Winter Park could annex 54 acres

Winter Park could gain 54 acres of land and a massive mixed-use development if a proposed annexation goes forward.

The City Commission could vote Monday, Sept. 12 on an ordinance to annex the parcel of land spanning the entirety of the proposed Ravaudage development, which developer Benjamin Partners is looking to begin construction on.

The development has slowly purchased land over a 14-year period in the more than a dozen city blocks spreading north and west from the intersection of Lee Road and U.S. Highway 17-92.

At the last Commission meeting on Aug. 22, Benjamin Partners developer Dan Bellows said that he would like to break ground as soon as September on a restaurant development an Ale House restaurant could fill. But that would include expediting the annexation and infrastructure process as well as cutting Maitland out of the project.

Bellows said that was a tough decision, but that it made it easier to move the project forward.

“I’d always agreed to give Maitland some of that land,” Bellows said. “There’s a lot more involved when you initially set up a multi-jurisdictional [community development district]. When I do it with one municipality, it’s easier for everybody.”

That’s a point that Winter Park’s Commission has refused to concede, with some commissioners insisting that their neighboring city be included. Officials from both cities have been in talks in the past three weeks about continuing a partnership.

“All along I’ve always felt that part of the project is in Maitland and part is in Winter Park and we need to honor that,” Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley said. “Obviously the cities have to work together with the developer to make sure all our interests are best served.”

Winter Park City Manager Randy Knight said that Maitland could still be included in the development. Originally 17 acres of the development were supposed to be annexed by Maitland.

“We’re still trying to honor that 17 acres going into Maitland but procedurally it may be a problem,” he said. “We’re still trying to find a way to make it work so that Maitland gets some of it.”

In Maitland, Mayor Howard Schieferdecker said he’s still planning to work with Winter Park and Bellows to make sure everybody involved stays a part of the deal.

“We’ve worked with them for many years, and it’s a very special relationship we have with Winter Park,” Schieferdecker said. “We want to do what’s best for everybody. We’d love to share in this, but we’ll see how it goes and we’ll do the best we can.”

Commissioner Steven Leary said that Winter Park will do its homework before it moves forward.

“I don’t think this is anything that’s going to be done abruptly,” Leary said. “I know that he’s an entrepreneur and he wants this project done.”

If the first reading of the annexation ordinance on Sept. 12 goes through, it will be followed at a later meeting by a vote on the community development district agreement and a final reading.

Bradley said he hopes the project can move forward as quickly as possible but he said that the speed might not be as fast as Bellows has asked for.

“We’re going to obviously expedite it and get it moving forward as soon as possible, but we don’t want to do something stupid,” Bradley said. “I’m not seeing the urgency of the timing. But some of the decisions that are being asked for in an urgent and quick way aren’t going to be the speed he desires.

“Do we have shared goals? I think we do. Are we working together with other local municipalities? That’s what I’m seeing, and we’ll continue to do that.”