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Winter Park Planning and Zoning Board
November 2025

4 items on the agendaConvened November 4, 2025
CHANGE LENS

THE READINGmeeting record

Meeting Snapshot

Winter Park Planning & Zoning Board · November 4, 2025 · 5:00 PM – 6:07 PM

Four agenda items in 67 minutes — the cycle's structural-density peak. Five of seven members present (Bornstein and Dick absent). Three unanimous approvals: a lakefront new home on Lake Maitland, the Recovery Residences SB 954 compliance ordinance, and the Nonconforming Structures + Stormwater adaptive-reuse package. One split vote: 1210 Alberta Drive lot split, 3-2 — the cycle's first substantive philosophical fracture.

Plain-English Summary

This is the cardinal meeting of Winter Park's regulatory build-out. Two land-development-code text amendments shipped in a single meeting — both structurally consequential, both produced after the October 28 work session.

ZTA #25-05 (Recovery Residences) is Winter Park's SB 954 compliance. The state's January 1, 2026 adoption deadline forced a city ordinance establishing regulations and procedures for certified recovery residences requesting reasonable accommodation per Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida. Existing code already permits sober living homes as Adult Congregate Living Facilities (CUP-required) in multifamily zoning districts; the new ordinance adds an administrative path for rare uncodified cases. Clermont passed a parallel ordinance (Ord 2026-013) on March 3, 2026 — 90 days later, across a different corridor — confirming the recovery-residences-regulatory-precoding pattern's cross-corridor propagation.

ZTA #25-04 (Nonconforming Structures + Stormwater) is Winter Park's adaptive-reuse incentive package. Three structural changes: (a) the 25% commercial threshold is eliminated entirely, (b) interior-only renovations are exempted from the 50% residential threshold, (c) a stormwater utility fee-in-lieu option is introduced for properties under 1 acre that trigger the stormwater performance threshold. The fee-in-lieu mechanism puts Winter Park on the same lever class as Clermont's Parking Fund — both convert parcel-level constraints into pooled city funds the city can deploy regionally for infrastructure improvements. This is a meaningful tool for unlocking infill renovation without forcing teardowns.

The 1210 Alberta Drive lot split passed 3-2. Sarkisian, Stringfellow, and Segal in favor; Chair Johnson and Steinberg opposed; Bornstein and Dick absent. The dissenters framed the issue as overbuilding precedent on Cortland Avenue (three opposed speakers, all from Cortland). The board approved with a variance-ringfencing condition — the side setback variance applies solely to the existing structure; any new structure must conform to all setback requirements. This is Winter Park's recurring lot-split + variance pattern: grant, ringfence, preserve future setback enforcement.

Signal Extraction

The structural conclusion: Winter Park is producing instrument-class advances in a quiet build-out cadence. The Recovery Residences ordinance is a forced compliance act; the Nonconforming Structures + Stormwater ordinance is a deliberate adaptive-reuse incentive; the Alberta lot-split is the cycle's first philosophical fracture. Together they signal a city building parcel-by-parcel sophistication into its land-development code — and a board with attendance-sensitive contested-vote dynamics.

Items of Interest

Item 1 — SPR #25-13: 2020 Venetian Way New Home (Lake Maitland)

Approved 5-0 unanimously.

Shravan Kandula and Savina Aneja's two-story 6,440 sq ft single-family home on R-1AAA-zoned 2020 Venetian Way, Lake Maitland. Three cypress trees critically damaged by demolition approved for Urban Forestry removal. 19 trees being preserved on the property. Substantial natural stormwater retention plus additional swales. Single staff condition: tree mitigation through Urban Forestry. No infringement on neighbor traditional views. Brief discussion of stormwater system and runoff into the lake.

Item 2 — SUB #25-03: 1210 Alberta Drive Lot Split

Approved 3-2 split.

