Winter Garden Commission approves rezoning downtown properties

Winter Garden City Commissioners approved rezoning about 1.25 acres of property near Downtown Winter Garden.

By Eric Gutierrez
| 1:19 p.m. February 23, 2018

Pictured are the subject properties of Ordinances 17-22 and 17-23.

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Commissioners approved unanimously the second reading of a rezoning ordinance that allows for the construction of an 18.25-acre commercial development. The site is located at 14120 W. Colonial Drive and will have 84,500 square feet of commercial/retail space. Commissioner Mark Maciel recused himself from voting because he is involved with the project.
Commissioners approved unanimously a site plan for Kingdom Strollers located at 730 Garden Commerce Parkway. Kingdom Strollers repairs and maintains the rental strollers available at the Disney parks.
City Manager Mike Bollhoefer announced that progress is being made regarding the annexation land located in unincorporated Orange County and near the City of Winter Garden. “We’re in the process now of annexing two pretty large tracts of land and one smaller tract,” Bollhoefer said. “The largest one is on the east side of Winter Garden, the other piece of land is on the corner of Division Street and Hennis Road. It’s a fairly large piece.”
Commissioners and meeting attendees were introduced to the city’s new Assistant City Manager of Public Services, Jon Williams, who started his position on February 15. “It’s a true honor, privilege and pleasure to be a part of team Winter Garden,” Williams said. “It’s a great place to work.”

Winter Garden City Commissioners unanimously approved Thursday night the second reading of two ordinances that both pertain to property located near Downtown Winter Garden.

Ordinance 17-22 rezones about 1.25 acres of property located at 304, 310 and 314 W. Bay St. in addition to 419, 429, 439 and 455 W. Plant St., from Residential (R-2) and Central Commercial (C-1) to Planned Commercial Development (PCD).

Ordinance 17-23 changes the future land-use designation of about 1.01 acres of property located at 304, 310 and 314 W. Bay St., as well as 439 and 455 W. Plant St. from Low-Density Residential to Traditional Downtown.

City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said the rezoning opens up more possibilities for the area as the rezoning will allow for “residential and/or commercial (businesses) with limitations based on the zone rules.

“It’s very common in a lot of smaller cities,” Bollhoefer said. “What’s on there now are just single-family homes and residential … The (new) zoning allows for options.”

Bollhoefer said the property owners requested to rezone the property.

“As the city is growing, it (rezoning) makes more sense than the current zoning (of the property),” Bollhoefer said.

Community Development Director Steve Pash said there are no plans yet for the property after the rezoning and changing the land-use designation.

“I don’t know what’s going to become of it,” Pash said. “The owners just requested (rezoning) it. I don’t know if they’re going to sell it or what.”

Commissioner Lisa Bennett abstained from voting on the ordinances because she works for a company that manages property on the land. No one from the public commented on the ordinances during the meeting.