separate call for concepts to develop space above the parking lot at the new Seven Oaks Park.
The commission set several guidelines for concepts related to plans for the 1.75-acre library site. Preference will be given to ideas that keep the first floor free of any residential units, don’t require any off-site parking and preserve the oak tree on the east side of the building.
Parking is likely to become a central issue in light of the commission’s recent approval of Rollins College’s plans to build a new art museum and business graduate school nearby as the Alfond Inn undergoes an expansion.
The ideas submitted for the old library site include:
- Central Florida Vocal Arts and Opera del Sol. The nonprofit currently without a permanent space is looking to use the entire building to create an arts cooperative that would include the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra and Emotions Dance. The group led by Theresa Smith-Levin stated it is willing to negotiate a lease for the space and does not intend to use it as a main performance venue. Central Florida Vocal Arts included several letters of support for its concept and said it has funding support from several high-profile philanthropic organizations such as the Edyth Bush Foundation, United Arts of Central Florida and the Ginsburg Foundation.
- SkyBuilders 4 All. The group led by Executive Director Carissa Villa describes itself as seeking community development and housing solutions and says it will need about 1,000 square feet for office and project space. The group also provides personal and business financial education.
- Saving Our Aeronautical Resources Museum. SOAR is a new nonprofit created to inspire kids to go into STEM fields with a special emphasis on space exploration. The group says it will have “generous contributions” from NASA, the U.S. Air Force, Boeing and Kennedy Space Center for an estimated $3 million “build out.” The total cost of the museum is $10.5 million, according to the documents submitted. The idea is to host school field trips and other groups to engage more kids in scientific fields. Ravi Margasahayam, an aerospace engineer who spent 35 years with NASA; Gary Duce, president of Space Training Academy & Research and Susan Omoto, executive director at Casa Feliz, are behind the proposal.
- Winter Park History Museum. The well-known group is looking to expand its current space from about 900 square-feet to about 5,000-square-feet for a mix of permanent and rotating exhibits and office space.
- Winter Park Playhouse. The community theater that is losing its lease next year has expressed interest in potential space at Seven Oaks Park, but also submitted a letter of interest for the old library. It is seeking to use about a third of the old building for a 150-175-seat theater.
- Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. The group is looking for about 1,500 square-feet for permanent office and meeting space to manage one of Winter Park’s best-known annual events.
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