By Jennifer Greenhill-Taylor
January 2009

Winter Park has a sense of history not common in Central Florida. Its small-town charm of brick streets, shops and parks continues to entice visitors and sustain residents, as it has for decades. But things can change. In 2009 Winter Park faces local decisions that could alter the city forever, in addition to dealing with national economic issues and a new administration in Washington. Among the issues that will present unique challenges are decisions on commuter rail, the downtown post office and residential zoning; a mayor's race; the city budget; a new comprehensive plan; and beautification projects. Some of the decisions could transform the way this city of about 28,000 looks forever; others would protect its historic character and enhance the quality of life. And some may have residents taking emotional stances on opposite sides of the issues. Ultimately, residents of Winter Park, named one of six finalists for the title City of Excellence by the Florida League of Cities in November, may be sure of only one thing in 2009: Things will change.

The mayor's race

Longtime resident and hospital executive Ken Bradley says he plans to run for mayor in the city election. "I'm a native of Winter Park and care very much about the city's future. It's something I've been thinking about for a while," said Bradley, Campus CEO at Winter Park Memorial Hospital and a senior vice president for Florida Hospital. The Winter Park facility is part of the Florida Hospital system. This would be his first campaign for public office.

Mayor David Strong, who was elected in 2006, said he intends to seek re-election. Strong is a longtime resident who has been a Florida real estate broker for three decades. During his term he has focused on preserving the downtown corridor in Winter Park. He has faced some contentious issues, the most public of which was the Carlisle battle. When developers went forward with plans to build a multistory condominium complex in Central Park called the Carlisle, residents resisted and eventually the project was quashed. But not before the city agreed to pay the developer $3.7 million. "By eliminating the Carlisle construction, creating [a new part of Central Park called] the West Meadow, and working on the comp plan, which offers a lot of protection for the downtown corridor, I made a good start," Strong said.

The mayor heads a five-member commission, meaning he or she can be the tie-breaker vote on a split issue. If there are more than two candidates, a primary will be held Feb. 10. The general election is March 10.

Tracking commuter rail

Construction on the commuter rail station could begin in late 2009. About $3.2 million in federal funds is marked to help build the arts-and-crafts style station, which is designed to sit right across the tracks from the Amtrak station. "We had planned on it being well under construction in 2009, but the state still hadn't approved the CSX purchase," City Manager Randy Knight said. Railway company CSX wanted the Florida Department of Transportation to buy the tracks for the commuter rail path that is expected to run from Volusia County to Osceola County. That is fairly common, Knight said, as the department wants to control the trains' timing.

But issues of liability and financing were raised in 2008. Even the U.S. Congress was looking at liability provisions for commercial rail companies that allow passenger trains use of their lines. Winter Park Commissioner Beth Dillaha had questions about funding, ridership and liability between Orange County and Winter Park, saying the deal may not benefit Winter Park or its budget. Strong said falling revenues would affect the city's ability to pay for commuter rail in the future. "I will try to support a dedicated funding source for commuter rail and spread the burden over Orange County," he said.

An amended proposal was sent to Orange County in late November with a request that if the county couldn't find a permanent source to pay for the station's estimated $700,000 annual cost, Winter Park can close its station. "Sometimes a better deal can be had," Dillaha said, noting that the new administration in Washington seems to support more funds for public transit. "If we can reduce our liability and financial obligations it would be wise."

Debra Hendrickson of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce said merchants favor the commuter line because it could bring more "feet to the street."

"I have customers who come by Amtrak," said Don Sexton, owner of Downeast on Park Avenue. "They will come on commuter rail too. The rail line will be used for three reasons: commuters getting to work, enjoyment and shopping." The commuter rail schedule calls for stops in the early morning and late afternoon. It would not affect the Amtrak schedule.

Residential zoning

Much of Winter Park's charm is dependent on the residential zoning code, which defines details small and large that decide a neighborhood's look. Revisions are in the works that affect setbacks (how far a house is from the road and neighboring property), house size and height, yard and driveway surfaces and privacy. There will be a code update by early 2009, said Knight.

Many residents are concerned about the changing faces of neighborhoods that traditionally held tree-shaded, one-story homes. Those neighborhoods are now dealing with houses built to the lot lines, with no room for anything to grow. Kathy Kiely, a longtime resident who lives off North Lakemont Avenue and who keeps a close eye on city affairs, said residents are concerned about zoning because it directly affects their quality of life and property values.

Kiely worries that even within current rules, houses are being built that don't honor the ambience of the neighborhood. "One house we've watched going up is built on a big piece of land that used to hold a modest ranch house and lots of trees. The new house appears to have been built sideways, so the street view is mostly garage, leaving room on the piece of land to build another house," she says. "That kind of construction, while it may be perfectly legal, does not fit the spirit of the traditional Winter Park neighborhood."

Beverly Neal, executive director of the NAACP in Florida, whose family has lived in West Winter Park since the late 1800s, is determined that this year she will achieve conservation area status for her neighborhood, which has been rapidly disappearing as the downtown business district expands west. She sees disparity in huge buildings being built right next to tiny cottages, where elderly people on a fixed income are directly affected by rising taxes. Kiely, Neal and others say changes in their neighborhoods will irrevocably alter what attracted them to the city in the first place.