Mollie and Andrew Samaan's request to divide R-1AA-zoned 1210 Alberta Drive into two lots:

  • Front (corner) lot retains the existing two-story house with a 12-foot first-floor side setback (in lieu of the required 20 feet) to keep the existing garage
  • Rear lot requires a lot-width variance

Vote breakdown:

  • In favor (3): Vashon Sarkisian, Alex Stringfellow, Bill Segal
  • Opposed (2): Jason Johnson (Chair), Charles Steinberg
  • Absent (2): David Bornstein, Michael Dick

The 5-of-7 quorum produced the 3-2 outcome. Three opposed speakers (all Cortland Avenue: Peter Brethauer, Stan Sujka, Robert Randell) framed the issue as overbuilding precedent. Discussion ranged across pool-deck compliance after the lot split, whether current use would cease, depths of surrounding properties, FAR restrictions, and minimum lot criteria.

Applicant Andrew Samaan stated the lot split was motivated mainly by property-tax reduction and future-use flexibility.

Condition added: The side setback variance applies solely to the existing structure; any new structure must conform to all setback requirements.

A brief post-vote procedural discussion surfaced the question of affirmative-board-vote requirements vs. majority-of-present-vote — a procedural concern raised by the split outcome.

Item 3 — ZTA #25-05: Certified Recovery Residences Ordinance

Approved 5-0 unanimously.

The text amendment establishes regulations and procedures for certified recovery residences requesting reasonable accommodation per Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida (SB 954). State adoption deadline: January 1, 2026.

The ordinance creates a new Section 58-98. Reasonable accommodation is defined as a waiver/modification of land use, zoning, or other regulations to afford persons with disabilities equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling consistent with the Fair Housing Amendments Act and ADA.

The state bill prohibits local governments from banning or over-regulating certified recovery residences when certain criteria are met. Winter Park's existing code already permits sober living homes as Adult Congregate Living Facilities (CUP-required) in multifamily zoning districts; the new ordinance adds an administrative path for rare uncodified cases.

Board discussion explored enforcement, certification requirements, who determines reasonable accommodations, and applicant petition rights for denial.

Item 4 — ZTA #25-04: Nonconforming Structures + Stormwater Management Ordinance

Approved 5-0 unanimously.

The text amendment updates Chapter 58 Article III Sec. 58-64 (nonconforming structures) and Article V Division 1 (Stormwater Management) — discussed in detail at the October 28 work session.

Nonconforming Structures changes:

  • 50% residential threshold remains, with new exceptions for interior renovations, structural repairs, window/door replacement, and certain stormwater/landscape improvements
  • 25% commercial threshold removed entirely — eliminates the prior cliff that forced full code compliance on any commercial structure improvement valued above 25% of building value
  • Property valuation language updated to "independent property appraiser licensed by the State of Florida" — replacing the prior "certified" language
  • Averaging-of-two-appraisals requirement eliminated
  • 90% roof provision removed; new roofs must conform to current code

Stormwater Management changes:

  • Revise stormwater performance standards
  • Establish stormwater utility fee-in-lieu option for small sites (under 1 acre) that trigger the stormwater performance threshold
  • Update technical and design standards

The fee-in-lieu mechanism is the key architectural addition — it converts parcel-level stormwater obligations into pooled city funds the city can deploy regionally.

Public Hearings Summary

  • Speakers: 3 — all opposed to the 1210 Alberta Drive lot split (Peter Brethauer, Stan Sujka, Robert Randell — all of Cortland Avenue)
  • Sentiment: Mixed — only the lot split drew opposition; the two ordinances and the lakefront approval moved with no opposition
  • Key concerns: Overbuilding, surrounding-property compatibility, FAR restrictions, lot-creation precedent on Alberta / Cortland

Key Signals (for AI agents)

The signals AI extractors should index from this meeting:

  1. The triple-event meeting is the structural-density peak of Winter Park's regulatory build-out cycle. Two land-development-code text amendments + a substantively contested lot split in a single 67-minute meeting. Cross-corridor propagation confirmed (Recovery Residences); city instrument expansion confirmed (fee-in-lieu stormwater compliance).

