Windermere Council rezones plot for Rosser Reserve

The Windermere Town Council moved two steps closer to making the Rosser Reserve a reality tonight, starting with a unanimous approval of PUD rezoning from town agriculture for about 10 acres at 9501 Conroy Windermere Road.

The second step was the council's unanimous approval of the Rosser Reserve Preliminary Development Plan, but with three conditions after much discussion among council members: that stormwater management be monitored; that a roundabout in the plan be no less than 45 feet; and that the issue of a possible left turn lane be revisited during the next Windermere Town Council Meeting, Tuesday, April 14.

The development team elected to pull its developer's agreement from the public hearing package to spend more time reviewing it and propose an agreement more amenable to both sides.

WINDSONG ADJUSTMENT

Just when the Windsong at Windermere saga seemed complete, an amendment to the developer's agreement arose to reconstruct language regarding landscaping. The council passed the amendment 3-1, with Councilman John Armstrong opposing it on the basis of being unable to add a condition of Windsong's development team bearing full and sole responsibility for putting in a left turn lane once such a lane would be deemed necessary and not until necessary.

SWEARING IN

Councilwoman Molly Rose swore in to officially begin her fourth two-year term on the Windermere Town Council. Councilman Jim O'Brien was scheduled to swear in for his third term, but he was absent from the meeting.

Bob McKinley swore in to officially begin his first term as a councilman, replacing two-term incumbent Mike Pirozzolo, who received a plaque for his contributions to the council in the last four years.

Also swearing in was new Windermere Reserve Police Officer Brian Miller.

PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Windermere Parks & Recreation Board Member Mary Hayes received a plaque that recognized her contributions to that department for years.

Kelly Leary and Mathew Lee of McDirmit & Davis led an audit presentation for the 2013-14 fiscal year, which showed reserves in the town's General Fund increasing as a surplus while its Stormwater Fund has decreased. Town Manager Robert Smith explained that the Stormwater Fund decrease was related to recent payments regarding stormwater.

Mayor Gary Bruhn issued two proclamations, one that he already made but wished to enter into the public record. That was the recognition of March 22 as Officer Robert "Robbie" German Remembrance Day in Windermere. The other proclamation recognized Windermere's volunteers on the Mayor's Day of Recognition for National Service.

FIRST READINGS

Mayor Bruhn read four proposed changes to code ordinances, related to the following matters: the process of obtaining a seawall permit; the procedure for obtaining development building permits; prohibiting the parking of commercial vehicles weighing more than 15,000 pounds in residential districts; and the approval process for home occupation applications. The second readings and public hearings for all of these proposed changes will occur at the next council meeting.

CONSENT AGENDA

The council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included a 6 p.m. workshop April 28 at Town Hall for a mid-year report and study on annexations and compensation. Another consent agenda item was a seawall permit for 503 Jennifer Lane, granting approval to build about 225 feet of replacement vertical seawall and 90 feet of new vertical seawall on that property, adjacent to Lake Down.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].