Our City Commission voted tonight (Anderson, Dillaha, and Bridges voted YES, Bradley and Diebel voted NO) to proceed with a “conceptual plan” for the post office property with these characteristics: Build a new 6,500 square foot retail post office to USPS specifications on the northern section of the current post office property (approximately 0.85 acres), converting the balance of the current post office property and City right of way to park space (approximately 1.4 acres). Build a new 6,500 square foot distribution center (“carrier annex”) to USPS specifications on City owned land on Denning Drive (approximately 1.5 acres). The City’s…
Category: Policy
In the “zone”….
It is my hope that the most wise and thoughtful Winter Park citizens will review these circumstances and get involved with this issue. My last writing on the continuing saga of the post office property ended as follows: “Please contact MayorandCommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org and tell them to stop the misrepresentations and obfuscation. Tell them if they want to buy the post office they should support a referendum seeking the approval of the voters and stop playing games.” Well, today’s meeting offered some hope (see below) but confirmed that the current process is replete with misrepresentations and obfuscation, and that games are being…
“We won’t spend your money for our pet project!” Sure.
Please review this and then contact MayorandCommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org to express your opinion. City Commissioners Phil Anderson and Beth Dillaha have put forth a Motion for discussion at the August 10, 2009 City Commission meeting to proceed with fund raising related to having the City purchase the post office property on New York Avenue. This motion (see pages 54 – 58) is based on the principle that “no taxpayer funds will be used.” However, preliminary financial projections used to justify the Motion omit known critical elements and costs, and significantly underestimate the donations required to complete the proposed project where “no taxpayer…
Conflicts of Interest and Hypocrisy
Winter Park City Commissioners and acknowledged best friends Beth Dillaha and Margie Bridges have been consistently and totally opposed to including people on City Boards who make a living through any connections to real estate. For example, they fought the appointment of real estate executive Pitt Warner to the Ethics Board and then tried to get him removed. Beth Dillaha and Margie Bridges share a conviction that anyone with a possible financial interest in an issue, however remote, must have a conflict of interest and, therefore, it is unethical in their view for such people to serve on City Boards….
More Dog Poop.
There is an ongoing theme in the mismanagement of Winter Park. It always seems to involve dogs and their leavings. Dog lovers love Fleet Peeples Park. An organization was formed in 2001 to support and promote the park as dog friendly. Learn more about Friends of Fleet Peeples Park. With the Baldwin Park area maturing and more dog owners learning about Fleet Peeples Park there has been an increase in usage that has stirred the concern of some, which is understandable. However, the real issue may prove to be with the people David Strong appointed to the City Parks and…
Why Ken Bradley should be the Mayor of Winter Park.
Several readers have commented about my critique of David Strong and his friends, noting that I have not yet mentioned why I am supporting Ken Bradley. I support Ken Bradley because he is a rational, positive, and professional leader and David Strong is not. I support Ken Bradley because is has a proactive and positive vision for Winter Park where Davis Strong has an paternalistic, isolationist, dogmatic, and negative vision for Winter Park. I support Ken Bradley because he has the proven professional qualifications to lead a city of 28,000 people with a $150,000,000 annual budget while David Strong has…
Central Park Obsession
There can be no doubt that the historical city plan for Winter Park is the foundation of our unique character and charm. Central Park is the center of that plan, built around the railroad station by design, providing a central focus that defines the commercial core of our city. David Strong and his most vocal supporters believe that somehow, downtown redevelopment of any kind threatens this history. I don’t get it. Winter Park has gone through multiple generations of change and yet, Central Park remains the well protected focus of our city. The buildings along Park Avenue have been constructed…
More park and more parking.
I wrote the following letter to the City Commission last July. I offer it to provide perspective on David Strong’s obsession with having the city buy the current post office property. __________________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 Dear Mayor and Commissioners, Certainly the Carlisle saga has been a painful process for all and the $4 million spent to make the project go away was substantial. We are seriously considering spending an additional $7 million in taxpayer funds to build new postal facilities for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in order to acquire the existing 2 acre post office site, and making…
A Brief Conversation with Sara Whiting, member of the Winter Park Planning and Zoning Commission.
Sara Whiting sits on our Planning and Zoning Commission. I don’t know her well but I do know her as a thoughtful and serious person. Here is a recent email thread between us on the subject of the Comprehensive Plan. _______________________________________________ Peter, I embrace change, if it is for the better! The idea of 2.3 story maximum came from the citizen’s survey. Sun Trust is great, and look across the street- it has a 2 story building with a huge setback across Park Avenue from it. I think one thing that brings character to Winter Park is the personality of…
More Misrepresentation
David Strong recently sent out an email that continues to misrepresent his record. He continues to take credit for projects and accomplishments he had little or nothing to do with and continues to tell an incomplete story about taxes and city reserves. David Strong Claim: Reduced city spending by $2 million in response to reduced revenues caused by the economic downturn. Reality: Original 2009 budgeted city revenue was reduced by $2,000,000 as a result of State mandated reductions and the passage of Amendment One in January 2008. The City Manager letter that introduces the 2009 budget makes this clear (see…