City moves horse farm discussion to April

The Winter Garden City Commission heard passionate input from residents and the applicant.

Annabelle Sikes

NEWS EDITOR

A passionate discussion from residents and the applicant spurred the Winter Garden City Commission to unanimously approve moving the annexation and development conversation pertaining to a property next to Crown Pointe Equestrian to April.

The applicant is requesting to annex the 30.24-acre parcel located on Tilden Road into the city, as well as amend the future land use and rezone the property to Planned Unit Development. The approval would mean the development of a neighborhood with 24 homes.

The discussion was first tabled at the Oct. 13, 2022, City Commission meeting, and since then, new conditions of approval were added. These include the installation of a 6-foot opaque privacy fence for lots adjacent to the project’s western boundary, as well as the declaration of restrictive covenants to be recorded with the final plat must contain a disclosure to all lot owners and potential buyers that there are active agricultural uses in the area.

Several new conditions were also added after the item was tabled at the Feb. 9 City Commission meeting to address additional concerns raised by area property owners. These conditions include an 8-foot privacy fence added to the western side of the property abutting common area tracts and the three residential properties, the removal of the tot lot and the walking trail, and security fencing on the eastern property line.

City staff unanimously recommended approval of the series of three ordinances.

“Contrary to some negative comments that we have heard, the city has absolutely no desire to see the horse farm shut down their operations because of this development,” Planning Director Kelly Carson said. “Very much the opposite. The proposed development has a very low residential density, significant buffering along the property line with very few adjacent residential lots. Any potential impacts would be minor. The property is within the city’s JPA annexation boundaries, and we see no value basis on which to deny this request.”

Applicant Argument

Tara Tedrow, with Lowndes Law, made a presentation and spoke on behalf of the applicant.

Tedrow said the proposed PUD features a density of 1.83 dwelling units per net developable acres, 0.79 gross density, which is less than half of the maximum density of four dwelling units per acre permitted within the suburban residential future land use designation.

“Property located within the JPA, even under your comprehensive plan, requires that the city annex JPA properties,” Tedrow stated. “So, when it comes to annexation, the question is pretty cut and dry. Your comprehensive plan says JPA properties must be annexed into the city for services. We are a JPA property, we are already within a JPA under an eighth amendment from two years ago; there is no option for this property but to annex into the city. In addition, we have to have the future land use and the zoning we presented tonight.”

Tedrow also mentioned the proposed minimum under PUD standards of 85-foot lots, as opposed to the surrounding areas with 50- and 30-foot lots.

“We are above what all of those minimums are surrounding us, so in terms of compatibility, we are certainly far more compatible than some of the other existing developments that have been built out,” she said. “We have 4.73 acres of open space contained in that 13.13 acres of developable land, 2.63 which are required of the space, so we have greatly exceeded those open-space requirements.”

Tedrow brought up the importance of the eighth amendment of the JPA.

“In April of 2020 … this was a city of Winter Garden agenda item … and the issue and discussion was annexation of specific properties into the city,” she said. “They are within the city service area. At that