News & Notes: Rollins apartments, McCraney property and leaf blowers
The developer of the first new building in the Orange Avenue Overlay is bringing significant changes back to the City Commission for consideration
Feb. 24, 2024
By Beth Kassab
The City Commission on Wednesday will hear a list of proposed changes for the three-story office building slated to be developed next to Seven Oaks Park along Orange Avenue.
The changes are the result of a lengthy public hearing two weeks ago during which a number of residents spoke both for and against the building.
Commissioners criticized the building’s height, which exceeded the limit, as well as its single-use purpose as an office building among other concerns.
Since then, Steve McCraney, the developer who wants to use the building, in part, as his corporate headquarters, has submitted the following changes:
- The building will no longer be used exclusively for offices and now will be a mixed-use project. The other uses proposed weren’t immediately clear.
- The building’s architecture has been updated (see rendering above).
- The screen wall on the roof of the building intended to shield the air-conditioning unit and other equipment from view will now be shorter.
- The green space planned in front of the building along Minnesota and Denning is adjusted, though the building will still provide more than the required number of parking spaces in the back.
After a first hearing, which didn’t require a vote on Feb. 14, commissioners are expected to take a vote on the project after the second hearing on Wednesday.
Rollins seeks approval for apartments
The liberal arts college that has helped define central Winter Park is expected to come back to the board for approval of new faculty apartments after pausing its request earlier this month.
Neighbors and commissioners have asserted the plan, which is intended to provide attainable housing close to campus exclusively for Rollins faculty and staff, doesn’t fit with the neighborhood and will decrease property values.
At the end of January, Rollins attempted to appease some concerns by lowering the number of units from 48 to 39 and reducing the size and length of the building along Welbourne Avenue.
The proposal is now for a three-story 72,933-square-foot building with 104 parking spaces, which meets code requirements, according to a memorandum from city staff.
Will residents vote on leaf blower ban?
In what has proven to be just as explosive of a topic as development in Winter Park, Commissioners could take a step this week in quieting — once and for all — the noise over leaf blowers.
Commissioners are expected on Wednesday to vote on an ordinance that could allow voters to decide if gas-powered leaf blowers should be banned.
The ordinance comes after Sen. Jason Brodeur threatened to pass a law to prohibit Winter Park and other cities from enforcing their own rules on the matter.
Brodeur demanded the city delay implementing the ordinance, which was originally passed on Jan. 12, 2022, until June 1, 2025, which would allow voters to first have a say on the March 11, 2025 ballot. Voters would be asked whether the gas powered devices, which many consider a nuisance both as noisemakers and air pollutants, should be banned.
Commissioners are expected to vote on doing just that. At the last meeting, Marty Sullivan and Todd Weaver signaled they were against meeting the senator’s demands while Phil Anderson and Kris Cruzada said they were open to it. Sheila DeCiccio, who is running for mayor in the March 19 election, is expected to be the swing vote.
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By: Beth Kassab
No biography available at this time
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Enough with the changes to the McCraney building. It is a significant upgrade to the Orange Ave corridor as is.
Agree!
I am in total support of the ban on leaf blowers for the stated reasons of noise and air pollution. At our house alone they blow dirt away from plants which is harmful, dirt in air lands on plants and outdoor furniture, and dirties windows and furniture. We are breathing in all the air pollution created. To take a walk on a beautiful morning is ruined by the unending noise pollution. I would be interested in hearing how the landscape companies in the other Florida cities that have passed a ban on gas powered blowers have dealt with it.
Regarding the leaf blowers, entrepreneurs, technology, and our free enterprise system will deliver what the marketplace demands. How silly to think that three people can decide what type of products are or are not allowed. Let the people vote to decide this one.
Looks like McCraney has gone out of his way to meet all requirements for his building. I hope it is approved and thank him for compromise and good will toward the city.
In consideration for my neighbors. Switched all my gas powered equipment to electric. It’s just too much noise.
I can understand chainsaws, as they are seldomly used on a home owners property…..we get it!.. However leaf blowers run every day on every street all day- some homes twice a week they come.
Leaf blowing internal combustion engines -are out of hand…as I am typing this there are two units blowing outside my window….can’t even make a business call- can hardly think.
Dear Mayor and Commissioners:
Let’s take a look at key phrases from our longstanding city vision statement or as its often called our “word cloud” based on surveys of residents in 2016–almost 10 years ago. It has served us well. City commissioners continually refer to it as our guidestar.
Visioning – City of Winter Park—
cultural assets familyoriented diversity UnIqueness stewardship/ sustainability
landscape setting/ wildlife proactive growth/ future village ambiance/ small town feel
lactive/healthy lifestyles collaboration/ involvement messy anecomanst quality oflife excellence/ high-quality/world-classma
appeal/ destination character
history/heritage inclusiveness.-
The largest phrase vote getters: proactive growth; future village ambiance; small town feel; collaborative involvement.
This project does not check all the boxes. Yes, handsome building design—but the context (location) is all wrong. There are lots of locations throughout Winter Park where this building would be welcome, in fact value-added.
But sited in such an aggressive manner to directly face the city’s newest urban park (in years), a tennis center, a children’s playground, and within sight of the Gardens neighborhood, it is subtractive to our city’s fabric. So why here? Its as if a drone dropped a 3-story brick that missed the Five Points intersection but landed in a lopsided position not far from it.
Consider the Edyth Bush Foundation building on the backside of Park Avenue. (Same architect by the way) The context there works-nicely. But lift it up and move it to Park Avenue-or to the opposite of Central Park—on the West Meadow—and the result is unwelcoming scale. A facade “in your face”. It destroys that small town feel. Context is key. Context is everything. Just look around this city. What do you love— and why? What’s worth fighting for?
Unfortunately, that’s what we have here with the current McCraney proposal. A mismatch. The commission needs to return to their vision guidestar and reconsider what could be a precedent for expansion of the entire Orange Avenue district. We need a willing and collaborative corporate partner.
Let’s envision an extension of Park Avenue as we reshape Orange Avenue —but not default to a potential 17-92 model with its traffic-generating hysteria and lackluster appeal.
Back to the top. Nowhere does our vision word cloud call for “insensitive context”; “sunset views and solar rays reflected in glass facades”; “traditional neighborhoods severely impacted by a traffic generator”; “disruptive city fabric”; “park and recreational views blocked by juggernaut buildings”.
We can do better. Go for the Win/Win. Let’s get it right. This can be a precedent-setting decision for this commission. Don’t hem in your green space. Instead complement/add value to your green assets. Residents First! – CJ Williams
Well said! Bravo!👏🏻 In total agreement. Context is everything!