Winter Garden leaders approve rezone, hear legislative update

More commercial service uses will be allowed at 761 Garden Commerce Parkway after the Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved Thursday, March 26, the second readings of two ordinances for the property.

Commissioner Lisa Bennett was absent.

One ordinance updated the future land use to Commercial, and the other ordinance rezoned the 2.88-acre property to Planned Commercial Development.

The property currently is designated as Multi Office Industrial and zoned as Planned Industrial Development.

With the ordinances approved, the owner can accommodate more commercial service uses such as medical aesthetic/clinics; studios such as yoga, ballet and dance; retail; and pet-care facilities. 

Mixed-use buildings approved

An ordinance rezoning properties along East Oakland Avenue and Tilden Oaks Trail will allow for the development of four mixed-use buildings consisting of commercial uses on the bottom floors and residential uses on the second floors.

Commissioners unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance rezoning the properties at 15411, 15540 and 15541 E. Oakland Ave. and 841 Tilden Oaks Trail from Planned Unit Development to Planned Commercial Development.

The neighborhood commercial component will be 12,515 square feet with a total of 12 dwelling units on the second floors. 

The neighborhood general open zone permits uses such as attached single-family units such as townhomes, multi-family residential and neighborhood oriented commercial uses, said Kelly Carson, the planning director for the city. 

Carson said city staff required the property proposal to be Planned Commercial Development to further define the neighborhood commercial uses and all the specific development requirements of the parcels, such as setbacks, buffers and architectural standards. 

Legislative update

State Rep. Leonard Spencer provided an update on the U.S. House of Representatives’ 60-day legislative session. 

Spencer said the Legislature still is locked in negotiations over the final state of the budget of more than $113 billion, and the session was extended into overtime. 

A topic of debate was regarding local autonomy and the state preempting local decision-making. 

“I will consistently try to push back against state overreach, and the state Legislature, in my opinion, should not be preempting local communities and stripped decision-making power away from cities (such as) Winter Garden,” Spencer said. “Municipalities are best equipped to deal with and manage their own growth and community standards.”

Spencer spoke about HB 1001, which passed alongside SB 1134. The bill prohibits counties and municipalities from funding, promoting or taking any official action related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Any member of the local governing body who violates these prohibitions commits malfeasance or misfeasance in office, meaning Gov. Ron DeSantis could suspend any local official for actions previously held within the official’s authority. 

“I oppose this, because regardless of where you stand regarding DEI policy, it represents a massive erosion of local home-rule authority,” Spencer said. “When (there is) a ban on local governments from using these contracting programs that actively limit competition, we risk losing massive federal infrastructure grants.” 

Spencer also addressed property-tax reforms, saying the common comment from his constituents is “people are working harder than ever,” and “they’re feeling squeezed from every direction.”

He said voters should have an opportunity to weigh in on decisions about property taxes. Although he opposes eliminating property taxes, he said it’s “important to have an open and informed discussion that includes our voters.”

Mayor John Rees requested Spencer think about property taxes and its impacts “a little bit more,” because many Winter Garden residents he’s spoken to do not “fully understand the ramifications” of the potential reform. 

With reductions in funds, city staff will have to work to find ways to make financial cuts, consider special fees and more, resulting in staff spending more hours looking into alternatives and having public meetings to explain the changes to the community. 

“It’s a lot of work to go down a road that we should not be going down,” Rees said. “I understand what you’re saying, let the voters decide, but up here, I kind of think that’s our job. So anyway, I respectfully request that you think about that, because it is going to be on the city of Winter Garden and all the municipalities an added layer of work to their already busy schedules.”

Regarding e-bikes, Spencer worked on a bill that would cap e-bike speeds at 10 mph on sidewalks when pedestrians are nearby. It also will require operators to yield to pedestrians on shared pathways, and it makes violations a non-criminal traffic infraction. The bill also includes the creation of a nine-member e-bike safety task force that’s expected to deliver recommendations by October. 

Other legislation Spencer mentioned were related to corporate taxes, veteran housing, vertiports and more.