Letter submitted Nov. 17 by David Bear in reaction to OCN’s article about Seminole County’s state lawmakers starting the process to change Winter Springs’ government structure and consolidate power for the mayor
For decades my fellow Republicans quoted Thomas Jefferson: “The government closest to the people serves the people best.” As the heirs of Ronald Reagan, we know local control is most responsive to and best serves the people, believing Reagan when he said “Local government meeting local needs — that’s a
fundamental principle of good government.”
I have been a Republican since 1999 and very involved in the philosophy of the conservative movement, including as president of FSU Law’s Federalist Society
and president of my school’s College Republicans.
The conservative preference for local government can be difficult for those in higher office to accept; it’s human nature for them to think they are more
enlightened. But a core conservative value is humility and that underpins why local control is vital. It’s also a conservative principle that incentives matter. Senators from Miami and Ocala have no incentive to be responsive to the preferences of Seminole, Orange, Volusia and Lake County residents.
Local control is a bedrock Florida idea. The Florida Constitution provides for county and municipal governments to be set up by charter and then exercise local control over local issues. Seminole, Orange and Volusia are charter counties with constitutionally mandated control over their own local decisions.
Sadly, the Florida Legislature has abandoned this core principle of conservatism in exchange for something else: growing its own power through a process known as preemption. Using preemption, distant legislators unaccountable to Central Floridians have eaten away at the authority of our local governments to make the decisions their citizens want.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in our ability to weigh in locally on how we grow. Floridians deserve the ability to shape how growth changes our own communities. Locally, we have had extensive conversations with our elected officials on how to maintain our quality of life through reasonable growth regulations. Our community has decided that it wants to protect green and rural areas, minimize sprawl, and increase smart urban density.
Those local preferences were reflected in a green wave within Central Florida’s 2024 elections, with conservation-minded commissioners reelected in Seminole County. Seminole’s Rural Boundary was reinforced with 82% voter support; Orange County created its own Rural Boundary with 73% of the vote; Kelly Martinez Semrad and Nicole Wilson were elected as commissioners in Orange; and 80% of Lake County voters approved a conservation land acquisition program.
But legislators in Tallahassee thought they knew better than our local residents. These legislators had forgotten the conservative values which told them to respect our local decisions, so in 2025 bill after bill reflected their and their donors’ desires to allow development at all costs. Republican legislators introduced multiple bills to preempt local growth regulations. These bills failed due to mobilized and engaged citizens, from moms who know unchecked sprawling growth means hours wasted driving, to outdoorsmen who see rural Florida being turned into concrete and rooftops.
However, Tallahassee legislators had another trick up their sleeves: They slipped preemption language into a bill about hurricane disaster recovery, SB 180. This language preempts local authority to manage growth in every Florida county. Now, developers are using the bill to try and eradicate Orange County’s Rural Boundary. Seminole has been forced to abandon its Rural Enclave program.
In the 2026 legislative session, legislators have already put the same preemption language which caused outrage in the failed 2025 proposals into a new bill, SB 208. If enacted, this bill will be the end of Seminole County’s Rural Boundary. These legislators are not deterred, because they are unmoored from the principle of respecting local control.
Whether the GOP senators and representatives who support preemption bills agree with the impacted local policies is irrelevant. As Republicans, we are
supposed to be skeptical about top-down power and provide space for local governments to work with their citizens.
We expect our state elected officials to work for the people, not the donor class. We expect them to stand up to those in Tallahassee who are taking away our
residents’ right to self-determination, even if they are within their own party.
Citizens should not be forced to police legislators 250 miles away. Local control is constitutional, conservative and practical for our communities.
Don’t allow the sway of big money in Tallahassee to remove your ability to have a say in how your community grows. Demand that your state elected officials vote against preemption of our local control.
David Bear is the managing attorney of Bear Legal Solutions and president of the nonprofit
Save Rural Seminole.
