Orange County denies Wondermere preschool

Many property owners residing near the area of Windermere and McKinnon roads breathed a sigh of relief following the April 9 Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

County commissioners unanimously denied a special exception request to allow a preschool for up to 200 students in the West Windermere Rural Settlement after a nearly two-hour public hearing featuring comments and concerns from town of Windermere and Orange County residents.

The proposed project, named Wondermere Garden Preschool, was to be located on a 22-acre property situated on the east side of Windermere Road and south of Roberson Road in a predominantly residential area surrounded by single-family homes. 

“I just ask you deny the applicant’s request and keep our neighborhood a neighborhood and keep the childcare facility out as it is a commercial business, and just keep it as a nice place to live.” said town of Windermere resident Sara Ruffner.

The project, which was first introduced to area residents in a community meeting Jan. 30, triggered concerns from the surrounding community from the beginning, primarily pertaining to traffic on Windermere Road, excessive noise, on-site vehicle stacking, and potential impacts to the wetlands and wildlife on the property.

Nonetheless, the project received a 6-1 approval by the county’s Board of Zoning Adjustment Feb. 7, subject to 13 conditions.

The applicant behind the proposed project, Bryan Potts, aimed to construct a preschool for up to 200 children ages 18 months to 6 years old. 

According to the site plan, the project included a 15,000-square-foot main building, a playground, 74 parking spaces and a 2,000-square-foot ancillary building.

And although some agreed the preschool sounded OK on paper, many believed the proposed location was not a good fit, particularly as a traffic study estimated the preschool would generate about 822 new trips to Windermere Road on a daily basis.

“Don’t disrupt a residential area by putting a commercial project in it,” said Raymond Kellett, an area resident who spoke at the April 9 hearing.

Before making a motion to deny the proposed preschool, Orange County District 1 Commissioner Betsy VanderLey emphasized that, despite the variety of concerns expressed at the hearing, her reason to propose a denial comes down to the project’s incompatibility with the surrounding residential area and concern that approving it would set a dangerous precedent.

“There are a number of things that have been brought forward today … but at the end of the day, this is simply a decision on whether this is a piece of property that is appropriate for this type of development,” VanderLey said. “And that’s full stop. We are not here to comment or make motions on whether there’s a need for a preschool in the area or properties surrounding it, but I will tell you that I’ve been checking addresses of everyone here who has commented, and there hasn’t been a single person who lives in the rural settlement that has been for this project. And that speaks volumes to me right there.”