Commission amends Winter Garden Hotel PCD; developer must pay prior impact fees

The Winter Garden City Commission approved Resolution 26-02 on a procedural vote to amend PCD ordinance 19-21 for the Winter Garden Hotel PCD at 8 North Highland Avenue, a parcel described by staff as roughly 0.58 acres.

City staff told commissioners the amendment extends site-plan and architectural-review approvals and resolves the expired status of the prior impact-fee deferral and forgiveness agreement. "The previous agreement to waive the project's impact fees is being terminated and the developer will be required to pay those impact fees as a condition of permit approval," staff said.

Staff also said the developer must account for parking needs by paying the downtown parking fee and/or securing off-site parking locations rather than relying on the city's parking garage. Staff emphasized that other provisions of ordinance 19-21 and resolution 21-02 remain unchanged and that elevations and the site plan are the same as previously approved.

A commissioner announced an abstention before the vote; the commission moved, seconded and approved the resolution. After the vote, the record was clarified to note the commissioner’s abstention and that the official will file the required written statement with the city clerk.

Why it matters: terminating the prior fee waiver shifts the cost of impact fees back to the developer as a condition of permitting and makes the project responsible for addressing parking impacts off-site or by a downtown parking payment. The amendment keeps the previously approved design and historic-review approvals in place.

Next steps: staff will process necessary permit actions conditioned on payment of the impact fees and documentation addressing parking; the abstaining commissioner will file the required written statement with the city clerk.