What were the most significant items on the Winter Garden Planning and Zoning Board agenda for November 2025?

Meeting Reading

Winter Garden Planning and Zoning Board

November 3, 2025

7 items on the agenda

**Winter Garden is the THIRD Central Florida city in the corpus to adopt SB 954 Recovery Residences code in a 4-month window — extending the Recovery Residences regulatory pre-coding pattern.** Ordinance 25-38 establishes Section 118-136 governing certified recovery residences and the reasonable-accommodations process required by Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida (SB 954). The cross-city sequence is: Winter Park (ZTA #25-05, November 4, 2025; 5-0); Winter Garden (Ordinance 25-38, November 3, 2025; 5-0); Clermont (Ordinance 2026-013, March 3, 2026; 6-0). Three cities, three ordinances, all unanimous, all adopted before the SB 954 January 1, 2026 effective date — a 4-month coordinated pre-coding cycle. The Recovery Residences pattern is now confirmed at three exhibits and propagated across both the SR-429 corridor (Winter Garden, Winter Park) AND the US-27 South Lake corridor (Clermont). The pattern is structurally a state-statute compliance, not a market response, but the cross-city coordination suggests legal-counsel networks operating as a corridor-spanning information layer.
**East Crown Point Complex represents 203,306 sq ft of multi-use industrial-flex commercial entitlement at the city's eastern edge — the corpus's largest single non-self-storage commercial entitlement in the SR-429 cluster.** The PCD rezoning consolidates six contiguous parcels (530-630 E Crown Point Road) into a 9-building, 203,306 sq ft commercial-office-warehouse-flex development. The board's substantive interrogation of allowable uses, semi-truck restrictions, and Crown Pointe Cross Road heavy-vehicle limits indicates active scrutiny of industrial-flex entitlements — distinct from the more permissive posture observed in Apopka's industrial cycle. Combined with the September 2025 SB 180 reversion-process ordinance, Winter Garden's autumn cycle is high-substance regulatory architecture rather than routine variance work.
**Water/wastewater impact fee increase passes unanimously after 14-year freeze.** Ordinance 25-36 raised water, wastewater, and irrigation impact fees for the first time since 2011. The methodology (Raftelis consultant; growth-pays-for-growth framing) parallels what other corridor cities are reaching for in different ways: Minneola's wastewater-capacity ceiling forces de facto growth restraint; Clermont's water-budget cuts (35→28 inches) align with SJRWMD mandates; Winter Garden's path is fee escalation tied to mandated treatment-plant expansion. The state-mandated wastewater treatment plant expansion is a binding capital trigger across multiple cities — Winter Garden chose the fee-escalation path while the South Lake cluster has chosen restriction-driven approaches.

On November 3, 2025, City of Winter Garden's Planning and Zoning Board considered 7 agenda items. **Winter Garden is the THIRD Central Florida city in the corpus to adopt SB 954 Recovery Residences code in a 4-month window — extending the Recovery Residences regulatory pre-coding pattern.** Ordinance 25-38 establishes Section 118-136 governing certified recovery residences and the reasonable-accommodations process required by Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida (SB 954). The cross-city sequence is: Winter Park (ZTA #25-05, November 4, 2025; 5-0); Winter Garden (Ordinance 25-38, November 3, 2025; 5-0); Clermont (Ordinance 2026-013, March 3, 2026; 6-0). Three cities, three ordinances, all unanimous, all adopted before the SB 954 January 1, 2026 effective date — a 4-month coordinated pre-coding cycle. The Recovery Residences pattern is now confirmed at three exhibits and propagated across both the SR-429 corridor (Winter Garden, Winter Park) AND the US-27 South Lake corridor (Clermont). The pattern is structurally a state-statute compliance, not a market response, but the cross-city coordination suggests legal-counsel networks operating as a corridor-spanning information layer. **East Crown Point Complex represents 203,306 sq ft of multi-use industrial-flex commercial entitlement at the city's eastern edge — the corpus's largest single non-self-storage commercial entitlement in the SR-429 cluster.** The PCD rezoning consolidates six contiguous parcels (530-630 E Crown Point Road) into a 9-building, 203,306 sq ft commercial-office-warehouse-flex development. The board's substantive interrogation of allowable uses, semi-truck restrictions, and Crown Pointe Cross Road heavy-vehicle limits indicates active scrutiny of industrial-flex entitlements — distinct from the more permissive posture observed in Apopka's industrial cycle. Combined with the September 2025 SB 180 reversion-process ordinance, Winter Garden's autumn cycle is high-substance regulatory architecture rather than routine variance work. **Water/wastewater impact fee increase passes unanimously after 14-year freeze.** Ordinance 25-36 raised water, wastewater, and irrigation impact fees for the first time since 2011. The methodology (Raftelis consultant; growth-pays-for-growth framing) parallels what other corridor cities are reaching for in different ways: Minneola's wastewater-capacity ceiling forces de facto growth restraint; Clermont's water-budget cuts (35→28 inches) align with SJRWMD mandates; Winter Garden's path is fee escalation tied to mandated treatment-plant expansion. The state-mandated wastewater treatment plant expansion is a binding capital trigger across multiple cities — Winter Garden chose the fee-escalation path while the South Lake cluster has chosen restriction-driven approaches.

