Government & Education news

PROPOSED NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN MOUNT DORA

8/30/2019

ABOVE: Aerial of property and surrounding area (click to enlarge)

UPDATE 11/20/2019: Please read updated article here. Rezoning application will now proceed to the City Council for a public hearing on Tuesday, December 3 at 5:30 at City Hall. Public comments will be allowed.

It’s the only tract of land of its kind within Mount Dora’s city limits. On September 5, Mount Dora City Council will hold a public hearing for a proposed new development titled “Cottages on 11th," which would have a maximum of 27 single-family homes.

The hilltop 10.9-acre property with a view of Lake Dora is between 11th Avenue and Old U.S. Highway 441 near Helen Street, just west of downtown. The land can be identified by its old orange groves perched on the hill a short distance past the van Gogh House.

The property is owned by Mount Dora Christian Home and Bible School, Inc. The applicant for the Planned Unit Development (PUD) is Florida Realty and Development Inc.

According to the developer, the lots will vary in size and the luxury custom homes will range in price from $650,000 to over $1 million.

The application seeks approval to allow for narrower lots with a minimum square footage of 6,000 feet, rather than the current 10,000 square feet required. The proposed project will stay within the 2.5 acre density currently allowed.

ABOVE: Preliminary site plan and rendering submitted by developer.

Mount Dora Planning & Zoning Commission (P & Z) approved the project at an August 21 public hearing.

The public hearing will be at the beginning of the regular Mount Dora City Council meeting on Thursday, September 5 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Comments from the public are allowed.

ABOVE: View of property from its 11th Avenue border and looking south toward Lake Dora.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

SANDBAGS AVAILABLE AT 5 LAKE COUNTY LOCATIONS

8/28/2019

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Sandbags will be made available at five Lake County locations beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday. Residents must bring their own shovels and are allowed to take 20 bags of sand per household per 24-hour period. No tools will be provided at sand deployment sites and residents are responsible for filling their own sandbags. Sandbags will only be offered during designated times before a storm threat. No sandbags will be dispensed during storm conditions. Sandbags operations will cease as announced after the storm threat is over. Pickup hours are 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. at the following locations:

·         Fire Station 10
23023 State Road 40, Astor
·         Fire Station 14
18840 County Road 42, Altoona
·         Fire Station 39
31431 Walton Heath Ave., Sorrento
·         Fire Station 110
6234 County Road 561, Clermont
·         Solid Waste Residential Convenience Center
1200 Jackson St., Lady Lake

Additional sandbags may be made available by municipalities. Check with local cities for locations, availability and hours.

“Lake County Emergency Management is closely monitoring Dorian and communicating with national, state and local stakeholders to prepare,” said Thomas Carpenter, Director of Lake County Office of Emergency Management. “Residents should have a communications plan in place, prepare a disaster go-kit, stock up on supplies, have a working NOAA weather radio and continue monitoring reliable sources for the latest information.”

For Lake County-specific information, residents may call the Citizens Information Line at 352-253-9999 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. beginning Thursday morning.  To sign up for the latest emergency notifications, visit www.alertlake.com.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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MOUNT DORA HOSTS PUBLIC MEETING WITH DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS TODAY

8/27/2019

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Like everywhere, doing business in downtown Mount Dora has its challenges. The City of Mount Dora invited commercial property owners to a work session today to discuss their issues owning property in the downtown corridor.

During the public meeting, an open panel discussion is planned between the City Council and the property owners, according to the City’s invitation.

The questions distributed to the owners attending include:

Do you require a business plan from potential tenants?
As a commercial property owner, what do you look for in a prospective tenant?
What challenges do you face when considering a new tenant?
What concerns are potential tenants sharing with you?
Where do most of your leads for new tenants come from?
What are the biggest reasons why tenants have left your properties?
Do you allow similar businesses to occupy the same building?
Do you have prospective tenants you do not have space for?
How do you view the effect of vacancies in your building on other businesses?

Additional questions may be raised by City Council members during the work session that takes place in the lobby at the Mount Dora Community Building located at 520 North Baker Street. Two hours have been allotted for this discussion which is expected to begin at 1:30 p.m.

