County Commission Votes 7-0 to Move Magic Gym

ORLANDO, April 29--The Orange County Commissioners voted 7-0 on a motion by District 1 Commissioner Scott Boyd to begin negotiations with the City of Winter Garden to relocate the Orlando Magic Gym.

The City of Winter Garden committed to paying $900,000 for site preparation. This will save Orange County taxpayers at least $1 million, including $100,000 needed to remediate lead at the Dr. Phillips site, formerly a gun club. Dr. Phillips leader Robert Kelly spoke of the community's desire not to host the Magic Gym in a single family residential neighborhood.

Orange County Parks official Matt Sudemeyer recommended the Winter Garden location. The Winter Garden location is near the 429 beltway, making it accessible to a larger portion of West Orange County. Officials expect the Winter Garden location to serve more children, in nearby lower income neighborhoods, who otherwise do not have regular access to YMCA-type facilities.

The County and City will negotiate a joint use agreement.

Rick Geller's comments: This is a win-win for Dr. Phillips, Winter Garden, and Commissioner Boyd, who is making it happen.

Code Fixes Could Salvage Hope for Horizon West

(Click on image to enlarge)

New Horizon West Code On Way to Commission

Classic Summerport Home--no garage in front

ORLANDO, April 18 - Orange County's Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved sweeping changes to the Horizon West Code in an attempt to steer development back to the original vision. The County Commission will consider the new Code for final adoption.

Instead of development along the lines of that seen in Baldwin Park, Avalon Park, or Celebration, development in Horizon West has mostly followed the suburban sprawl model, with isolated single-uses, according to District 1 Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rick Geller. "Development has taken on some characteristics of New Urbanism--small lots for example--but without enough mixing of uses."

The new Code provides incentives to developers and builders to: (1) construct a small corner general store in neighborhood centers to lessen traffic outside of neighborhoods; (2) serve more homes with alleys or side-entry garages to lessen the number of front-entry garages; and (3) dress up stormwater retention ponds with trees, pathways, park benches, reflecting pools, and other amenities.

Entrance to Independence

The new Code encourages the mixing of uses--with apartments over offices and retail, like that seen in Avalon Park.

Mixing uses creates character--Avalon Park apartments over retail

One of the more disappointing aspects of Horizon West has been suburban-style, single-use apartment sprawl, said Geller. The new Code brings apartment buildings to the street in block formations, with parking both on-street and hidden behind buildings, like in the Baldwin Park Town Center, with more architectural variety.

Apartment sprawl in Horizon West

"Post Properties REIT did it right in Baldwin Park," said Geller. "Seventeen buildings scattered about the Town Center, none looking the same."

Post Lake Apartments at Baldwin Park -- 17 Scattered Buildings with Different Architecture

The County faced economic pressures to place neighborhood commercial areas on the arterial roadways, instead of in the center of neighborhoods. The result, according to Geller, is a less walkable neighorhood. "No one will walk a half-mile from the Altis Apartments along C.R. 535 to the Subway up by Chase Road," said Geller. "We need to do a better job of locating commercial uses where they're in easy walking distance from where people live, in an attractive Main Street setting, and not across a highways."

Baldwin Park Town Center--pedestrian oriented and within walking distance of numerous homes, condominiums, and apartments, including those on the top floors

Lake Burden Neighborhood Center in Horizon West--isolated by wetlands and eight lanes of highway

Dr. Phillips Community Doesn't Want Magic Gym

A Magic Gym is Planned for Our Park - Who’s Idea Was That ?
By Robert Kelly

Somehow the County did not understand when your HOA board and the Southern Dr. Phillips Homeowners Coalition told Teresa Jacobs (our County Commissioner from 2000-2008) that we did not want the gift of a free Magic Gymnasium in our Dr. P. Phillips Community Park.

Commissioner Jacobs acknowledged our decision and said she had a needy West Orange County location instead. Other plans had been discussed by us from the beginning for Phase 2 of the park, such as boardwalks, trails, health circuits in keeping with its natural habitat and buffer with the surrounding neighborhoods. Since she vacated her seat, Scott Boyd, the new Commissioner, was reminded when he asked us the same question. But the Parks & Recreation Department has already been spent money to survey our park and intends to build this gym.