Letter submitted April 11 in reaction to “recent attacks on democracy“
On March 25, I attended a session sponsored by Join the Union called “Community Conversations Town Hall”. Its purpose was to give members of the local community an opportunity to meet with the current Representative for Congressional District 7, Cory Mills, and the candidate for that seat, Jennifer Adams, and discuss issues of concern. Reed Galen, President of JoinTheUnion.us and host of The Home Front Podcast, facilitated the conversation. The meeting was in the Grill Room of Twin Rivers Golf Club. Forty-eight people attended, but Congressman Mills did not.
The discussion was mostly civil. People expressed concerns about our democracy. One young man with cerebral palsy spoke movingly via an assistive device about his aspiration to complete his college degree and his worries about losing the life sustaining benefit of Medicaid. Others were concerned about the loss of Social Security and Medicare benefits. Several remarked about encountering difficulties contacting Congressman Mills and their perceptions that he was either not attending to their needs or was dismissive of them.
Jennifer Adams spoke of the importance of listening to constituents. She promised to hold regular town hall meetings so that she could respond personally to community needs and concerns.
I have never been active in politics until now. But, like others at that meeting, I am deeply worried that our democracy is under assault and that we face the real threat of losing our right to vote. This meeting brought home to me just how precious our democracy is, and yet how fragile it appears now to be.
It also showed me how important it is for us to be able to meet with our neighbors and our elected representatives and have respectful, open, and honest discussions. We will not agree on all things, but I think we can all agree that we love our country and its Constitution. We all want to live in security, be able to take care of our families, have good schools and healthcare, and enjoy the opportunity to pursue meaningful lives. This will not happen unless we stand together and recognize that there is more that connects us than separates us.
I hope that there will be more such meetings, and that more people in our community will come. Perhaps the challenges we now face will draw us more closely together in common purpose.
Merewyn Lyons, Oviedo
Letter submitted on April 9, 2025 in response to an attempt to build a new toll road across Seminole County
As I rounded Magnolia Square Fountain into the straight stretch down Tuskawilla Road, I caught a glimpse of an older Florida. It was the silhouette of a rider on a horse, printed on a yellow diamond backdrop—perhaps the last remaining equestrian caution sign in the city center, encroached upon by housing developments, storage facilities, and a parking lot with an Aldi.
I was reminded of the words of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who wondered how anyone could live without a place of enchantment to turn to—this stretch of road used to be mine. Each morning on the school bus, for about a third of a mile, we’d pass an open field with grass stretching far back where it met a line of trees on the horizon—its depth made palpable by the early morning fog. Cows could be seen grazing freely, sometimes near the fence. The sunlight would press between the trees and warm my face. The scene would energize me.
The field no longer exists, much less the cows and trees. What remains of a rural Winter Springs is a single lonely sign on the side of the road, cautioning us—perhaps pleading with us—to cherish the few places of enchantment we have left.
Somewhere beyond the city limits, past the bridge where ospreys and eagles stand watch, on the other side of the lake, over the fields where yellow wildflowers bloom and sabal palmettos remind us this is still Florida, the Central Florida Expressway Authority wants to build another toll road.
The decision is made palatable by giving the illusion of choice: Do you prefer to minimize residential or environmental impact? As if those two things should ever be compromised, should ever be pitted against each other, should ever be logrolled in negotiations. The only way to reduce the impact of both to zero, according to their data, is not to build at all. No matter what alternatives they give, the implicature is the same—they intend to build the road.
It may save you a few minutes (in exchange for a few dollars), but only so you can leave Florida. Oddly enough, you cannot use their almost $200 million airport connection on the return home after a flight. Ironically, any time saved will be lost in longer TSA lines, since the point of the project is to bring more passengers.
They claim you need it because they predict a 400% rise in passengers, 69% more traffic, and a 21% population growth by 2050. Not only are these the types of methodologically obscure statistics your professors warned you about, but these are also the same people who can never accurately predict the cost and duration of their own projects, much less the state of the entire county 25 years from now. These are sales pitches, not predictions. When today’s problems do not justify their solutions, they hope to persuade you by imagining a future where the problems theoretically exist.
The proposed routes are just outside the Lake Jesup Conservation Area, a quarter mile from its border, as if that makes it acceptable. Nature isn’t constrained by imaginary borders—wildlife and plant life don’t stop at a line on a map. And neither does noise pollution and light pollution stop at a road’s shoulder. The greater Lake Jesup ecosystem is just as important, and its rural buffer just as significant, as the conservation area proper.