The commercial property owners were asked to limit their answers to three minutes in order to allow time for any final comments and additional interaction with the Council. The meeting is open to the public.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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NEW TAX BILL REFLECTS INCREASE TO SUPPORT SCHOOL SAFETY

8/26/2019

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It’s that time of year when tax bills are being delivered, and Lake County taxpayers are taking notice of an increase on the line item that reads “Public Schools -- By Local Board.” That increase reflects the 0.75-mill additional property tax that voters supported in an August 2018 referendum for school safety.

Specifically, the tax is to help the school district implement the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Act, which imposed new safety requirements for all Florida public schools in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at the Parkland high school for which the act is named.

In Lake, the 0.75-mill increase is expected to generate $18.1 million per year between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2023. It creates a sustainable funding source that is being used to help the district hire and retain school safety employees, including social workers, counselors, mental health liaisons and nurses. It also helps pay for recommended in-house alternative education programs and in-school suspension programs.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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MOUNT DORA GOLF CLUB DEBACLE: Separating Fact from Fiction

8/13/2019

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Local tongues are wagging after Mount Dora residents were made aware through social media last week that earlier this summer the City of Mount Dora had included all of the historic Mount Dora Golf Association's (MDGA) course, a public golf course, in a Request for Offers (RFO) titled "Sealed Offer to Purchase Real Property." Here's what taxpayers need to know:

What is an RFO (Request for Offer)?
RFOs are typically used when price is not the only consideration in awarding a contract. For instance when a city or company has more complex needs to solve a particular problem, a winning solution is needed. Respondents to the RFO will provide their bid and solution based on the details provided in the RFO. The title of the City's RFO pertaining to the MDGA property is "Sealed Offer to Purchase Real Property."

How many Mount Dora Golf Association acres are currently included in the RFO?
The entire club, 84.23 acres.

Who owns the property?
The City of Mount Dora. MDGA has a valid long-term lease on the entire golf club property.

Was MDGA aware of the change (Addendum 1) that added 70.58 acres to the RFO?
No, according to MDGA Chairman Colonel Robert Schmitz. The Association learned about Addendum 1 last Thursday after a resident’s Facebook post. Originally, only 13.65 acres of the golf course was in the RFO. The acreage in the original RFO plus the acreage in the Addendum 1 equals the total golf club.

Did Mount Dora City Council Members know in advance that the golf course’s remaining 70.58 acres was being added to the RFO?
No. The members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board also did not know. The change to add the 70.58 acres (Addendum 1) was a City administrative action by the City Manager and purchasing department.
Mount Dora City Manager Robin Hayes referred to the May 21, 2019 City Council meeting as to when it was discussed with Council Members, however the audio of that meeting clearly shows the City Manager discussed only 12 acres of the golf course for an Invitation To Bid (ITB). The audio also reflects that is the same amount of property last discussed with Schmitz in December, 2018. At no time during the May 21 council meeting was there a discussion about the inclusion of the entire golf course in a RFO of "Sealed Offer to Purchase Real Property."

ABOVE: The historic golf course's plaque dedicated to the WW2 veterans that built it. (click image to enlarge)

Did the City of Mount Dora have prior discussions with MDGA about developing some of the additional 70.58 acres or adding them to the RFO?
According Schmitz and Ballinger, the development of the full 13.65 acres in the original RFO was never agreed upon by the Association. There was a handshake agreement that the City could replace the existing old tennis courts with pickleball courts, providing the City paved the parking lot and an adjacent grass area. According to MDGA, there was no discussion about adding the 70.58 acres to the RFO and they only learned about it last week from social media. Mount Dora City Manager Robin Hayes recollected it differently stating the City has “been in contact through this entire process.”
(See answer to previous question .)

Does the RFO or Addenda 1,2 or 3 provide a specific caveat to developers that the golf course must be preserved as part of their offer?
No. The RFO, "Sealed Offer to Purchase Real Property," has 13 specific caveats and two addenda (changes), but a requirement that bidders must preserve the golf course isn’t included. A third addendum was issued on August 12 the same day Hayes met with Schmitz. The new addendum recognizes MDGA’s lease and now states the property is not for sale, despite the title of the RFO. However, it does not state the golf course must be preserved as part of a bid.

