Rollins wins P&Z recommendation for apartments -- with conditions
The board is pushing the City Commission to require the college pay a fee in lieu of taxes because it is exempt as a nonprofit educational institution
Aug. 10, 2024
By Beth Kassab
In what is certain to be a closely-watched case among nonprofit institutions across Central Florida, pressure continues to mount for Rollins College to cover some costs of city services related to its latest development proposal.
The Planning and Zoning board voted unanimously last week to recommend the City Commission approve the 30-unit, 2-and-3 story project on the corner of Welbourne and Virginia avenues, but only with multiple conditions attached including a pilot program that calls for the small private liberal arts college to pay fees in lieu of taxes.
Rollins, which charges about $76,000 a year in tuition, housing and food costs, according to its website, qualifies for a tax exemption on much of its property as a nonprofit educational institution, meaning that it doesn’t pay typical ad valorem taxes on its assessed land values, other fees or sales taxes.
But increasingly vocal residents in Winter Park are crying foul — arguing that Rollins should pay more of its share for basic services like police and fire rescue, flood control, roads and parks.
Dykes Everett, a local business owner, was just one of a handful of people who attended the meeting to encourage the board to push for a special payment program.
“I’m here in support of holding the line on a fee in lieu of taxes,” Everett said. “A private citizen would have to pay for police and fire … The impact is real and it’s just the same as every other citizen would have.”
Rollins attorney Rebecca Wilson argued against such a requirement for a payment.
“At this time, the college is not willing to agree to that,” Wilson said, noting Rollins pays more than $1.1 million in taxes on its unexempt property and partners with the police and fire departments to allow them to run drills in empty buildings on campus. “We believe Rollins has been a great partner to the city.”
The project, which has undergone a series of architectural revisions and is now smaller than originally proposed last year, is intended to provide below market rate housing for faculty and staff in a city with soaring home prices and to help the college recruit new hires.
She also said she isn’t aware that the city has asked any other nonprofits to make such payments.
Among the largest of those would be AdventHealth Winter Park, which operates a growing nonprofit hospital and its one of the city’s largest employers.
A Rollins spokeswoman suggested Rollins may reconsider such an agreement, but did not respond to a follow-up question from the Voice asking for details.
“We are working internally to accommodate the full motion approved by P&Z,” said Jo Marie Hebler, a Rollins spokeswoman. “We expect to have a mutually beneficial plan that will be on the Aug. 28 City Commission agenda.”
City Planning Director Emeritus Jeff Briggs said he was unaware of the details of such a plan.
The City Commission has the option of accepting the P&Z board’s recommendations in total or in part or of rejecting the proposal all together.
The recommendation for approval by Warren Lindsey includes the following conditions:
- The apartments will be built with 60 parking spaces.
- No student housing or classroom instruction space is allowed.
- Rollins agrees to own and operate the faculty and staff housing for 30 years.
- If Rollins wants to amend the agreement it must wait at least five years and the change must go through the P&Z process.
- If Rollins receives a state tax exemption on the property it must enter a pilot program with the city to pay the equivalent of city taxes and stormwater fees.
Members Jason Johnson, Bill Segal, Michael Spencer, Jim Fitch, Alex Stringfellow and David Bornstein all voted in favor.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
A Payment In Lieu Of Taxes or PILOT program seems fair and very appropriate for Rollins College and the City of Winter Park.
How many properties has Rollins purchased and removed from the City of Winter Park Tax roll? Think there are more than a few.
One example is 823 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. The former Organized Jungle property was purchased by Rollins in 2007 for $2,000,000. Improved by adding what appears to be an office structure fencing the property and adding barbed wire (nice community touch) on top of the fence. For several years they only cut the grass when it was knee high.
According to the Orange County Property Appraiser the tax exemption on the property is $894,724 resulting in a “Tax Savings” of $18,704.
If there was not an exemption, what would the City of Winter Park receive? Unclear but our tax record shows that of the total tax on our property 26% goes to the City of Winter Park. That means if not exempt, approximately $4,5000 would go to the City of Winter Park and could be used as a starting point for Rollins to pay its fair share.
No surprise the Attorney for Rollins disagrees and have heard many speak to how fortunate Winter Park is to have Rollins. I suggest Rollins is very fortunate to have Winter Park, let’s call that position a draw.
The City should take a position here and a look at how much property Rollins has taken off the City tax rolls and include adjacent properties to the Campus they have acquired.
The City of Winter Park services are outstanding and think its time for Rollins to adjust its approach believing it can do or get what it wishes from the City and start to contribute financially. They should make PILOT payments to the City on some or all of the ancillary properties they own.