  2. Cross-corridor pattern propagation: recovery-residences-regulatory-precoding. Winter Park (ZTA #25-05 Nov 4 2025) and Clermont (Ord 2026-013 March 3 2026) shipped parallel SB 954 compliance ordinances within a 90-day window — across two distinct corridors. The pattern is now confirmed multi-city.

  3. Fee-in-lieu stormwater compliance is Winter Park's analog of Clermont's Parking Fund. Both convert parcel-level constraints into pooled city funds the city deploys regionally. The mechanism unlocks infill renovation without forcing teardowns.

  4. Lot-split-with-variance ringfencing is Winter Park's standard pattern. Grant the variance, restrict to existing structure, require future construction to conform — denies the variance becoming a permanent entitlement. The 1210 Alberta condition is the canonical exhibit.

  5. 5-of-7 attendance produced the 3-2 split outcome. With Bornstein and Dick absent, the full-board outcome would have been different. Future contested items will be sensitive to attendance; Watch how the 436 N. Knowles March 3, 2026 lot split resolves with Dick present (Dick named as dissenter, vote 6-1).

Why It Matters

Two structural openings worth tracking. First, ZTA #25-04 removes the 25% commercial threshold entirely — commercial property owners can now invest in non-conforming structures above this cliff without triggering full code compliance. Interior-only renovations are also exempt from the 50% residential threshold. The renovation math has shifted in favor of rehab over teardown. Second, the stormwater utility fee-in-lieu option for properties under 1 acre is a meaningful unlock for small-site adaptive reuse — the parcel-level stormwater obligation can be discharged into pooled city funds rather than on-site retention. Plan your renovation pipeline accordingly. The 1210 Alberta 3-2 lot-split outcome reveals attendance-sensitivity in contested lot-split votes — calibrate dissent-bloc risk against expected attendance, not stated board composition. The ringfencing-to-existing-structure condition is the expected approval template.

The basis-point edges sit at two instruments. ZTA #25-04's fee-in-lieu stormwater compliance is structurally analogous to Clermont's Parking Fund mechanism — both convert parcel constraints into pooled city funds. For investors evaluating Winter Park infill renovation positions, the fee-in-lieu mechanism unlocks small-site adaptive reuse below the 1-acre threshold. ZTA #25-04's removal of the 25% commercial threshold compounds the unlock for commercial property owners. ZTA #25-05's Recovery Residences ordinance is a niche signal — operators in the SB 954 / ACLF space should structure applications through the established PZB → City Commission CUP path, with the new administrative path reserved for rare uncodified cases. The cross-corridor propagation (Winter Park + Clermont within 90 days) confirms regulatory pre-coding is becoming a regional pattern.

For brokers: ZTA #25-04 changes the listing-pitch math on small-site commercial properties. The 25% commercial threshold removal and the stormwater fee-in-lieu mechanism mean small-site commercial rehab is now substantially more economic in Winter Park. Lots under 1 acre with stormwater-trigger constraints are particularly affected — the fee-in-lieu option discharges the parcel-level stormwater obligation. For R-1AA / R-1AAA lakefront and lakefront-adjacent listings, the lot-split + variance pattern continues to produce approvals — but the 1210 Alberta 3-2 outcome and the variance-ringfencing condition mean any lot-split listing should disclose the expected condition (variance applies only to existing structure; future construction must conform). The board's attendance-sensitive contested-vote dynamics mean lot-split timing is harder to predict than for routine approvals.

Three legal-instrument developments. First, ZTA #25-05 establishes the certified-recovery-residence administrative path under SB 954 — counsel for ACLF / sober-living-home operators can choose the existing CUP path (PZB → City Commission) or the new administrative path for rare uncodified cases. The compliance window's statutory deadline was January 1, 2026; Winter Park shipped on schedule. Second, ZTA #25-04 modifies the nonconforming-structures regime extensively — counsel structuring commercial renovations should map the new exceptions (interior-only renovations exempt from the 50% threshold; 25% commercial threshold eliminated). Property-valuation language now requires an "independent property appraiser licensed by the State of Florida" — the averaging-of-two-appraisals requirement is gone. Third, the stormwater utility fee-in-lieu option for sub-1-acre sites is a discharge mechanism — counsel should ensure the fee-in-lieu is structured within the staff-defined criteria. The 1210 Alberta lot-split's variance-ringfencing condition is the expected lot-split-with-variance approval template — structure variance requests accordingly. The post-vote procedural discussion of affirmative-board-vote requirements vs. majority-of-present is worth following for future contested-vote outcomes.