CHANGE LENS

THE READINGmeeting record

City of Winter Garden Planning and Zoning Board — November 3, 2025

Meeting Overview

Type: Regular Meeting (preceded by Public Workshop on Ordinance 25-36 water/wastewater impact fees) Quorum: Yes (5 of 7 members present) Duration: Workshop 5:30-6:10 PM; regular meeting 6:30-7:08 PM

Attendance

Present: Acting Chairman Steve Ambielli (Co-Chairman), Linda Bennett, Myron Brown, Jeff Ewing, TJ Ryan
Absent: Chairman Will Hawthorne (excused), Jimmy Dunn (excused)
Staff Present: City Attorney Kurt Ardaman; Assistant City Manager for Public Services Steve Pash; Planning Director Kelly Carson; Senior Planner Yvonne Conatser; Recording Secretary Ellen King; Vice President Murray Hamilton of Raftelis (consultant)

Agenda Items

Workshop: Ordinance 25-36 — Water and Wastewater Impact Fee Study (Pre-Meeting)

A 40-minute workshop preceded the regular meeting. Murray Hamilton of Raftelis presented the impact-fee study update. No public attendance. Board members questioned methodology; workshop adjourned at 6:10 PM.

Item 2: Approval of Minutes — October 6, 2025

Action: Approved
Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion by Ewing, second by Bennett)

Item 3.A: E Crown Point Complex — PCD Rezoning (530, 550, 570, 590, 610, 630 East Crown Point Road)

Type: Rezoning to Planned Commercial Development (PCD)
Case Number: Ordinance 25-37
Location: 530, 550, 570, 590, 610, 630 East Crown Point Road
Parcel ID: 13-22-27-0895-00-120
Request: Rezone to PCD to allow nine commercial office, warehouse, and flex-space buildings totaling 203,306 sq ft, plus parking, open space, and landscaping
Staff Recommendation: Approve subject to conditions
Action: Approved
Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion by Ambielli, second by Brown)
Notable Discussion: Board pressed on (a) listing of allowable uses in PCD; (b) traffic study assumptions; (c) limitation on semi-trucks; (d) community concerns regarding Crown Pointe Cross Road heavy-vehicle limits; (e) operating hours; (f) bars/restaurants permitted; (g) dark-sky lighting compliance. Staff confirmed: bars prohibited; restaurants/cafés allowed with conditions for alcohol service; deliveries prohibited 2 AM - 5 AM; dark-sky lighting addressed at site plan review.

Item 4.A: 111 N Central Avenue (Tingley Property) — Variance

Type: Variance
Location: 111 N Central Avenue (Parcel ID 14-22-27-1728-05-180)
Applicant: Owner-rep Dirk Arace (Arace Design)
Request: Rear-yard setback of 10 feet for detached garage; wall height 9 ft 4 in; roof peak 17 ft
Staff Recommendation: Approve subject to conditions, including new condition requiring licensed surveyor to stake property corners and document with photographs before building permit application (responsive to adjacent owner's property-line concern)
Action: Approved
Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion by Bennett, second by Ewing)
Notable Discussion: Discussion centered on the 5-foot vacated alleyway adjustment that gave 5 ft each to the Tingley and Wilson properties.

Item 4.B: 15583 Hamlin Blossom Avenue — Variance

Type: Variance
Location: 15583 Hamlin Blossom Avenue (Parcel ID 33-22-27-3601-02-890)
Request: 8 ft 6 in rear-yard setback for covered porch with outdoor kitchen; HOA approval secured
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Action: Approved
Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion by Ewing, second by Ryan)

Item 5.A: Ordinance 25-38 — Code Amendment — Certified Recovery Residences (Chapter 118)

Type: Code Amendment (Zoning, Article II, Division 4 — new Section 118-136)
Case Number: Ordinance 25-38
Request: Establish regulations and procedures for certified recovery residences, including a process for requesting reasonable accommodations as required by Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida (Senate Bill 954)
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Action: Approved
Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion by Ambielli, second by Brown)
Notable Discussion: Board questioned which zoning classifications would be allowed. Staff stated all categories in any residential area, but city regulations cannot supersede HOA requirements.

