At Tuesday night’s meeting, Mayor Jimmy Lahrman, Mayor Pro-Tem Nick Kutrumbos, Councilmen Art Ferrari and Mike Periolat were in attendance, and Charles Banks joined via telephone.

2020 Census Outreach

County Communications Coordinator Alexis Kimbrough continued her educational outreach by giving a presentation on the 2020 Census to the Council members. Kimbrough stressed the importance of counting every person in residence as of April 1, 2020. “It costs the County about $15,000 over 10 years for every person not counted,” said Kimbrough. She addedsaid she is working with the US Forest Service to identify locations of the county’s homeless population so they can be counted as well. 

Census Takers will begin going door to door to deliver ‘invitations to participate’ to every household in Grand County that receives mail through a PO Box on March 15. Once the invitation is delivered, residents can respond by phone, by mail or online. Kimbrough pointed out that while citizenship is not a census question, the census phone line was available in 12 languages and the website in 59 languages. Non-response follow-up will begin in May and responses may be submitted up to July 31.

Town Clerk Dani Jardee gathered information from Alexis to share the information on the town’s website. Chamber Executive Director Catherine Ross also offered to host gatherings, for those without access to a computer, at the Visitor Center.

STR Advisory Group

Following a workshop held in December, letters of interest to participate on the town’s Short-term Rental Advisory Group had been accepted from members of the community. Town Clerk Jardee, along with Assistant Town Manager Alisha Janes, will participate on the panel as well. They worked together to assemble a list of advisory group members from various backgrounds. 

Staff recommended the following members of the community be appointed to the newly formed STR Advisory Group:

  • Rebecca Kaufman, business owner, Ullrs Tavern, Wake n’ Bacon,
  • Shanna Lalley, realtor, Real Estate Winter Park
  • Al Furlone, property management company, Winter Park Lodging Company
  • Catherine Ross, business representative, Chamber of Commerce
  • Mark Gibson, property management company, Book by Owner Winter Park
  • Jill Sutcliffe, Hotel operator
  • Cheryl Spezia, Winter Park Resort representative
  • Suzy Robbins, full-time resident, Elk Trail
  • Jardee and Janes round out the ten-member group. 

“We put together what we thought was a good timeline,” said Jardee. She estimated it would take about three months for the group to gather data, benchmark communities and hear everybody’s experiences. The goal of discussions is to determine “where we are with regard to STRs, then refine a policy to bring back to you.” She stressed, “We need to take some kind of action.”

Council approved the group members unanimously. Jardee told those in attendance at the meeting she would reach out to set up their first meeting.

East Grand Fire Protection District #4 Impact Fees

Community Development Director James Shockey gave a brief background on the fire district’s impact fees. The Town Council adopted a policy and procedure to collect Emergency Service Impact Fees for the East Grand Fire Protection District (EGFPD) in 2001 and the fees were enacted pursuant to Ordinance 316, Series 2001. The fees were subsequently updated and adopted in 2005 by Ordinance 353, Series 2005 and in 2014 by Ordinance 488, Series 2014.

The rationale for the policy was based on analysis of growth related costs incurred by the EGFPD as part of the expanded population through residential and commercial development in Grand County. EGFPD commissioned its first impact fee study in 2000; the towns of Winter Park and Fraser and the Grand County Board of County Commissioners subsequently approved its first fire impact fee program in 2001 ($254 per residential unit or its commercial equivalent). The study was updated in 2004 and 2014, and approvals from the towns and the County modified the impact fee to $483 per housing unit and $268 per 1,000 square feet of non-residential development. 

According to the memo Shockey delivered to council, “Impact fee studies should be updated about every five years, and this 2019 update re-establishes the nexus between current capital costs and service demands and calculates an updated impact fee.”

Shockey told council staff recommended approval of the increased impact fee, from $483 to $632 for residential dwelling units and an increase of $0.268 per square foot (sf) to $0.28/sf for non-residential units for development activities that generate an increased need for additional emergency services.

Council approved the first reading of Ordinance 530, an ordinance amending Title 6, Chapter 6, Section 4B of the Winter Park Town Code, unanimously. The second reading will take place at the next meeting, on March 17, 2020.

