Winter Park residents pipe up on historic preservation changes

Changes to Winter Park’s historic preservation ordinance are picking up steam – but some residents are urging the City Commission to slam on the brakes.

Residents had their first opportunity on Monday to sound off on a list of proposed changes to the city’s historic preservation ordinance, all brought forward by newly-elected City Commissioner Peter Weldon.

The changes included revising language to clarify that historic preservation is “voluntary,” allowing that variances to properties listed as historic and within historic districts can go before the city’s board of adjustments, restoring a two-thirds vote to form historic districts, and allowing homeowners within a newly formed district to exempt their property from the certificate of review process, effectively neutering the ordinance.

Weldon’s forthcoming changes were a focal point of his recent campaign, which spoke against amendments to the historic preservation ordinance approved back in December that made the process easier for a neighborhood with historic homes to be named a historic district – a title that offers a barrier of protection to historic buildings. Any alterations, additions or demolition involving historic resources within the district must go before the Historic Preservation Board for review – a fact that left some residents believing their property rights could be infringed upon.

In order to form a historic district, the city’s previous ordinance required two-thirds of the residents within the proposed district to vote in favor. That percentage requirement was changed in December to 50 percent plus one — a simple majority vote.

But some residents said the City Commission shouldn’t be so quick to change an already-amended law.

“Let’s let the ink dry on the paper before we change it,” resident Drew Krecicki said. “It’s only been three or four months and we’re already talking about changing it. Give it a year and see what happens. I don’t think people are leaving Winter Park. I don’t see property values falling, so lets just chill out, give it a year and see what happens.”

Betsy Owens, executive director of the Friends of Casa Feliz, which organizes preservation initiatives, reminded City Commissioners that Winter Park is one of the most difficult cities in the state to form historic districts in. The 67 percent threshold used by Winter Park was the highest requirement used by the 33 cities in Florida that form historic districts, according to research from the Friends of Casa Feliz.

“I think this proposal flies directly in the face of Winter Park’s stated goal and our comprehensive plan to preserve the quality and character of Winter Park’s residential neighborhoods,” Owens said. “What the changes in December did is they took us from this bottom category and moved us two rungs up the ladder. What you’re proposing to do tonight is just return us right back to the bottom.”

“I also want to suggest that you not strip the Historic Preservation Board of their power to grant variances to designated properties – this is far and away the most powerful incentive that a homeowner has to voluntarily designate their home.”

“You’re missing the whole point about the feel and the character of Winter Park,” resident Sally Flynn said. “It seems OK for a commissioner to win by 1 percent. It seems OK for the [library] bond referendum to win by 1 percent, but not for a historic district.”

Other residents spoke out in favor of the changes, urging the City Commission to keep the process moving toward a final approval.

“If you send this back to the historic board to review, please limit that time if you could to one or two meetings down there so it can get back to you and we can put this issue behind us,” said Bill Sullivan, a resident who owns a historic property.

Mayor Steve Leary, Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel and Commissioner Peter Weldon agreed to have the ordinance revised with two of the changes: restoring the required vote to create a historic district to 67 percent and to revise language in the ordinance clarifying that historic preservation is “voluntary.”

City Spokesperson Clarissa Howard said the two changes will go before the Historic Preservation Board and that the revised ordinance will go before the City Commission for a public hearing at a future meeting.