Winter Park Commissioners debate history versus character

Historic preservation is back for debate before the City Commission, but will Commissioners continue to agree to disagree?

Winter Park City Commissioners Greg Seidel and Peter Weldon each gave their stance on preserving Winter Park’s character and the city’s current historic preservation ordinance during an informal public meeting on Wednesday – perhaps the first step in helping a split City Commission reach a compromise on the controversial issue.

Weldon brought forward a series of proposed changes to the historic preservation ordinance during his first meeting as a City Commissioner on March 28, following through on his promise during his campaign that he’d undo the amendments made to the ordinance back in December.

That new ordinance 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 to 50 percent plus one — a simple majority vote.

Weldon provided a series of new proposed changes to the ordinance last week, which 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, and restoring a two-thirds vote to form historic districts.

Mayor Steve Leary, Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel and Weldon gave the majority consent to discuss the proposed changes at the April 11 City Commission meeting.

But Seidel made it clear on Wednesday that he’s not willing to consider changing the ordinance until there is some kind of measure in place to protect the character of local neighborhoods – a great concern of many residents, he said.

“The one area of concern among most of my neighbors I have talked to is people coming into certain areas and tearing down something that’s [brought] character to the neighborhood,” Seidel said. “A lot of trees will get torn down in the process, which is kind of part of it as well. They come back and they just put something that’s out of character with the neighborhood.”

“To the folks who’ve been here, [homes with character] kind of defines the city. What tools can we use to maintain the character in those areas? Orwin Manor is a good example.”

Weldon responded that houses coming and going as neighborhoods change is part of a “natural cycle” and that a neighborhood’s “character” needs to be better defined.

“The reality is that Winter Park has always been changing with the economic cycles in this way,” Weldon said. “The question is: what good does it do our city to try to stop that natural cycle.”

“Does some percentage of my neighbors have the right to impose their idea of ‘character’ on me? And where is the limit of that logic?”

The conversation would later bleed over to the historic preservation ordinance itself, particularly the vote needed to create a historic district.

“We now have 51 percent of the people voting for a $30 million bond (for the library) that now everybody has to deal with,” Seidel said. “How is that different than the historic preservation ordinance if a neighborhood gets together and 51 percent of the people vote that they want to have some type of oversight committee to make sure we’re protecting the character of our neighborhood?”

“I disagree with the premise,” Weldon said. “You’re not protecting the character of the neighborhood, you’re imposing a process that is totally arbitrary and judgmental. It is not related to ‘Oh, I have to pay $200 more a year in my taxes and I get to share the use of a library.’”

Seidel recommended that the city look into creating “design guidelines” within certain Winter Park neighborhoods to preserve character, a “gentler” approach similar to what is already in place for buildings along Park Avenue.

“If you want to propose it, go right ahead,” Weldon said.