Who then has rights to this land, if not the wildflowers and the palmettos, the eagles and gopher tortoises, and the residents of the county? Certainly not the CFX. Seminole County residents strongly oppose the project because Floridians are tired of governing bodies paving over every rural and natural space left in the state. Keep Florida beautiful. Keep Seminole County the natural choice. Do not build. Do not build. And in case it bears repeating—do not build.
| -Bryan Rivera |
Letter submitted on April 2, 2025 in response to pending legislation concerning the rural boundary
In Florida, the land of “government of, by and for the developer,” it’s a rare occurrence when a city or county commission “just says NO” to a developer’s request/demand for a land use change. Usually, all it takes is a simple majority vote. On rare occasions a developer doesn’t get his way. When he doesn’t, the typical pattern is for the developer to keep coming back to the commission, over and over again, until he gets what he wants. The developer mindset is: it ain’t over until the developer wins!!!
There are a few rare legal obstructions to developer entitlement that make it harder to get the simple majority vote of a commission to change a land use designation. Case in point: the Seminole Rural Boundary. Visionary citizens put the boundary into the Seminole County comprehensive plan decades ago. They cemented the Rural Boundary by putting it into the Seminole County Charter and requiring that land can’t be removed without a super-majority vote by the County Commission.
That hasn’t stopped developer attacks on the Rural Boundary. Against all odds, Bear Warriors United, headquartered in Seminole County, has successfully fought off multiple developer attacks on the Rural Boundary over the past few years:
- After public outcry over former House Representative Chris Dorworth’s attempt to inject high density residential development next to the Econ Wilderness area, the Seminole Commission voted NO. Dorworth turned around and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that someway, somehow, the Rural Boundary is discriminatory. While that was pending Dorworth offered to do a land swap with the county of the River Cross property for a smaller Little Econ Wilderness area. Fortunately, both the lawsuit and the swap failed.
- A relentless developer tried to excavate a borrow pit and sell it as a “ski lake” development on top of the Geneva Bubble. Bear Warriors appealed the Seminole County Commission’s approval of the Rural Boundary buster. That proposal died.
- A huge density allowance was approved by Seminole County for the famed Yarborough property deep in the Rural Boundary. Bear Warriors filed suit against the county commission. Bear Warriors agreed to dismiss the suit only after the State swooped in and purchased the land for conservation,
These “near death” fights to save the Rural Boundary have required constant vigilance. They have been complicated, stressful, and time consuming. But one thing we know for certain: in the land preservation battle, conservationists have to win every time—the developer only has to win once. But at least the citizens can fight it out at the local level.
That’s why the latest attack on the Rural Boundary and home rule control is so insidious. Salivating developers are doing an end run around home rule. They’ve gone straight to Tallahassee to bust through the Rural Boundary and similar rural protections statewide with SB 1118 / HB 1209. This bill would override local zoning and land use rules. Specifically, the bill would:
- Override local planning authority by requiring local governments to automatically approve development in areas considered “agricultural enclaves” and so-called “infill residential development.” Infill residential projects can be up to 100 acres and agricultural enclaves could be thousands of acres in size.
- Expand the types of properties that qualify as agricultural enclaves and require local governments to treat parcels adjacent to an urban service district as if they were inside of the urban services district. This could open the floodgates for development in areas specifically reserved by counties to remain rural and agricultural.
- Prohibit local governments from restricting residential densities in optional elements of their comprehensive plans.
It’s really telling that the Florida Legislature is allocating billions to quickly implement the Florida Wildlife Corridor while simultaneously destroying the ability to conserve rural landscapes. Am I missing something? Can the Legislature’s left hand talk to the right hand?
Land use is the primary power local government exercises. More often than not, local government bends to the developer. But at least there are public hearings, with notice and comment. SB 1118/HB 1209 strips all that out — no discussion, not even a pretense of democracy. SB 1118/HB 1209 is Exhibit A for oligarchy and government of, by and for the developer. Let your elected legislators know that you don’t like it. The Legislature is supposed to work for you and protect your quality of life.