The Magic Gym will be over 24,000 square feet, with 100+ parking slots and two bus spots. This is similar in size to the Dr. Phillips YMCA. The building will contain a full court basketball and volleyball gym, a weight room, two activity rooms, a game room and locker rooms. The facility will be open later than the current park closing hours, and will host many functions such as competitive and recreation basketball leagues, volleyball, teen dances, health classes, teen center, after school camps, and summer camps and other activities for all west Orange County residents. When we asked why here, when we have the Dr. Phillips YMCA and the new JCC opening a mile south, we were told the Parks Department needed to pick a site that they owned. So, why this one? We are not in need of such a facility. Other parts of Orange County are more deserving.

Parks Department offered another strange justification in their interpretation of a flawed survey that convinced the Parks Department that we wanted that Magic gym. Do you remember the Dr. P. Phillips Community Park Phase 2 survey in late 2007? It never asked if we wanted that Magic Gym. Instead it asked about boardwalk, trails, restrooms, picnic pavilions, fitness course, multi-purpose center, recreation programs, meeting rooms, lockers. The 12 options offered in the survey never included a volleyball or basketball gym. The write-in answers are more telling. Out of 1,128 surveys, only 8 asked for basketball (2 said NO basketball) and 6 mentioned volleyball! With no gym mentioned on the survey or the write-in responses, how could they assume we wanted it? And they never told us we were getting what they thought we wanted. So the story and the survey is flawed.

Out of 1,128 surveys, only 8 asked for basketball

The Magic Gym is an unwelcome hazard to us in the form of continuous day long traffic load, surge traffic at late hours for the sports and teen functions, and the additional cars and pedestrians roaming around our streets and hanging around the path to Sand Lake Point and Sand Lake Cove. The users will be from all over Orange County, Osceola County and tourists. We believe this gym will not be an asset to our community but rather it will be a nuisance and risk.

But we have learned that Winter Garden has the land, public need, and the desire to host this center on a suitable site in a commercial area. We are attempting to steer the gym in that direction.

This HOA has spent hundreds of hours keeping tourist activities and commercial land use away from our homes. We DO NOT want to accept a night time sports and teen facility inside our quiet neighborhood. It is incompatible because the Dr. P. Phillips Park is a "Community Park" designed for the local Dr. Phillips residents, and NOT a Super Regional Park that a Magic Gym would make it. Our Neighborhood already hosts the school, park and soon another 500 new homes along the one two lane 25 mph boulevard.

Say NO THANK YOU to a Magic Gym. Keep the Dr. P. Phillips Community Park a community park as originally promised and DO NOT turn it into a Magic Gym park.

Robert Kelly

President, Buena Vista Woods Homeowners Association


Rick Geller's Comments:

The Orlando Magic is a great organization and will, no doubt, build a first-rate facility. I would like to see the Gym located where the community welcomes it, and where it can serve children who might not otherwise have regular access to a YMCA or a JCC. The Dr. Phillips Community Park site is contaminated with lead, which will reportedly require $100,000 in remediation expense by Orange County taxpayers.
A 24,000 square foot commercial building does not fit the context of a residential neighborhood with 2,500 square foot homes. Therefore, I question the site location, in direct view of homes in Sand Lake Cove and Diamond Cove, without any natural tree buffer.

The City of Winter Garden has long sought this facility. The Orange County Parks Division should suspend the request for construction bids, due in late March, and reconsider whether the Dr. Phillips Community Park location is, in fact, the most appropriate.

Preserving Gotha's Tree Canopy

ORLANDO, Jan. 15--During his first meeting as District 1's Planning and Zoning Board Commissioner, Rick Geller moved to preserve the tree canopy over a five acre parcel in Gotha slated for upscale homes on acre lots. "The tree canopy is an important part of Gotha's character," said Geller. On Geller's motion, seconded by Commissioner Roberts, the Planning and Zoning Board unanimously directed the preservation of "specimen trees" in the north and east property setbacks, which face other residential property owners, while "[o]ther trees on the property shall be preserved to the extent possible to maintain the existing tree canopy."

