Local View: Residents talked; city commission listened.
Recently, I went to a meeting of the Winter Park City Commission to speak against a project that would be built in my neighborhood. The building, as proposed, would be 10 times larger than any of the nearby singlefamily homes and at least three times the height of the nearest commercial property.
I didn’t have high expectations for the evening. A few weeks earlier, the city’s Planning and Zoning Board had voted 7-0 to approve the project, despite strong neighborhood opposition. It seemed a lost cause, but I was propelled by my belief that this project represented development that was grossly disproportionate in scale and therefore incompatible with our beloved neighborhood.
I was also spurred on by an outpouring of support from residents representing more than a dozen nearby neighborhood associations. With their letters, emails and attendance, these neighbors demonstrated that they, too, were adamantly opposed to this project.
My experience that night surprised me.
Mayor Steve Leary and the members of the City Commission had done their homework; they were prepared with thoughtful and thorough questions. They listened attentively to every neighbor who came to the podium to voice opposition.
Leary thanked each speaker, taking care to address everyone by name. The meeting, which began at 3:30 p.m., was lengthy; the agenda was quite full that night. Our item was not heard until 8 p.m., after almost five hours of deliberations on other issues. But as weary as each official must have been, not one member tried to rush the proceedings or prevent anyone from having a say.
From each commissioner, I heard concern for maintaining the long-cherished charm of Winter Park. I heard sincere interest in protecting the environment and the ecology of the lake and the wetlands bordering the lot. I heard the commissioners’ respect for the opinions and feelings of the residents who came to advocate for their little section of our beautiful city.
In the end, the commission voted 5-0 to deny the project; the developer was encouraged to work with the neighbors and scale down the building to a compatible size, making changes as necessary to preserve the health and beauty of the lake and the wetlands. The neighbors committed to this collaboration.
With their words and actions, the mayor and members of the commission acted upon the city’s vision: “Winter Park is the city of arts and culture, cherishing its traditional scale and charm while building a healthy and sustainable future for all generations.”