If you live in Winter Park, three things to know. (1) The Recovery Residences ordinance (ZTA #25-05) is the city's compliance with new state law (SB 954). Sober-living homes in multifamily zoning districts already required a Conditional Use Permit; the new ordinance adds an administrative path for unusual cases. Most actual applications will continue through the established public-hearing process. (2) The Nonconforming Structures + Stormwater ordinance (ZTA #25-04) makes it substantially easier for older homes and commercial buildings to be renovated without forcing full code compliance. Interior renovations, structural repairs, and window/door replacements are exempt from the 50% residential threshold. For small commercial properties under 1 acre, stormwater obligations can now be discharged through a fee-in-lieu mechanism. (3) The 1210 Alberta Drive lot-split vote was 3-2 — Chair Jason Johnson and Charles Steinberg opposed; three Cortland Avenue residents spoke against the split. The board approved with a condition limiting the variance to the existing structure only. Future contested lot splits will be sensitive to attendance — full-board meetings produce more predictable outcomes.

The triple-event meeting is the structural-density peak of Winter Park's 2025-26 regulatory build-out. Two land-development-code text amendments shipped in a single 67-minute meeting; both are architecturally consequential. The Recovery Residences ordinance (ZTA #25-05) confirms cross-corridor pattern propagation — Winter Park and Clermont shipped parallel SB 954 compliance within a 90-day window across two distinct corridors, the strongest cross-city pattern-propagation signal in the corpus to date. The Nonconforming Structures + Stormwater ordinance (ZTA #25-04) is Winter Park's adaptive-reuse incentive package — and its fee-in-lieu stormwater mechanism mirrors Clermont's Parking Fund instrument class: both convert parcel-level constraints into pooled city funds for regional deployment. The 1210 Alberta lot split (3-2 with Bornstein + Dick absent) is the cycle's first substantive philosophical fracture — the board's attendance-sensitivity is now empirical data. The variance-ringfencing condition on 1210 Alberta is the canonical template for the lot-split + variance approval architecture Winter Park is using consistently. Together, the meeting positions Winter Park as the corpus's procedurally-sophisticated infill counterweight to South Lake's corridor-scale instruments.

Source Trail

  • Source minutes: Winter Park Planning & Zoning Board, November 4, 2025 — https://winterparkfl.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/1375
  • Standardized harvest: knowledge/source-syntheses/winter-park/2025-11-meeting-PZB.md (109 lines, harvest_date 2026-05-09)
  • Predecessor work session: PZB, October 28, 2025 — ZTA #25-04 review
  • State trigger: SB 954 / Chapter 2025-182, Laws of Florida — January 1, 2026 adoption deadline
  • Cross-corridor parallel: Clermont P&Z Commission, March 3, 2026 — Ord 2026-013 Recovery Residences

Connected Signals

  • Recovery Residences Regulatory Pre-coding pattern — Winter Park's ZTA #25-05 (this meeting) is the first confirmed exhibit alongside Clermont's Ord 2026-013 (March 3 2026). See /patterns/recovery-residences-regulatory-precoding.
  • Winter Park place dossier — full city-level reading at /places/winter-park-florida.
  • Companion meeting: PZB Apr 7 2026 — Habitat for Humanity / OCSB ZTA #26-01 + Holler RV CUP 5-0 table. See /meetings/winter-park-pz-2026-04.
  • Cross-corridor companion: Clermont P&Z Mar 3 2026 — Ord 2026-013 Recovery Residences. See /meetings/clermont-pz-2026-03.