Winter Park’s new mayor, Phil Anderson, officially assumed office yesterday and easily led the Commissioners through a lengthy meeting as if he had never left the dais. A former member of the City Commission, Mayor Anderson expressed his gratitude after taking the oath of office for the opportunity to serve Winter Park in this new capacity. 

City Manager’s Report Highlights
City staff is working to offer Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy a short list of projects from which one may be proposed for possible federal earmarked funding. The deadline to propose a project is April 1. To be eligible, the project must be “shovel ready” with a projected one-year completion date. Several ideas thus far include:

• Building a new stage at Central Park
• Providing solar awnings for the City’s Public Works compound
• Implementing the Mead Botanical Garden improvement plan
• Building garage parking to serve MLK Park, including Library & Event Center activities

Other Meeting Highlights
The City’s Planning & Transportation Department proposed several methods of relieving cut-through traffic plaguing Lake Killarney neighborhood roadways near the intersection of 17-92 and Fairbanks Avenue. Creating a parklet to block traffic appeals most to the Commission, but no action will be taken at this time. The City will reimburse the underwriting of street bollards.

The Harper Street parking lot that had been scheduled for development was cancelled, as was a proposed grass lot adjacent to the new Library & Event Center and MLK sports complex. With at least two other supplemental parking opportunities also on the horizon, the Commission agreed they would rather study and move forward with a comprehensive parking plan.

The Affordable Housing linkage fee was reinstated for new construction of low-income housing. Non-profit building projects will be exempt. The Commission prefers that single family/low density projects be pursued in the future.

Conditional use approval passed for a 10-building, two-story townhome project on South Lakemont Avenue overlooking Lake Spier, with stipulations, including creating a pedestrian crosswalk, healthy aquatic plantings and a solid-sided gate.

Regulating the residential use of artificial turf was discussed at length at the request of City staff. The Commission will consider further research about appropriate scope of use and the quality of materials permitted, as impervious materials contribute to harmful water run-off issues.