The City Commission of the City of Eustis on April 17 adopted Resolution 25-32, approving the city's 2025 downtown master plan and directing staff to incorporate the plan into the Community Redevelopment Agency redevelopment plan.

The adoption drew sustained discussion among commissioners about next steps and priorities for downtown revitalization. Commissioner Asbadi said the commission must "get something going" and proposed prioritizing a hotel to attract visitors. Vice Mayor Ashcraft and other commissioners supported adopting the plan now and scheduling targeted workshops to refine implementation steps. Commissioner Holland urged the commission to "follow the master plan" and said she supported a hotel first because it would draw overnight visitors and event business.

Staff advised that adoption also allows the CRA to participate in implementing the plan and that the commission previously discussed the draft during a workshop. Mayor Hawkins and commissioners said they wanted a workshop schedule so the commission could decide priorities such as a hotel, waterfront activation, parking and potential public-private partnerships. City staff flagged a related state-level risk: a pending state bill affecting CRAs could require earmarking funds by October if passed, which commissioners cited as a reason to finalize the plan promptly.

Public comment included support from downtown business owners who said the plan provides a starting point for revitalization. Daniel Di Venonzo, who identified himself as a Lake County resident and downtown business owner, said he supported adoption and suggested parking and project-by-project fixes for technical questions such as parking counts.

The commission voted 5-0 to adopt Resolution 25-32.

Votes at a glance (items acted on April 17):
- Resolution 25-32 (adopt 2025 downtown master plan / incorporate into CRA redevelopment plan): passed 5-0.
- Ordinance 25-01 (land development code amendments: add retail smoke shop, tattoo establishment, massage establishment; add self-service storage use): second reading approved 5-0.
- Appointments to Historic Preservation Board: Dorothy Stevenson reappointed (5-0), Ronald K. Musselman reappointed (Mayor Hawkins recused; motion carried by remaining commissioners), Shannon Graves appointed (5-0), Derek Stewart appointed (5-0).

The commission directed staff to schedule targeted workshops and to return with specific implementation steps and timelines. Staff said it would circulate possible workshop dates and that commission members had expressed interest in short, focused sessions rather than a single long meeting.

The adoption gives the CRA a formal policy basis for downtown projects; commissioners said they intended to follow the plan while using subsequent workshops to prioritize actions such as a hotel, parking, and waterfront amenities.

Ending: The commission closed by asking staff to circulate workshop dates and to monitor the state legislative calendar for CRA-related changes. The commission emphasized moving from planning to specific, time-bound action steps.