Windermere High community rallies for on-campus stadium

The Windermere High School auditorium was at capacity Wednesday, Aug. 23 — filled with students, teachers, parents and neighboring residents there to hear an update on — and show overwhelming support for — the proposal to build a permanent onsite football stadium. This requires an amendment to the existing special exception for the school.

Orange County Public Schools and Orange County Government held the joint meeting, which included detailed PowerPoint presentations and a Q&A session. District 1 County Commissioner Nicole Wilson and School Board Member Pam Gould represented the county and OCPS, respectively. Other speakers included Jad Brewer of OCPS Facilities, architect Patrick Rauch of SchenkelShultz and lighting designer Bob DeCouto of MUSCO Lighting.

The school opened in 2017 on Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Windermere. Because it was built in a rural settlement with strict guidelines, all home football games have been played a mile away at Deputy Scott Pine Community Park. For six years, parents and students have voiced concerns about the safety, parking and other challenges faced on Friday nights.

“I am thrilled that Commissioner Wilson has really partnered in bringing this back to the community after some of the challenges we’ve had in the last several years, not only for the school, but for the community and, especially, for the kids,” Gould said.

“I go to a lot of these type of meetings for development, but being here gives me great joy, being on this campus,” Wilson said. “My heart is with this community in understanding that for this community to feel whole we needed to revisit the site plan … for the kids.”

The proposal is to build a permanent stadium with 1,852 seats on the current track and practice field — 1,068 seats on the home side to the east and 484 seats on the visitor side to the west. There also would be the potential for 300 expansion seats.

The project would include an 1,872-square-foot building, ticket booth, restrooms, concessions, announcer’s booth, athletic storage containers and a full athletic field lighting package of four 80-foot LED light poles to replace six existing 40-foot poles. The basketball court and long jump area would be relocated.

Site access would be from Winter Garden-Vineland Road. It was determined there already is ample parking.

Games would begin at 7 p.m. Friday and end no later than 11 p.m.

Dance director Patricia Barra was among the teachers who spoke.

“If the community needs a school, then the community needs a stadium,” she said. “(It’s) a place for the community to make memories. Our alumni endured an underwhelming experience, busing to their home games without tailgating and traditions.”

Another teacher, Jessica Moore, urged the decision-makers to bring the stadium to the school.

“We do have a bit of a mental health issue that I don’t want to ignore here at Windermere High School,” she said. “It would improve mental health … to have the stadium here.”

Three Student Government Association members spoke, saying Windermere High is one of the only OCPS schools without an on-campus stadium, the students’ Homecoming “isn’t even truly at our home,” and “Windermere High has been denied the right to build a tradition of championship culture.”

A resident of the Oxford Moor community stood to say her neighborhood no longer opposes the stadium but residents are concerned about lighting and noise.

“What we’re asking both the planning committee and OCPS, as part of your planning, we are requesting that you consider some sort of noise mitigation,” she said. “At the very least we would like to request another landscape barrier that is taller than the landscape that is there.”

The residents also asked OCPS and Orange County to consider positioning the loud speakers so the sound faces the stadium and field as much as possible.

“The two staffs are talking about further noise mitigations and how to promote the tree growth and take a look at what other options are available,” Gould said.

A Lake Cawood Estates resident said his community also is not opposed to the stadium but asked for concessions on the lighting.

“We’re hoping there can be some movement to the game slightly earlier,” he said. “Our neighborhood is 200 feet from the site. We’ve had neighbors request if the stadium could be moved further east. Our main point is we’re very supportive, we’re happy for the stadium to be here, but (because) of the settlement agreement … we’re hoping there can be some kind of agreement.”

The project will go before Orange County’s Board of Zoning Adjustment Sept. 7, and the public hearing is tentatively planned for the Orange County Board of County Commissioners’ Oct. 24 agenda. If it is approved by the BCC, procurement and construction would begin in November and the stadium would be ready for Friday night games by August 2024.

At the end of the meeting, Gould spoke to the students: “I am proud of you. Not only are you articulate, (but) our future is bright.”

She thanked everyone in the packed auditorium for attending the meeting.

“This has been a great civic example of how a community can talk to one another in a proper and positive way,” she said. “I want to thank (Commissioner Wilson), who has been willing to talk about this since she took office. It’s really important to have that kind of communication between your inter-government folks.”

“I can’t wait to get out here for a game,” Wilson said.