In a Winter Park City Commission meeting that lasted until nearly midnight on Wednesday, the Henderson Hotel project application was withdrawn by its applicant just seconds before a roll call vote on a motion to deny the application was taken. Commissioner Marty Sullivan’s motion to deny the application, seconded by Commissioner Todd Weaver, was about to advance to a vote just after Mayor Steve Leary’s motion to advance the project to another phase of examination received no support. The applicant’s attorney withdrew all applications for the project and indicated that the project team would cease its efforts to move the project forward.
The room at the Winter Park Community Center was at its maximum capacity with city commissioners, city staff members, and members of the public seated apart and wearing masks. Members of the public spoke both in support and opposition of the project in a segment of the meeting which lasted approximately 6 hours. In the end, however, commissioners complained that the commercial nature of the project was not suitable for its proposed location which is currently zoned as a residential neighborhood. No further plans for the site were announced.
