Mayor vetoes ordinance to halt growth
Winter Springs residents stunned by rare move
After Winter Springs voters sent a clear message last election to slow the city’s growth, three commissioners this month formed a majority to pass a moratorium aiming to put a halt on new apartment complexes and most commercial development through April.
But two days later, Mayor Charles Lacey pulled out a trump card: He vetoed the ordinance, saying it would negatively cast Winter Springs as a city “that wasn’t open for business” and deter investors.
Commission supporters of the moratorium and many residents were stunned by Lacey’s veto — a rare move in local government that is more commonly associated with governors and presidents.
“There was a mandate of the voters by healthy margins to address this issue of growth,” said Commissioner Kevin Cannon, who was re-elected in November and voted in favor of the moratorium at the Feb. 11 meeting. “During the campaign, we went door-todoor and knocked on 4,000 doors and we really talked to people. And the recurrent theme that we were seeing was about all the multi-family apartments. That was one of the hot-button themes.”
On Monday, commissioners are scheduled to either consider a new ordinance or take a vote on whether to override the veto, which would require four votes from the five commissioners. However, it’s likely the veto will stand, considering that the original moratorium passed on a 3-2 vote.
Lacey agrees that too much residential growth — particularly multifamily developments, such as apartments — causes stress to roads, schools and infrastructure and “reduces the quality for us all.” He also acknowledges that the city’s land development regulations need to be updated.
But putting a stop to commercial growth, Lacey said, will im-
pact the city negatively.
“Commercial development that is consistent with the residential character of Winter Springs should be encouraged,” he said. “Family-type restaurants and small-scale entertainment venues are desirable . ... I believe to my core that stopping all growth is not what we really want.”
On the other hand, Cannon and supporters said the moratorium was needed to “tap the brakes of growth” and give Winter Springs time to update its land-development regulations, which Cannon called “sorely out of date.”
He pointed to recent proposals to build giant storage facilities — including one as large as 300,000 square feet — adjacent to residential homes.
Even so, the mayor’s veto has sent shock waves through this city of just under 37,000 residents and made up of about 91 percent residential properties.
According to the city charter, the mayor presides over the five-member commission meetings. But he cannot vote, unless it’s to break a tie. However, the mayor has the power to veto an ordinance within 10 days after it was adopted by the commission.
Vetoes are usually thought of a power carried by presidents or governors. But a few Central Florida governments also hand veto pens to their mayors besides Winter Springs.
Belle Isle’s mayor doesn’t vote at commission meetings but can veto ordinances. Mayors in Umatilla and Orlando, who can vote, also can veto ordinances.
Winter Springs, a bedroom community just south of Lake Jesup, has long
struggled to bring in shops, offices and restaurants. In 2002, when the Winter Springs Town Center opened along State Road 434 and Tuskawilla Road, residents hoped it would lure in more commercial growth.
Since 2016, the city has approved about 1,020 new apartments and townhouses. More than half of those surround the new town center.
Residents said that’s too many and that Winter Springs needs to develop new land-development regulations with bimonthly public workshops.
“It’s not that we’re against development,” said Commissioner TiAnna Hale, a political newcomer who was elected to the commission’s District 4 seat in November. “But we want to make sure that we have residents’ interests at heart, and that we have a really good concrete (land development) plan that everyone.”
Hale joined Cannon and Commissioner Ted Johnson in voting in favor of the moratorium.
But Commissioner Geoff Kendrick said the moratorium is “not putting the brakes on development. It’s putting the brakes on our image.” He was joined by Commissioner Jean Hovey in voting against the moratorium.
Sheila Benton, who has lived in Winter Springs for 26 years, called Lacey a “pro-growth mayor” and even suggested at a meeting this month that residents should issue a mayoral recall.
“During the election, residents made it so clear: They want to tap the brakes on development,” she said. “We need to slow down development.” will benefit