City leaders gave the green light on a rezoning ordinance that allows for the development of 17 new single-family homes along East Oakland Avenue.
Commissioners approved Ordinance 18-23, which pertains to a 9.18-acre property generally located west of Tildenville School Road, north of West Colonial Drive and along the south side of East Oakland Avenue. The property has been rezoned from R-1 (single-family residential district) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) and titled the Oakland Hills PUD.
Community Development Director Steve Pash said nine of the 17 homes may be built with an optional accessory dwelling unit, such as a garage apartment. However, the accessory dwelling units are prohibited from being rented out.
Commissioner Bob Buchanan said the biggest concern for the homeowners who live nearby the Oakland Hills PUD pertains to the number of large trees located on the property and whether or not the trees would be saved.
“The neighborhood is designed to save the majority of the large trees that are on the lot and create an agricultural setting,” Pash said.
IN OTHER NEWS
- Fire Chief Matt McGrew swore in new firefighter Rodrigo Lara, acknowledged the promotion of Jason Schneider to Fire Lieutenant and the promotion of Marcus DePaolo to Engine Driver.
- Police Chief George Brennan swore in new police officer Melissa Jackson. Commissioners acknowledged Brennan’s recent announcement to retire from his position as Chief of Police and thanked him for his years of service to Winter Garden.
- City leaders authorized an interlocal agreement with the Town of Oakland for police dispatching services.
- Commissioners awarded a $1.7-million contract to Cathcart Construction Inc. for a project to retrofit 221 existing single-family homes in the Black Lake, Harbor Crest, Lexington and Rock Creek subdivisions. The project will allow the homes to use reclaimed water for irrigation purposes, rather than potable water.
- City leaders awarded a $125,061 contract to T.D. Thomson Construction Company for the Carriage Pointe Aquifer Recharge System project. The system is part of an overall stormwater capture-and-reuse project currently under construction at Bradford Park and at the Crest Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- Commissioners reappointed Code Enforcement Board members Bruce Woloshin, Ron Sikes and Johnny Clark, whose three-year terms recently expired.
- City leaders appointed Matt Moore to fill in the remainder of a two-year term on the General Employee Pension Board. Moore will be filling in for member Dan Kuhl, who resigned from the board.
- Finally, city leaders dispensed as the city commission and convened as the Community Redevelopment Agency to re-appoint Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board members George Spigener, Tim Keating, Nick Asma and Derek Blakeslee, whose four-year terms were set to expire. The members will now serve additional four-year terms, and the seat that is currently vacant on the advisory board will remain unfilled.
