Winter Park Commission candidates spar over business, parking woes

Last Wednesday’s forum hosted by the Winter Park Voice had a large turnout of residents in the seats, but not at the candidate table. Both Lambrine Macejewski and Peter Weldon dropped out of the forum, moderated by the League of Women Voters, after Macejewski questioned the Winter Park Voice’s neutrality in city politics.

But the forum was held regardless as Commissioners Carolyn Cooper and Tom McMacken answered questions from the audience, hoping to convince voters to reelect them for a third term.

Topics ranged from traffic and development in Winter Park to the recent street performer ordinance and issue of homelessness within the city.

One of the earliest questions focused on whether or not to vote in favor of the $30 million bond referendum for a new library.

“It’s a very important issue, a $30 million-issue,” McMacken said. “I even don’t like to use the word ‘library,’ because what is being proposed is so far removed form what we currently have that it’s going to take us into the next century. I’m very encouraged by it and I’m a strong proponent of it.”

“The most important thing about the library is that we do not sell the existing property on which our current library sits,” said Cooper, noting that it sits at a gateway to the city. “That’s my number one priority. I daresay that 50 percent will vote ‘yes’ and 50 percent will vote ‘no’ [for the new library]. It’s up to you.”

Cooper said she was disappointed her opponent did not appear at the forum, adding that it’s important for a City Commissioner to thrive in uncomfortable situations.

“My opponent chose not to be here – that’s the number one difference between my opponent and I,” Cooper said. “I have never backed down from any uncomfortable situation.”

“This job really isn’t for the faint of heart. This job truly really requires you to be willing to sometimes not feel real comfortable in every situation.

All four candidates later appeared at the Winter Park Chamber forum held last Friday. Questions were tailored more toward the business community and the city’s downtown core – specifically downtown parking now and in the future.

“We haven’t done a good job of planning for our downtown parking,” said Weldon, suggesting a valet parking system. “There’s a fundamental tradeoff with building more parking and having it fill up. It’s like a waterfall where the larger you make a bathtub eventually it will still overflow. Managing that within the downtown area is obviously an important priority for the property owners and the merchants. We need to plan better.”

“We did add 75 spaces recently behind city hall, but as a resident I don’t have a parking problem because I know where the spots are,” McMacken said. “I think it’s more about communication with our visitors to be able to say, ‘Yes, there are other opportunities around town other than the Avenue.’ You do like to park in front of the store you’re going to, but I don’t mind parking across at the SunRail station and walking two blocks.”

Candidates were also asked about their vision for the vacant Progress Point property.

“There’s retail there and there’s restaurants there – I like that,” said Macejewski, adding that something mixed-use would be nice. “There’s some restrictions on that site, so we’ll have to have experts come back and say what’s available to do there.”

“Personally I would like to see something that maintains the ambience and the scale of Orange Avenue along the street and on the rear part of the lot,” Cooper said. “That is more important to me than the actual use. I’d like to see some walkability in that area.”

Residents who missed the previous forums can mark their calendars for Friday, Feb. 19, for an event at the Winter Park Public Library moderated by Karen Climer of the League of Women Voters of Orange County.

Library Director of Community Relations Mary Gail Coffee said the event will much more resemble a debate as opposed to a forum, encouraging a civil, back-and-forth discussion. There’s room for 80 to 100 residents, she said.

“We really like to afford the candidates opportunities to respectfully exchange ideas,” Coffee said.