Do incomplete or changing parameters in an RFO affect the process?
Yes. To create a professional response to this particular type of RFO, a company would spend $30,000 to $50,000 on the conservative side for consulting fees, renderings, preliminary site plans, presentation graphics and other expenses, according to Gerry Guenther, Managing Principal of G3 Development which is not bidding on this RFO. RFOs (or RFPs) that don’t provide all of the caveats for a project, can invalidate the bids thereby wasting resources of the companies that respond. At that point, a reputable company may opt not to invest more money in a flawed bidding process. Long term, this directly affects taxpayers because the City may not get the most advantageous bids for their project(s) in the future.

Is there any other City property included in the RFO?
Yes, Addendum 1 also added the adjacent 44.45-acre spray fields.

(Click image to enlarge)

What safeguards the golf course’s preservation?
After the City RFO deadline on September 20, the City will review and then accept or decline offers. It would be MDGA’s decision whether to allow its lease to be purchased or negotiated.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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RESIDENTS "UNITE FOR WHAT'S RIGHT " WITH A MARCH TO OPPOSE LAKE COUNTY'S CONTROVERSIAL DECISION

8/8/2019

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ABOVE: The Lake County-owned building is now slated to be the new home of the Confederate statue.

Last week, the Lake County Commission ignored the formal request of nine of its largest cities and voted 3-2 to endorse Lake County Historical Society’s controversial effort to relocate the statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith into its museum inside a Lake County-owned building.

This Saturday, August 10, peaceful marchers from across Lake County will descend on Tavares, the county seat, to express their opposition during the “Unite for What’s Right” March. Tavares Police Department will be providing a secure environment for the diverse group of participants that will meet at 10 a.m. at St. John I.F.M. Church, 120 N. Bloxham Avenue in Tavares.

At 11 a.m. participants, including elected city officials, will walk approximately three blocks to the front of the Lake County Historical Museum at 317 W. Main Street where there will be speakers and music. Anyone who prefers not to march can come directly to the museum. Free parking is available in the garage across from the museum and on the street. The event is expected to conclude around noon.

In June, the mayors of Lake County’s largest cities signed a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis asking him to block the museum’s efforts to obtain the statue of the last Confederate general to surrender. The letter, signed by the mayors of Leesburg, Clermont, Tavares, Mount Dora, Eustis, Groveland, Minneola and Mascotte, pointed out that the museum’s board was a small group of people that do not represent their communities.

“Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith had no connection to Lake County and his statues [sic] presence would create a negative and hurtful message in our community,” stated the letter. “Each of our communities have passed resolutions in opposition to the statue’s relocation.”

Three commissioners, Tim Sullivan, Leslie Campione and Josh Blake rejected the resolutions of the cities, passed by members of both political parties, and instead endorsed the effort of the historical society to bring the statue to Tavares.  Commissioners Sean Parks and Wendy Breeden, supported the county’s nine largest communities and voted against the plan.

ABOVE: Pastor Mike Watkins (Mount Dora Buzz photo)

Pastor Mike Watkins, a Tavares resident and event organizer, emphasized the “Unite for What’s Right” march is a non-political event in which residents and city officials of all political parties will be standing together for what they believe is right--keeping the statue out of a Lake County-owned building.

“Tavares Police Department has been planning and working with other agencies to promote a safe environment for all participants,” said Tavares Police Chief Stoney Lubins.

Reportedly, the statue was not in high demand in Florida. Bob Grenier, Lake County Historical Society president, was the sole applicant that qualified for Smith’s statue. Grenier’s move pulled the band-aid off Lake County’s deep racial wounds caused by Sheriff Willis McCall’s well-documented racist reign.

It’s unclear whether Lake County Commission’s decision will have a negative economic impact which can follow controversial decisions as a result of tourism boycotts and companies that opt out of relocating to the area.

The statue isn’t expected to arrive in Lake County until 2020 and residents who oppose it vow to keep fighting, according to Watkins who said the commission’s decision has energized County residents.

The Smith statue’s home has been the U. S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, where each state is allowed to showcase two notable figures. In 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed legislation replacing the Smith statue with one of Mary MacLeod Bethune, an African-American educator and activist. The statue’s replacement required its return to Florida.

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