Sitzmark North Development proposes 31-unit Condo Building

Town Manager Keith Riesberg told council, “In 2015 the Town entered into a Development Agreement and Deed Restriction to have the Sitzmark North property developed with a community center and a hotel. The Headwaters Center was constructed and fulfills the community center requirement by providing a community meeting space and educational center. Headwaters is now requesting an amendment to the Development Agreement and Deed Restriction to remove the restriction that limits the property use to the community center and a hotel. Instead of developing a hotel, Headwaters is proposing construction of a 31-unit condominium building. 

In his analysis, Riesberg outlined that, in 2015, the Town of Winter Park entered into an agreement with The Sprout Foundation for the development of the Sitzmark North property. Under the agreement, a deed restriction was placed upon the property limiting its potential development to a community center and a hotel. The Sprout Foundation assigned its rights and obligations to Headwaters Ecology and Community Centers (Headwaters). Headwaters constructed and operates the facility known as the Headwaters Center, which fulfills the obligations for the Community Center.

Headwaters is requesting this first amendment of the Development Agreement and Deed Restriction to remove the restriction limiting the property to a hotel. In lieu of developing a hotel on this property, Headwaters is proposing to construct a thirty-one unit condominium building. 

Headwaters agrees that the net profits from the sale of the condominium units will be placed in a separate Headwaters account to be used solely in connection with the Headwaters Center. These funds may be used for the operation, maintenance, repairs and capital improvements at the Headwaters Center.

The proposed amendment to the Development Agreement also adds a provision that twelve surface parking spaces located on the south side of the Headwaters Center may be used for visitor parking in connection with the condominium building and counted to satisfy the parking requirements for both the Headwaters Center and the condominium building; waives the application fees for any subdivision of the Sitzmark North property proposed by Headwaters before December 31, 2021; waives the building permit application fees and other development fees for the Condominium Building; and establishes a Real Estate Transfer Assessment (RETA) of 0.5%. The RETA is in addition to the existing Real Estate Transfer Tax collected under Town Code. The covenant for the RETA acknowledges the funds received by the Town will be used exclusively for the construction of attainable housing.

Representatives for Headwaters indicated at a Council workshop that they do not believe the site can developed as a hotel due to the size of the parcel. Developing the property for condominiums will generate funds for the Headwaters ongoing operation.

Riesberg added that it is at the Council’s discretion as to whether or not they approve the proposed amendment to the Development Agreement and Deed Restriction.

Resolution 1754 passed in a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Pro-Tem Kutrumbos voting against the amendment.

Council approves purchase of Martin Property

Riesberg next presented Resolution 1755, a resolution approving a Purchase and Sale Agreement for property located at 1410 CR 5. Located adjacent to the County land the Town will lease for the new transit maintenance facility, the purchase resolves concerns over the impact of the proposed facility on the adjoining property, owned by Jeff and Tracie Martin.

In his analysis, Riesberg stated, “The property to be acquired is approximately six acres with direct access to CR 5. The property contains a single-family dwelling unit and an apartment. The current owners will be given a lease that allows them to remain in the house until June 30, 2021. A lease agreement between the Town as the new owners and the Martins as tenants will come before the Town Council separately for approval.”

He added that the Town may use the apartment as employee housing as it attempts to recruit Police Officers to Winter Park and the property could be used for other attainable housing projects in the future. Plans for the development and use of the property would be coordinated with other entities, including Grand County, the Town of Fraser and Mountain Parks Electric.

The negotiated purchase price would be $800,000, plus incidental closing costs, excluding title work, to be paid at closing.

“I think this property presents us with great opportunities,” said Councilman Art Ferrari. Not only for a handful of beds, but future projects such as solar, attainable housing and overflow space for bus parking. “I think this is a good purchase for the town.”

Councilman Charles Banks agreed, saying, “I think it’s a great purchase.”

Resolution 1755 was approved unanimously, as was the first reading of Ordinance 532, authorizing the purchase of real property at 1410 CR 5. The second reading of Ordinance 532 and public hearing will be held at the next meeting, on March 17.

Winter Park Town Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm and are open to the public. To learn more, visit wpgov.com.