Winter Garden extends East Plant Street building moratorium

Commissioners extended a moratorium on the processing of development and building permit applications until Feb. 27, 2017 for the area of East Plant Street between Dillard Street and State Road 429.

This moratorium is in light of the State Road 429 master plan, adopted jointly in February between the cities of Winter Garden and Ocoee. The plan envisions Ocoee and Winter Garden becoming even more of destinations as State Road 429 continues to aid connections in the greater Orlando area.

The master plan addresses three key interchanges in the area — West Road in Ocoee, State Road 50 in Ocoee and Plant-Franklin, shared by Ocoee and Winter Garden. These three interchanges are some key point of entry into downtown Winter Garden or downtown Ocoee.

The Plant-Franklin interchange will become a center of employment, with the master plan envisioning a pedestrian-friendly design and the opportunity for residential and retail to coexist together. 

The original moratorium on East Plant Street was set to expire Aug. 31 but allowed city officials to put a halt on development in the area while Real Estate Research Consultants Inc. to conducted master plan study for the area. The study needs more time, city staff says; therefore, commissioners voted to extend the moratorium. 

IN OTHER NEWS

Commissioners approved an ordinance that would allow the city to issue two sales tax revenue bonds. The first bond, at $10.2 million, would be used to finance projects such as the parking garage. The second bond, at $9.81 million, would be used to refund all outstanding sales tax revenue bonds the city has, securing a better rate and saving the city $1.69 million.