Plans progress on east Winter Garden design

A Historic East Winter Garden Design Workshop was held Oct. 3 at the Healthy West Orange building in Winter Garden.

Residents heard an informative presentation on the East Winter Garden Draft Form-Based Code and the new street, intersection and public space designs for the Historic East Winter Garden Neighborhood, as well as how the projects are implementing the East Winter Garden Plan.

Following the presentation, there was a question-and-answer session that gave attendees a chance to provide input.

Winter Garden Planning Director Kelly Carson said the city has plans to redevelop the entire east Winter Garden community, but the central focus area is a good starting point. 

Community leaders at the workshop emphasized plans take time, and if one were to tally the cost of every recommendation, rendering and illustrative plan in the report, it would far exceed the city’s budget for many years. 

Chloe Johnson, commissioner for the district, was pleased with the feedback.

“It was an important step in showing our residents that we are moving forward together,” she said. “Their participation in decision-making ensured that their voices were truly heard, reinforcing the idea that we are stronger as a community when we work together. This level of involvement is very important, as it allows residents to engage in what matters most to them. The memories they create now will endure, as they continue to be a part of the future of our community.”

WHAT IS THE PLAN?

The East Winter Garden Plan was created with the direct input of residents of east Winter Garden to shape the future of the neighborhood — particularly the area between Plant Street and the railroad tracks and between Ninth and 11th streets. 

The city adopted the plan, which represents a culmination of many meetings and community input, in 2018.

The big ideas of the plan involve One Winter Garden; increasing homeownership and housing options; improving health and recreation, safety and security; integrating safe, comfortable and interesting streets; adding new destinations within walking and biking distance (but new development should be respectful of context); continuing support for initiatives underway; and making the former technical college into a community asset.

Implementation adopted in 2018 included new housing, such as Habitat for Humanity housing and Green Oaks Row housing; businesses, such as The Beauty Society on Plant Street; and new public facilities, such as the Winter Garden Community Garden and new sidewalk connections.

A community meeting in 2022 provided updates to the plan. 

The city is using Community Redevelopment Agency funds to implement the plan.

In 2019, the CRA was directed by the City Commission to invest 75% of its Tax Increment Financing revenues in east Winter Garden. That increment was expected to range from $20 million to $30 million over the life of the CRA.

PLAN UPDATES

Equity planning is creating options for people who wouldn’t otherwise have them. This type of planning is committed to providing every neighborhood with the necessities of life, such as affordable housing, reliable public transport and emergency services; and quality-of-life elements, such as attractive neighborhoods, interesting destinations, and parks and trails within walking distance.

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The overlay allows new residential building types to what already is allowed by zoning, as well as neighborhood commercial along Center Street and at key intersections.

The East Winter Garden Neighborhood Code establishes form-based districts, where each area is defined by particular characteristics that correspond with building placement, building form and frontage standards, all which influence the level of walkability and vibrancy in a particular place.

A Form-Based Code is a zoning code that focuses on the physical form of buildings, public spaces and streets rather than land use and density.

The form-based districts for the east Winter Garden neighborhood include gateway destination, neighborhood core, neighborhood center and residential neighborhood. 

For example, in the residential neighborhood area, buildings are required to be street-oriented and typically detached. The intent of the zone is to maintain a suburban character similar to the surrounding single-family neighborhoods, which surround the neighborhood core and neighborhood center. Among other details, buildings in this zone are residential and are set back farther from the street on larger lots. 

Leaders explained the overlay is optional, and nothing currently allowed is disallowed. New uses also are allowed.

“This is adding density,” said Jason King, vice president and senior project director for Dover, Kohl & Partners town planning firm. “It’s adding houses and rooftops to the neighborhood, and there’s disadvantages to that. Density, in this case, only comes with public benefits, density bonuses. So, as the development in the community builds, there are public benefits that come.”

Bonuses that offer a public benefit include workforce housing, community social service provider space, locally owned commercial spaces and park spaces.

“The code would also allow small, neighborhood-serving commercial at certain specific intersections close to Center Street,” King said. “That way, there can be small, affordable businesses. It is difficult to start a business or even to rent a space on Plant Street. The idea here is that there are certain spots within the neighborhood where local entrepreneurs could have a chance to do great things.”

The streetscape plan includes key elements, such as redesign areas, a new community park, a new circular park and a new roundell, a structure that helps calm traffic.

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The new park will be the gateway into Historic East Winter Garden, and the space will be able to be used for local events. 

Trees to be planted include live oaks, holly, cabbage palms and crepe myrtles. 

The parks will include site-furnishing elements, such as benches, bike racks, bollards, lights, pavers, planters, trash receptacles and even historical markers. 

The roundell is planned for Center and 10th streets. 

The project would be developed in phases, with the city considering starting with the park area. 

Because the plans are conceptual, the city has not yet received cost estimates. 

While many residents expressed excitement for the potential changes, not all residents agreed. 

Regulations would need to be put together in an ordinance, which would require public hearings in front of the Planning and Zoning Board, as well as the City Commission. 

“I am deeply grateful for the city’s work on revitalization in our historic community,” Danykqua Faulk, One Winter Garden board president, said. “The recent meeting was highly productive, and I believe things have been progressing so well largely due to the city’s commitment to engaging residents at every step of the process.”