P&Z Board Approves Racquet Club Expansion with Multiple Conditions
The plans must still win approval from the City Commission
Oct. 9, 2025
By Beth Kassab
The Winter Park Racquet Club made it over the first hurdle this week toward an expansion in the neighborhood known as “the Vias,” one of the city’s poshest enclaves between Lake Maitland and Temple Drive.
In a 5-1 vote, the Planning & Zoning Board approved plans with three new conditions to tear down the white-columned two-story home at 2111 Via Tuscany and allow the private club to build a larger one-story building to house a fitness center, locker rooms, tennis shop and offices.
A crowd of neighbors — some who have planted red signs that say “Stop WPRC Commercial Expansion in our Neighborhood” in their front yards — attended to meeting to speak against the project with some comparing the tenor of the lights and activity at the club to a “Walmart” or “McDonald’s.”
Chairman Jason Johnson was the lone dissenting vote. Vashon Sarkisian, Charles Steinberg, David Bornstein, Alex Stringfellow and Michael Dick voted in favor. Bill Segal was absent.
Johnson said the changes appear as “commercial creep” in a residential area and said the term “sprawling campus” is “probably not an inaccurate description of what has happened with the club” that dates back to 1953.
“Is that to be expected?” Johnson asked. “Maybe, I guess? But this does sit in the middle of a residential neighborhood and at some point you’ve got to say I think it’s enough.”
A rendering shows what the new Winter Park Racquet Club building will look like at 2011 Via Tuscany. The white home pictured above will be torn down.
The project and conditions must ultimately be approved by the City Commission.
Planning & Zoning members added the following conditions:
- The circular driveway in front of the new building will be limited to 12-feet wide at the entry and exit points and 14 feet in the interior. That’s a reduction from the 20-foot driveway proposed by the club after neighbors and board members expressed concern the space would essentially serve as a parking lot. The club’s original proposal called for striped parking in front of the new building, but it revised those plans after hearing concerns last month.
- The club must conduct a photometric study or an analysis of the lights emitted by the club, including pickleball and tennis courts, to make sure it’s compliant and does not interfere with nearby homes.
- Play on the pickleball courts, which sit closest to Via Tuscany, must end at 8 p.m. instead of the current 9 p.m. cutoff.
City staff also called for additional conditions such as the driveway access on Via Tuscany be an entrance-only; the club can not increase its membership; hours of operation for the new building will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the new building; no new lighting can be added in the grass parking lot and the new paved section must use “low-scale bollard fixtures rather than traditional pole-mounted lights;” all non-safety required lights be off by 10 p.m. daily and the removal of two oak trees result in double the typical compensation.
Rob Carter, the club’s volunteer president, said at the meeting that the club serves mostly Winter Park families, many who live in the neighborhood and walk or bike there. The home that will be torn down, he said, is outdated and will be replaced with a “safer one” that is compatible with the neighborhood and will not increase the intensity of the club’s operations.
“I do take some offense to the idea that we’re not trying to be a good neighbor,” he told the board, emphasizing that he incorporated residents’ feedback into the latest proposal and has offered to meet with people who live nearby and have concerns.
Demolition on Isle of Sicily
The P&Z board also approved plans by owners Kamran and Mina Khosravani for a new 10,400-square-foot home at 3 Isle of Sicily, meaning the current house originally built by famed local architect James Gamble Rogers II will be torn down.
The original home known as Four Winds dates to 1930 and sat at just 1,800-square-foot in the French provincial style. But the home had been altered significantly over the years and Jack Rogers, an architect and son of Gamble Rogers, said the damage to its integrity and history had been done long ago.
The project was approved unanimously by the board with little discussion and no public comment.
Over the years the number of Gambles Rogers homes in Winter Park has dwindled from about 50 to 15 or 20, Rogers said.
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This is reminiscent of what’s happening on the West side with the McMansions encroachment of the little cottage neighborhoods. It’s simply rude to the others. So it’s understandable that this has caused the homeowners to be angry and post red signs in their yards. Why not do a tear down and a 2-story, new build that fits in better with the surrounding neighborhood? They have an opportunity to make it new, yet nostalgic and better than ever!
People in the area (defined as the area to which loud sounds will carry) of the WP Racquet Club need to be aware of how far the racket (noise) of pickleball will be heard. The City Council has already been dealing with this noise issue in other areas. In 1953 the Club sat in a very different area; not rural but definitely not urban/residential. I moved to WP 61 years ago, and have lived inside the “sound zone” of the Club for 50. When we built our current home it became the 11th home built on a street that now has double that many. The Club has grown a lot. Loud sounds from the Club are infrequent; usually at “party times”. To that we have become tolerant. But pickleball? And an activity facility on Via Tuscany that will produce other additional noises and traffic; Really? In one of the great areas of WP? If the whole Club site was vacant I doubt the City would even entertain such a use. I’ve been there; it’s a nice club, but it’s big enough. We agree with P&Z Chair Jason Johnson. Pick another place. We are solidly against the expansion.
They already have pickle ball courts. They’ve been there several years now. As I understand it, they are not planning to add anymore.
I remember how shocking it was when the WP Racquet Club purchased this home. But since the home remained unchanged and was used for offices and storage, it did not change the character of the neighborhood. Sadly, we all know this routine in Winter Park. Remember the promises made for the expansion of the YMCA? Promises are made and promises are later broken with the blessing of the City Commission. While change is inevitable and nobody can say that the proposed building is not aesthetically beautiful, it does change the character of the neighborhood. Also, the neighbors adjacent to the WP Racquet Club are feeling the greatest impact, and yet they are being ignored. Let’s not pay lip service to being good neighbors. Let’s actually be good neighbors.
Good finishing comment.
And again Jason Johnson shows me why I voted for him for city commissioner. Please run again.