Winter Garden commission meeting set for Oct. 12

First Reading: Rezoning of property at 622 Vineland Road

Tonight, commissioners will consider an ordinance describing a rezoning request for 0.193 acres of property located at 622 Vineland Road on the northwest corner of West Lafayette Road and State Road 535. The applicant wishes to rezone the property from Residential District to Residential Neighborhood Commercial District for the purpose of building another residential home in its place with office space. The property is currently vacant as the applicant has recently demolished the single-family residential home that was formerly on the property. The second reading of this ordinance is scheduled for Oct. 26.

First Reading: Downtown Core Parking Fees

In an attempt to provide adequate parking downtown in the midst of ongoing redevelopment projects, the city commission will also vote on a proposed ordinance, Ordinance 17-56, that addresses the option of downtown property and business owners to pay a parking user fee in lieu of providing parking. The ordinance proposes that business and property owners will need to have their request approved by the city, making the use of the downtown core parking fee option subject to city approval. The fee, which is $5,000, may be increased at any time via a resolution authorized by city leaders.  If this ordinance passes, the section will read as follows:

"At the request of the property owner or business owner, the city manager or city commission may permit the property owner or business owner pay the below parking user fee in lieu of providing all or some of the required parking if it is determined by the city manager or city commission that the parking user fee in lieu of providing parking provides the best opportunity for economic development of downtown and adequate proximate parking is available or will be provided to serve the project."