A tighter budget

The new year brings the specter of budget cuts to Winter Park, as it does to most towns in the country in this era of economic distress. "The most difficult issue facing the city next year is money," Strong said. The city's 2008-09 budget is about $150 million. Of that total, about $46 million is for the general fund, with the rest supporting water, sewer and electrical utilities. The 2008-09 budget represented a 0.4 percent decrease from the 2006-07 budget. The majority of the revenue was provided by property taxes, and that was down by nearly 2 percent, compared to 2006-07. While the city made many cuts in 2008, and projects were examined carefully, the economic reality is that revenues are limited and could become more limited, Strong said.

"We made enough cuts on the 2009 budget that we shouldn't have to make any other big cuts," said Knight. "But we don't know if another shoe is going to drop on tax reform," he said. There are citizen initiatives in South Florida that could pass and wipe out much of the careful work the city did to keep things in line for 2009. One thing that keeps Winter Park fairly insulated is the value of residential properties in the city. They are above average, and the city hasn't seen too much of a tax hit, officials say. But revenues are dropping, and if commercial property values drop, it could be a different story.

"We will need to make difficult decisions come budget time," the mayor said.

The city's comprehensive plan

A principal issue facing the city is finalizing and adopting its comprehensive plan. The city hopes to get the go-ahead from the state sometime early in the year, said Strong. "I'm optimistic that we'll get it through. It should go well, but the state is taking a good look at growth and development É issues that are important in every city and county. Those issues are not unique to Winter Park." The plan, required by Florida's Growth Management Act, provides guidelines for estimating future population and defining municipal services, public facilities and land use to fit that population. It also requires the city to have a financially feasible plan to fund the anticipated new public facilities.

"Unfortunately, like most of life, the devil is in the details," said resident Carolyn Cooper, a member of the Planning and Zoning board. Many of the public services in the plan are influenced by agencies outside the city's control, she said. Orange County Public Schools, surrounding municipalities, the state Department of Transportation, the St. Johns Water Management District and other entities make the plan more complex. "Combine these complexities with the fact that the plan is a 500-plus page detailed document and you begin to understand why it takes so long to formalize," Cooper said.

The land-use element of the plan, in which building heights and densities are laid out, helps determine the look and feel of the city. "Residents and business people value the flavor of the city and don't want to lose it," Knight said. "A lot of effort goes into saving the historical character of the town, and the plan lets us take a good look at how to preserve that character."

As evidenced by the emotional outcry against the Carlisle development, people are most sensitive to building heights downtown. But preserving the character of the city doesn't preclude development. "Once the comp plan is adopted, it opens the door for development projects such as the Progress Point property at Orange Avenue and Minnesota; the old state office site; some plots in West Winter Park and more, to move forward," Knight said. "Beginning next summer we should see some of those projects start."

Plans for the post office

Plans for the post office and its adjoining property have been in the news for several years, and 2009 may finally see a resolution. "I hope a plan can be put in place that will be implemented in the next five years or so," Strong said.

A study was ongoing at the end of 2008 that included conversations with post office representatives, said Knight. "We've asked the post office to split the distribution and retail segments, and they have agreed, as long as the two elements are within a mile of each other." It seems most residents want to keep the retail portion downtown, and so does the City Commission, he said.

Beautifying Fairbanks Avenue

The beautification of Fairbanks Avenue from U.S. Highway 17-92 to Interstate 4 is still on the books, said Knight. "The City Commission allocated $700,000 towards the beautification project. We funded sewers, and that part will probably be starting in the spring. We are in negotiation with the state right now, as it's a state road." Come springtime, anyone working, living or driving on that part of Fairbanks can expect traffic hassles.

Another angle of the Fairbanks project allows taller buildings between I-4 and U.S. 17-92. "That's part of the comp plan we have transmitted to the state. It will allow for higher density on that part of the road," Knight said.

But what of Fairbanks east of 17-92? Don Sexton, whose Downeast business sat at Park Avenue and Fairbanks for more than two decades, just moved several blocks north on Park to escape the traffic. Panera Bread moved from its initial site on Fairbanks near Park to the north end of Park near the Morse Museum.

"It's a major highway," Sexton said of Fairbanks. "People are just passing through. If they rerouted some of that traffic, it might help, but I don't know how they could do that. You can make it beautiful, but it's not necessarily going to bring customers to stores on Park Avenue or downtown. I question that the money spent on beautifying is going to make people stop."

What's ahead

As residents go about their lives in Winter Park in 2009, some of the changes and issues will be very visible, as power lines are buried and streetscape work continues. Other changes, such as zoning and comprehensive plan issues, are not so obvious. They look to the future and often deal with small details of residential construction. Lean financial times will bring leaner government and services to the city, which eventually will affect every resident. But the sense of history in a city that has stood for more than a century is clear and strong, and its residents are sure to have many opinions about how and where those changes will be made.

Jennifer Greenhill-Taylor is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience writing about issues as diverse as travel, theater, film, health and science. While she now lives in College Park, she spent her formative years in Winter Park and has a deep affection for its brick streets, charming architecture and beautiful lakes.