-Lesley Blackner, general counsel for Bear Warriors United, a Florida not-for-profit dedicated to the conservation of wildlife.
Letter submitted on Nov. 1, 2023 in response to OCN’s article Major Oviedo Land Development Code updates may be on the way
Regarding “Major Oviedo land development code updates may be on the way,” I seriously had to read the section about reducing minimum parking requirements for new projects three times to make sure I was getting it.
And my response: Are you kidding me?
Anywhere you go in this town these days – except the mall, of course – parking is at a premium. It doesn’t matter if we are going to Outback, Oviedo on the Park, Hinode, BJ’s, we have to plan to get there before 6 p.m. or we are driving around in circles in search of a spot. And the plan is to cut those requirements in half?
Let’s not even get started on the Winn-Dixie shopping center. Someone seriously thinks that parking lot is going to be able to handle the addition of a LongHorn Steakhouse? Did anyone even bother to speak to merchants in that shopping center before creating this disaster?
Also, minimum requirements are going to be reduced for, among other things, apartment complexes? Yes, because the one thing Oviedo needs more of – besides fast-food restaurants – is apartment units.
If I were on the Council, my question would be, “Who is Kimley-Horn working for?” Because clearly all of these proposals are meant to benefit developers and real estate agents, not the people of Oviedo.
P.S. I about spit my coffee clear across the room when I read that the mayor and at least one other Council member think we should go even further and have zero parking requirements.
Sorry, but this makes no sense.
Dave Darling, Oviedo
Letter submitted on March 2, 2023, partly in response to OCN’s article Winter Springs pushes to keep power in contentious school vote
Oviedo Mall apartments were to be senior apartments, which means the nest has gone… no kids. And that the mall would be more artsy and dining venues than it once was originally.
As a retired educator and now an active senior in our community, I can affirm that children learn more effectively when travel is not a significant factor, to and from school. So, “shipping,” so to speak, or bussing students to nearby towns, is not advantageous to fostering essential skills for today and instilling the ideal of continual learning on their own, as adults in the workplace, professional or technical.
The development of apartments and land for industry or offices or for additional homes, is hindering the “small town” feeling and aesthetically pleasing surroundings. Those of us who have been in our town for decades, have come to greatly appreciate it, as it sets us apart from larger cities, like Downtown Orlando or the crowded Disney areas. I remember this being an issue a few years back. These land developers who take away from natural areas are hindering the natural resources, ground water, the creeks, the streams, the natural lakes, rivers, the retention ponds that are designed to prevent flooding from 100-year and 25-year floods depths.) and the habitats of nature’s wildlife.
These developers need to be limited or stopped to preserve our town. Please, revisit these important factors as the city commissioners contemplate the fate of “our community, your community,” for the present and for the future! Respectfully submitted!
–June Denigris Hagood, Winter Springs resident
Letter submitted on Aug. 17, 2022 in response to OCN’s article Council members object to proposed shared road lanes, driverless shuttle.
Adding bicycle lanes/buses will just drain the cities’ already negative cash flow. It’s easy to predict they won’t be widely used and will have zero real impact on traffic. Look up what happened in Orlando’s Hourglass District. They put them in, and like three months later pulled them out. How about some timing of lights, some roundabouts and some cell phone enforcement? Those are relatively cheap, tried-and-true methods at reducing traffic.
-Bryan Horgan, Oviedo resident
Letter submitted on July 21, 2022
Dear Editor,
I agree with (Oviedo Local Planning Agency Board member) Steven Rich and (LPA Chairman) Darrell Lopez (in Oviedo Community News’ July 20 article “Oviedo Mall housing project no longer age restricted; new housing project surfaces”) that there is a great need for dedicated senior housing in Oviedo. As someone who has been working with and for seniors for many years (former Area Agency on Aging project director and current board of directors member for Neighbors Network, which helps the elderly age in-home), I encounter this need often. At its best, senior housing needs to be priced below market rate and accept housing vouchers, if potential renters qualify for them. I understand this is a challenge for developers, but it’s something the City (of Oviedo) can and should require in exchange for permission to build. It’s the right thing for our city to do.
Respectfully,
Laura Capp, Oviedo resident