Winter Garden City Commission approves downtown parking garage contract

WINTER GARDEN — The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved the downtown parking garage contract negotiated with Finfrock for $8,105,953.00. 

The commission selected Finfrock, an Apopka company, as the design/build team for the long-awaited garage at an earlier meeting. This contract approval allows Finfrock to begin the final design and off-site construction immediately. Starting construction off site reduces the amount of time required for on-site construction, which is scheduled to start April 11, 2016, after the Bloom and Grow Festival. The garage should be available for use by Aug. 19, 2016.

The $8,105,953 price includes: a $740,000 allowance to move all the utilities at the site; $125,000 for landscaping; $282,000 for hardscape, which includes bricking streets around the garage; $50,000 for signs to direct drivers to the garage; and $50,000 for site lighting. The plan calls for the lights illuminating the roof parking to be built 10 feet lower than usual to decrease the amount of light seeping into downtown residential areas.

City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said Finfrock’s designers spent a significant amount of time in downtown Winter Garden to ensure the garage design fit in with the rest of downtown’s architecture. 

Bollhoefer said he would like to start creating temporary parking areas to use during the construction. The garage will be built on the site of the parking lot at Tremaine and Boyd streets, and the city will need to replace as many of those spots as possible until the garage is open for business. He plans to start with 60 spaces near the Little League baseball field and 30 spaces near the water tower. 

Bollhoefer said city staff has met with downtown churches and businesses to discuss the construction timeline. The goal is not to inconvenience any of the city’s businesses.

MILLAGE RATE

Commissioners voted unanimously to keep the millage rate of 4.250 for the next fiscal year. This marks the sixth consecutive year the millage rate stayed at 4.250.

According to Florida law, once the millage rate is set and information provided to the Orange County’s Property Appraiser, it cannot be increased after Aug. 4, unless each property owner is notified by mail. It may be lowered at either the first or second public budget hearing without any required notification. 

The millage rate proposed by the commission will be sent to all property owners within Winter Garden after Aug. 4, 2015. 

IN OTHER NEWS

• Commissioners tabled for consideration to a date to be determined a resolution for a moratorium on any further development on East Plant Street while the city completes a master planning study for the State Road 429 corridor and develops design standards. City Manager Mike Bollhoefer requested the postponement. He may bring it back as an ordinance for consideration as soon as the next commission meeting. The proposed moratorium would end on Jan. 14, 2016. 

• The commission unanimously approved Oct. 9, 10 and 11 as the dates for the 2015 edition of the Winter Garden MusicFest, conducted by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. This marks the 10th anniversary for the MusicFest. The approval gives the WGHF permission to place a third stage near the Plant Street Market. That would require closing more of Plant Street than in previous years. 

• City commissioners continued the condemnation hearing for the property at 160 E. Plant St., owned by the Winter Garden Gateway Corporation, to the meeting scheduled for Aug. 27. The owners submitted plans that met engineering requirements, but the architectural plans still require approval by the Architectural Review Board. This is the third time the hearing was postponed. Commissioners voted 4-1 to postpone the hearing, with Commissioner Kent Makin voting against.

• The commission unanimously approved another term for current Community Redevelopment Agency board member Sandy Schupp, appointed Nick Asma to replace John Kirby, and Derek Blakeslee will replace Kelly Randall. The current CRA Board recommended these replacements.

• Commissioners approved Tim Keating’s appointment to the CRA Board to replace outgoing CRA Chairman Larry Cappleman. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Bobby Olszewski voting against. Two weeks ago, the commission voted 3-2 against an ordinance that would have allowed the commission to extend CRA board member terms at the commission’s discretion. Since that ordinance was defeated, Cappleman, Kirby and Randall were required to rotate off the board.

• The commission unanimously approved a staff recommendation to reduce code-enforcement fines on 159 Roper Drive to $500. Code Enforcement Manager Steve Pash said the home was “in a state of disrepair” since February. Fines accumulated until the property owner now owes about $39,000. The owner has a buyer for the property. Pash recommended reducing the total fines to $500 to enable the house to sell, with the condition that permits for renovation are applied for in 30 days. The buyer plans to fix the house and sell it. Pash said $500 will cover the city’s administrative costs. 

• The commission unanimously approved the final plat for TwinWaters subdivision at 16303 Marsh Road. The plan calls for building 140 single-family homes.

• Commissioners Commissioners thanked outgoing Recreation Director Jay Conn for his 17 years of service with the city. Conn will take a similar position with the cty of Maitland. 

• The next commission meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13, in City Hall Commission Chambers, 300 W. Plant St.