Winter Park Commissioner Carolyn Cooper recently distributed a video listing recent Winter Park developments completed or underway on Denning Drive and 17/92.
….and then concludes “and it just doesn’t feel right.”
Guess what? Carolyn Cooper VOTED TO APPROVE every one of these projects AND every one of them was approved within the bounds of legal entitlements from earlier approvals or otherwise built within all material limitations of our building codes and zoning rules.
So Carolyn, please tell the people of Winter Park what “just doesn’t feel right” and what you propose to do about it?
Regards, Pete Weldon
Not sure what you are saying. Do you mean that Cooper is as corrupt as the other commissioners? Or are you saying that she’s not quite as corrupt as the others but almost? Or are you saying that by comparison to the others only she is not corrupt, but that her voting record shows that she is? Please explain
Why don’t you use your real name so we can have a constructive conversation?
Corrupt? Very inappropriate word.
What do you call an elected official who consistently votes one way and then postures against her own votes? Can we agree that this behavior is as inappropriate and destructive to civil process as your use of the word “corrupt?”
Senior housing, Swoope and Denning, is 4 stories, not 3, which is not in accordance with maximum stories allowed (3). Please use facts.
Marty, first, thanks for using your real name. It is impossible to constructively discuss these issues anonymously.
The owner proposed much more green space than the 2006 project proposal and the commission unanimously thought moving from 3 to 4 stories was a reasonable tradeoff for the added green space. Please park near the project and walk around it, then let me know if you still think this tradeoff was a bad idea. See page 357 here for the full background on this project. See page 14 here showing the unanimous commission vote.
Ms. Cooper is the same person who spent years trying to prevent multi-story buildings in Winter Park and then approved a 4-story residential project on Lake Berry because it came with votes.
If you use your real name others may feel more free to provide a constructive response, and then we all might learn something we didn’t know before.
Thanks for all of your efforts to provide a forum for constructive dialogue. I am all for responsible, quality development. I have been up and down Denning countless times, and for the life of me I don’t know why so many people object to the new apartment complex. I have heard the word “monstrous” used in reference to this project. A driver hardly even sees the project until they are within a hundred yards or so. The project looks good. People need to realize that Winter Park is an infill community, in a highly populated metropolitan area. It is not an isolated island. Development–done right–benefits the community and broadens the tax base. And new projects will not diminish the charm and character of the downtown core. The only reason Lakeside (Trader Joes) became so controversial is because the developer underestimated the popularity that its’ anchor tenant would have. Yes, with the benefit of hindsight, that project might have been changed a bit to provide more parking. Lesson learned. Have a great day.