Winter Park City Talk

March 9 City Commission meeting highlights

Mayor’s Report

• A proclamation was made declaring Thursday, March 26, 2015, “Art King Day” in Winter Park in honor of Deputy King’s 33-plus years of service and congratulating him on his retirement.

• The appointment of members to the Visioning Steering Committee was confirmed.

City Manager’s Report

• Mayor Kenneth W. Bradley was recognized for his six years of service and presented with mementos of appreciation from the city, Fire-Rescue and Police departments.

Consent Agenda

• The minutes for Feb. 23, 2015, were approved with modifications.

• The purchase and contracts were approved (for a complete list, please visit cityofwinterpark.org/ccpackets.)

Action Items Requiring Discussion

• The East Morse Boulevard parking and sidewalk easement was approved.

Public Hearings

• The request of Winter Park Real Estate Advisors Inc. was approved to amend the conditional use approval previously granted at 125 S. Interlachen Ave., to allow for modifications to the approved multi-family project to be composed of six units, three stories and 20,542 square feet of residential living area with parking in the basement level below the project, on property zoned R-4.

• The second reading of the ordinance vacating and abandoning the portion of Kindel Avenue, between Benjamin Avenue and Lewis Drive within the Ravaudage Planned Development and Home Acres Subdivision area, was approved.

• The requests of the city of Winter Park for the property at 2908 Temple Trail resulted as follows:

— The second readings of the ordinance changing the Future Land Use Designation of Single Family Residential to Open Space and Recreation, and the ordinance changing the zoning of Single Family District to Parks and Recreation District were approved.

• The first reading of the ordinance annexing 1802 Stonehurst Road was approved.

• The first reading of the ordinance annexing a portion of the Howell Branch right of way from 1620 Howell Branch Road, east to the city limits, was approved.

A full copy of the March 9 City Commission minutes will be available at cityofwinterpark.org/ccminutes the week of March 23, pending approval by the City Commission. Remember, if you are unable to attend the City Commission meetings, you can watch them live, gavel-to-gavel as they happen. During the meeting, simply log on to cityofwinterpark.org/cclive to easily stay tuned-in to official city business.

Spring Pops Concert

On Sunday, March 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. the city of Winter Park will proudly host the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra as they present Spring Pops “Voices of Spring” in charming Central Park in downtown Winter Park. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy an evening of heart-warming music under the stars. This wonderful performance is made possible by a generous grant from the Charlotte Julia Hollander Trust. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 407-599-3506.

City receives Tree Line USA Utility certification

The National Arbor Day Foundation has recently certified the city of Winter Park as a Tree Line USA Utility. The certification will be presented at the City Commission meeting Monday, March 23, by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service.

The Tree Line USA program exists to recognize best practices in public and private utility arboriculture, demonstrating how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens. The certification recognizes that Winter Park has met the five requirements for protection and enhancement of community trees including:

• Quality tree care

• Annual worker training

• Community tree planting and public education

• Tree-based energy conservation program

• Arbor Day observance

The Tree Line USA program benefits communities by providing healthier and more abundant community forests, reduced tree mortality, increased reliability of service, and reduced energy costs to consumers. The program benefits utility companies by providing lower line clearance costs, improved rights of way management, lower peak energy demand, collaborative urban forest management opportunities, and more trees to help absorb carbon monoxide.

This certification adds to the city’s current designations as a Tree City USA for the past 34 years, and recipient of the Tree City USA Growth Award for the past 24 years.

For more information regarding the Tree Line USA program, please visit arborday.org/programs/treelineUSA.

Free SunRail service offered during Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival weekend

Free SunRail train service will be offered during the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, operating from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. SunRail will operate its normal ticketed schedule on Friday, March 20. However, free train service will be offered on Saturday and Sunday as a result of the CRA approval and generous support from the following funding partners:

• Florida Hospital

• Winter Park Community Redevelopment Agency

• Winter Park Chamber of Commerce

• The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival

Please note – Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, departing times:

• Last train leaving Winter Park heads northbound @ 4:41 p.m.

• Last train leaving Winter Park heads southbound @ 3:36 p.m.

Visit sunrail.com/documents/WPSAF.pdf for the complete Saturday and Sunday train schedule.

Free SunRail parking will be available at the following stations along the corridor: Sand Lake Road, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Lake Mary, Sanford and DeBary.

For more information regarding the City of Winter Park, please visit the city’s official website at cityofwinterpark.org. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and watch us on both Vimeo and YouTube.