City commissioners discuss code amendments

The city of Winter Garden approved the first reading of a proposal to amend portions of the Code of Ordinances concerning utilities and the city’s water and wastewater systems at the City Commission meeting Thursday, Oct. 13. 

The request is to amend portions of Article II and Article IV of Chapter 78 creating provisions concerning water and sanitary sewer systems, industrial waste, and connections and services to industrial uses. 

The amendment would clarify the city will no longer provide new water and wastewater connections and services to industrially zoned properties located outside of the city limits, and will not allow an increase in the volume or capacity of water or wastewater services for existing connections for such properties.

Assistant City Attorney Dan Langley, who helped draft the ordinance, said the city has engaged with an environmental attorney the city approached to discuss how to deal with microplastics that may affect the wastewater treatment plan and system. 

Langley said the environmental attorney came back with language the city could add to the industrial retreatment remedying requirements.

“It would require any industrial user that is in that business to provide scientific data to ensure that whatever they flush down the wastewater system will not create a problem for the wastewater treatment facility,” he said. “Part of the highlights were also clarifying that we do in fact require an industrial waste treatment permit for certain types of users, specifically any industrial zone use, we require a special permit. There has been some misunderstanding about that … not by the city or staff but by others.”

The ordinance also puts an internal policy into the code that the city manager adopted that deals with the timing of permits for industrial users, which Langley said has already been in practice.

The first reading of the ordinance passed unanimously, with Mayor John Rees absent.

PAM Rehab Hospital 

During the City Commission’s rescheduled meeting Wednesday, Oct. 5, the commission approved an ordinance relating to the PAM Rehab Hospital where the applicant requested an amendment to the subject property’s existing Planned Commercial Development zoning.

The ordinance addresses the 5.51-acre property, located at 541 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, and includes amended PCD requirements to permit the development of the site with a new single-story 50,000-square-foot physical rehabilitation hospital with associated site development such as landscaping, outdoor rehabilitation areas, sidewalks and stormwater infrastructure.

Community Development Director Steve Pash said the proposed PCD amendment is consistent with the city’s Comprehensive Plan and the city of Winter Garden Code of Ordinances.

The ordinance passed unanimously.