Item 5.B: Ordinance 25-36 — Water and Wastewater Impact Fee Increases (Chapter 78)

Type: Code Amendment (Chapter 78, Article II — Water and Sanitary Sewer Systems)
Case Number: Ordinance 25-36
Request: Increase Water, Wastewater, and Irrigation Impact Fees. Last update was 2011. Justification rests on: state-mandated wastewater treatment plant expansion; reclaim-water-line requirements; growth-related infrastructure costs.
Staff Recommendation: Approve
Action: Approved
Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion by Bennett, second by Ewing)
Notable Discussion: Board confirmed Winter Garden has one wastewater treatment facility on Lake Apopka (Crest Avenue) with multiple water treatment facilities.

Public Hearings Summary

Number of speakers: 0 on substantive items (one citizen, John Branelli, asked clarifying questions on the Tingley variance regarding alleyway alignment)
General sentiment: Supportive across docket
Key concerns: Property-line accuracy concerns at 111 N Central — addressed via licensed-surveyor condition

Key Signals

Winter Garden is the THIRD Central Florida city in the corpus to adopt SB 954 Recovery Residences code in a 4-month window — extending the Recovery Residences regulatory pre-coding pattern. Ordinance 25-38 establishes Section 118-136 governing certified recovery residences and the reasonable-accommodations process required by Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida (SB 954). The cross-city sequence is: Winter Park (ZTA #25-05, November 4, 2025; 5-0); Winter Garden (Ordinance 25-38, November 3, 2025; 5-0); Clermont (Ordinance 2026-013, March 3, 2026; 6-0). Three cities, three ordinances, all unanimous, all adopted before the SB 954 January 1, 2026 effective date — a 4-month coordinated pre-coding cycle. The Recovery Residences pattern is now confirmed at three exhibits and propagated across both the SR-429 corridor (Winter Garden, Winter Park) AND the US-27 South Lake corridor (Clermont). The pattern is structurally a state-statute compliance, not a market response, but the cross-city coordination suggests legal-counsel networks operating as a corridor-spanning information layer.
East Crown Point Complex represents 203,306 sq ft of multi-use industrial-flex commercial entitlement at the city's eastern edge — the corpus's largest single non-self-storage commercial entitlement in the SR-429 cluster. The PCD rezoning consolidates six contiguous parcels (530-630 E Crown Point Road) into a 9-building, 203,306 sq ft commercial-office-warehouse-flex development. The board's substantive interrogation of allowable uses, semi-truck restrictions, and Crown Pointe Cross Road heavy-vehicle limits indicates active scrutiny of industrial-flex entitlements — distinct from the more permissive posture observed in Apopka's industrial cycle. Combined with the September 2025 SB 180 reversion-process ordinance, Winter Garden's autumn cycle is high-substance regulatory architecture rather than routine variance work.
Water/wastewater impact fee increase passes unanimously after 14-year freeze. Ordinance 25-36 raised water, wastewater, and irrigation impact fees for the first time since 2011. The methodology (Raftelis consultant; growth-pays-for-growth framing) parallels what other corridor cities are reaching for in different ways: Minneola's wastewater-capacity ceiling forces de facto growth restraint; Clermont's water-budget cuts (35→28 inches) align with SJRWMD mandates; Winter Garden's path is fee escalation tied to mandated treatment-plant expansion. The state-mandated wastewater treatment plant expansion is a binding capital trigger across multiple cities — Winter Garden chose the fee-escalation path while the South Lake cluster has chosen restriction-driven approaches.
Detached-garage variance with 23-foot peak height enabled via licensed-surveyor condition. The Tingley variance combined a 9 ft 4 in wall, 17 ft roof peak, and 10 ft rear setback for an accessory structure on a corner lot in the historic district. The board's added condition (licensed-surveyor staking + photographic documentation + meeting with adjacent owner before building permit) is a procedural innovation for handling rear-yard property-line uncertainty in older platted neighborhoods. Watch whether this condition cascades into similar historic-district variance cases in subsequent months.

Raw Notes

Source: Winter Garden CivicClerk tenant wintergardenfl, agenda ID 133 (event 315). Minutes file is text-extractable (984 lines including Exhibit A — Raftelis impact-fee study presentation slides). The full water/wastewater impact-fee study is preserved in the November 3 packet as Exhibit A. The November 2025 docket is the autumn cycle's most substantive — three code amendments + one PCD rezoning + two variances in one meeting, all unanimous.