Winter Springs supports conservation easement

The Winter Springs City Commission unanimously passed a resolution to preserve the conservation easement off of Winter Springs Boulevard and State Road 426, which borders the City of Oviedo, on Oct. 23. 

The Commission expressed concern during an Oct. 9 meeting that Seminole County and the City of Oviedo could exercise eminent domain over the property, which is currently undeveloped, covered in trees and predominantly wetland, to build a connector road and cause more traffic in Winter Springs.

Seminole County District 1 Commissioner Bob Dallari said the county has no authority over the property since the road connection is for city-owned roads. 

“It’s an issue between the City of Oviedo and the City of Winter Springs,” he said.  

A connector road between Oviedo Medical Drive and Winter Springs Boulevard is identified in Oviedo’s proposed 10-year mobility plan.   

Since the Oct. 9 meeting, Mayor Kevin McCann said he has spoken with the County Commission and Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek about the fate of the easement. 

“It’s our call… this is an important message to send forward,” McCann said. “I hope that holds up.”

Sladek told OCN that the decision to build a road through the easement isn’t made alone. 

“We acknowledge that we cannot unilaterally lay the road through there,” Sladek said.

Since the land could be too wet to build a road on and the city hasn’t fully adopted its 10-year mobility plan, which would extend through 2032, she said the project could be unaffordable. 

“I would like to see some sort of hypothetical connection,” Sladek said. “Not necessarily for cars, but for people who live [at Dwell apartments] way at the back.” 

Sladek said Oviedo has yet to finalize transportation relief impact fees, for developers, with the county for the mobility plan. She said, once agreed upon, the plan will go in front of the Council again to be voted on one last time. 

“Now [when the plan is adopted] we will have money that we can use for sidewalks, and things, and it has to be used to benefit Oviedo,” Sladek said. “This is the first time we’re going to have access to transportation relief impact fees that are just for us.”

Winter Springs Commissioner Victoria Colangelo said she would like to pass a resolution for the conservation easement on the unused Winter Springs Golf Course since the Commission is already doing it for the easement near Winter Springs Boulevard. 

“The only caveat I have on this is that if we’re going to sign it on the east side, we should sign it on the west side,” Colangelo said.

City Attorney Anthony Garganese said that isn’t necessary since there are already two resolutions to protect that land. 

In 2005 and 2007 the Commission passed resolutions to preserve the land of the Winter Springs Golf Course.

What happens now

Sladek said that if the city wanted to exercise eminent domain on the easement it could be done.

Dallari said to exercise eminent domain the buyer and landowner will go to court, if the landowner doesn’t want to sell, for a jury to decide the value of the property. 

Unless the county decides to move forward on roadwork, the conservation easement will stay in the hands of the Winter Springs Commission and be kept up to its standards in the original agreement. 

“I hope that holds up,” McCann said. Want to weigh in on this issue? Consider submitting a letter to the editor.