Will see if any of our elected officials are willing to take a stand that do the right thing or if they will continue to cower to Rollins College.
Jack Miles, well written. It’s long past time Rollins began to pick up the cost of the city services they enjoy. I hope the current commission has the backbone to insist on it for this project and some more.
I have always been in full support of Rollins College. I believe they add a lot to Winter Park. However, the more they encroach on the City west of Fairbanks and expect a free lunch compared to the rest of us, I believe they are not a responsible partner to that extent.
Has anyone noticed it is often the same lawyer making the asks that eat away at the character of the West Side and of the City of Winter Park as a whole? Nothing personal, but I would suggest that when as a resident you see this lawyer speaking to promote a proposal that does not fit where it’s proposed, as this one does not, dig deeper. There will be weak spots, vulnerable spots. They may be hidden or totally omitted in the agenda packets. But, read those packets more closely. Ask questions and show up at meetings to oppose what does not fit. It’s sad to say but it is only in numbers that residents can successfully oppose negative, unnecessary trends like increasing density, vesting what ought not be vested, and reducing parking. Staff will not protect you. The commission won’t do this for you. They support Rollins. Sad but true. The hard work of standing up comes down to residents. This is a dormitory, nothing more.
For cryin’ out loud, please stop these ungenerous swipes at Rollins College. Nonprofits are everywhere in WP. Who will be next? The Diocese of Orlando owns a 12,000 square foot “rooming house” (per Orange County Prop Tax) on Knowles Ave.-they pay zero tax. The Diocese of Orlando, like Rollins, is following the law.
The Rollins building will be occupied by younger professionals. These working residents are not going to burden police/fire. And the property will generate water/electric fees which includes a small fee to maintain the system. Just like the ones everybody else pays in WP.
Let’s not go down this road. Rollins is legally entitled to every tax break that is used by every other non profit in WP. Trying to stigmatize Rollins for following the law is blatant discrimination.
We eliminated all developers’ ability to ask to build high density apartments from city code in 2017. But yet we bring high density back in this place…just for Rollins. Why?
Code requires 2.5 parking spaces for each dwelling unit, but we will reduce the parking mandate city-wide to accommodate Rollins here. This will also mean we can permit more future density on smaller and smaller parcels of land…the next time Rollins – or any other multi-family developer asks. Why?
Code also mandates that buildings on this street (on the West Side) be kept to 2 stories with the ability to request a third ONLY so long as the third story roof slope is pitched significantly. Rollins ignores this.
A binding paragraph in a city contract governing 3 parcels in this apartment development mandates that all R-3 zoning standards must be met on 316 W Welbourne-except for the number of units on those 3 of the 9 parcels that make up this project. The city is allowing Rollins to ignore that paragraph. Why?
The city and Rollins are doing all of the above. Yet, Rollins also asks to be excused from paying taxes as well so that WP taxpayers will subsize the project with their tax dollars. Really?
We don’t just cower to Rollins. We melt for Rollins. A Payment in Lieu of Taxes should be a given. Rollins and the City should be forced to adhere to the 2011 contract…in all respects. If they don’t follow that binding and recorded contract, why would Rollins ever comply with a silly Community Benefit Agreement? It isn’t worth the paper it is written on. This will be the first dormitory in the city core.
This! “ I suggest Rollins is very fortunate to have Winter Park, let’s call that position a draw.”
Enough of non profit abuse.
Happy to see Bill Segal step up…
Asking residents to subsidize this apartment complex for Rollins is a bridge too far.
There is a lot wrong with the whole proposal as there has been from the start. But residents of WP should not be asked, adding insult to injury, to subsidize it. A PILOT is essential if this is to be foisted on residents.
Context:
It’s time to pull out the map of Rollins real estate holdings within the Winter Park city limits and take the macro-view: is the college a true community partner when it comes to generating fair-share tax revenue or it is looking for the next exemption? Why is parking for college projects always a sleight of hand conversation.
It might be worthwhile to conduct a survey monkey opinion poll on what city residents believe is fair. Stop the bleeding. Here’s an idea for trading chess pieces on the board: let’s remove Rollins’ holding in our 3rd largest city park: the women’s softball field in MLK Jr Park: seldom-used, a gated-community in our 3rd largest park (23 acres),no rent paid to the city, under regulation size softball field, an expansion would be unacceptable. Return the acreage to the citizens of Winter Park: this was a bad deal executed by a prior commission. Give it up. —C J Williams