Geller succeeded Paul Wean as District 1's Planning and Zoning Board Commissioner as an appointee of Orange County Commissioner Scott Boyd.

After the hearing, Geller said, "Commissioner Boyd and I never again want to see another Sienna Gardens in Gotha, where the developer destroys all the magnificent oak trees."

Orange Commissioner Taps Campaign Foe for Growth Spot

From the OrlandoSentinel.com:

posted by David Damron on Dec 16, 2008 9:29:35 AM

Freshman Orange County Commissioner Scott Boyd is poised to tap his fall political opponent Rick Geller to sit as his representative on the influential planning and zoning commission today.

That growth panel reviews new development projects, and Geller would essentially serve as Boyd's early eyes on any controversial proposals.

Boyd and Geller made nice after the District 1 county commission primary race, where Geller was eliminated by a slim margin in a three-way contest. Geller went on to back Boyd in the general election in a runoff against Shannon Gravitte.

"Rick is very passionate," Boyd said. "He'll take the job very seriously."


Copyright The Orlando Sentinel 2008. All rights reserved.

Geller Calls for State Law Changes for Campaign Finance Reform

ORLANDO, Nov. 21--The Orlando Sentinel published the following op-ed written by Rick Geller, former District 1 Orange County Commission candidate. Click on the image to enlarge.

Geller Endorses Boyd

WINDERMERE, Oct. 21--Rick Geller released the following statement in support of candidate Scott Boyd, who defeated Geller in the August 26 primary for District 1 Orange County Commissioner:

Scott Boyd is the one candidate with longstanding community involvement and a real track-record working for prudent growth management. He helped to protect the Avalon community from intense, incompatible land uses. He helped to plan Orange County's first certified green residential community, restoring wetlands, preserving the tree canopy, and protecting against lake pollution. Scott's love of the land--and our community--will serve Southwest and West Orange County well. The vast majority of a County Commissioner's job deals with growth management issues. I urge you to cast your vote for the most qualified candidate--Scott Boyd.

Rick Geller
Co-founder, Southern Dr. Phillips Homeowners Coalition
Former District 1 candidate

Geller Calls on New Gated Communities Ordinance to Allow Debris Removal

ORLANDO -- Community advocate Rick Geller expressed concern that a draft Orange County gated communities ordinance does not preserve and codify the County's commitment to seek FEMA reimbursement in the event large scale debris removal on private roads becomes necessary and in the public interest.

"FEMA changed its rules last summer to now allow for the possibility of reimbursing local governments for hurricane debris removal in private and gated communities," Geller said. "FEMA, however, requires that a local government authorize itself to seek reimbursement."

Orange County's Public Works Dept.'s Sept. 2007 Fact Sheet stated the following policy, "In the instance that Orange County is subject to a large-scale disaster where it is in the public interest to remove large-scale debris on private property, prior to commencing the work, the County will submit a request for reimbursement and seek approval from the Federal coordinating officer, in accordance with 44 CFR 206.224."

"Orange County's gated communities ordinance should codify this commitment to protect both the County and homeowners," Geller said.

After the 2004 hurricanes, homeowners in gated and non-gated communities with private roads incurred tens of thousands of dollars in debris removal costs because Orange County refused to provide debris removal service absent FEMA reimbursement.

New JCC Campus Groundbreaking Set for Nov. 2

DR. PHILLIPS--The groundbreaking ceremony for a new JCC campus, located on South Apopka-Vineland Road, has been set for Sunday, November 2, at 12:30 p.m.

The Campus is named in honor of Jack and Lee Rosen, parents of hotelier Harris Rosen.

Community advocate Rick Geller served with Valerie Denner as fundraising co-chairs for the new Campus and, together, raised about $2.3 million on top of funds previously committed. The Campus will feature permanent classrooms for the acclaimed JCC preschool, a gymnasium, and a food pantry for people in short-term urgent need.

"I never gave up hope we'd eventually see a JCC in the Southwest," said Geller. "The demographics for this Campus are too compelling and, when something's crucial to the community, I can get very persistent."

"Our hats off to Harris Rosen for making the new Campus financially possible," Geller addded.

The JCC is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the United Way, open to the entire community without regard to religion, race, or any discriminatory factor.