Winter Park Land Trust and Development Projects
December 7, 2020
Occasionally an opinion is requested from the Winter Park Land Trust on proposed development projects within the city of Winter Park. The guidelines created at the Winter Park Land Trust's inception establish that the organization will not take positions either in support of or against building development.
One recent example is the proposed Henderson Hotel development at Lake Killarney. The developer, Winter Park Historic Hotels Group, announced plans to offer an easement to the WPLT of just under an acre of land on Fairview Avenue adjacent to the hotel for use as a public park. Some confusion, however, was initially created by the Henderson Hotel website www.hendersonhotelwinterpark.com which seemed to imply involvement of the Winter Park Land Trust. An article in the November 24, 2020 publication of the Winter Park Voice addressed this misconception, quoting the following statement issued by Winter Park Land Trust:
“The Winter Park Land Trust was established to create more park space and green space in our city, and to help ensure that we keep the green space we already have. One method of doing so in this city that is already extensively developed is for the WPLT to accept conservation easements over green space that is to be included as part of redevelopment projects such as those being considered on the Orange Avenue Overlay and adjacent to Lake Killarney.
Conservation easements are permanent restrictions preventing the future development of green space. It should be clear, however, that the WPLT does not endorse or support development projects even when the developer may be contemplating the donation of a conservation easement.
We have not endorsed the Henderson Hotel project. Negotiation to include open space within a development is the province of the City. WPLT can help ensure that such green space is permanent, but we will accept an easement only after
1. A project has been approved by P&Z and the City Commission
2. A developer provides us with specific plans for the proposed green space
3. The agreement has been reviewed by the appropriate WPLT committees and legal counsel
4. The WPLT Board of Trustees has voted to accept the easement.
None of these steps has been taken for the Henderson Hotel.”
The Winter Park Land Trust will continue to work with the city as well as with potential developers to encourage land to be set aside in perpetuity for meaningful public park and green space.