Winter Park commission decides to sell lot near MLK park

Winter Park residents hopeful that the former home of a bowling alley would be used to expand a city park went home disappointed this week as city commissioners opted to sell the land instead.

By a 3-2 vote, commissioners decided to move forward with an effort to sell the 1.6-acre parcel. The city bought the property on Fairbanks Avenue near Orlando Avenue last year from Rollins College. Before the college owned it, it was the site of Bowl America.

The property, adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, was bought with the intention of expanding turning lanes on a trafficheavy portion of Fairbanks. Winter Park plans to retain at least a sliver of the land along Fairbanks to create the turning lane.

Commissioners faced criticism Monday from about a dozen residents who said the lot should be used as an expansion of or gateway to the park. Others faulted them for deciding quickly to sell and not consulting with the Parks and Recreation Board first.

“This is not a willy-nilly quick thing,” Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel said in response. “My vote to support selling this is not because I don’t support park land because I obviously do, I just don’t think that’s where the park belongs.”

Mayor Steve Leary said they didn’t need to consult the advisory board since the land wasn’t purchased to be park space.

“It’s rare where a government entity that has a responsibility for parks acquires a piece of property that is contiguous with one of its parks,” said Joe Terranova, a Winter Park resident. “Therefore, we should look at this very carefully before we dispose of it to be sure that it cannot fit into the park situation.”

The city may recoup the $2.9 million it bought the land for in January 2016, as Planning Director Dori Stone said it was recently appraised for $2.96 million. The city will start taking offers for the land and plans to present them to commissioners next month.

Residents in opposition to the sale organized the past few weeks on Twitter and through emails.

Vice Mayor Pete Weldon said while he didn’t support using this land for a park, he wanted the city to reinvest some of the funds from the sale toward revamping existing green space or acquiring additional land more feasible for parks.

Leary said the process wasn’t rushed, as officials have been discussing the sale for about a year.