Winter Garden/Ocoee/Oakland Projects

[spenser1058]

10 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Will you be within walking distance of the center? Good luck!

Thanks! And yes, just a short bike ride from Plant St. Although it's getting better, downtown Orlando is still only marginally bike-friendly and I'm looking forward to get back into serious cycling again. Once upon a time, I was such a dedicated cyclist I saw "Breaking Away" 17 times when it came out and I miss riding.

[John Hargrove]

Nabbed one more, ha!

Spenser and I will have this whole forum living in Winter Garden before the decade is out. 

[jack]

Never. I looked a couple of years ago and did not want to commute. I hate driving. 

[spenser1058]

Actually, that's one of my reasons for going. My day job is among the warehouse/offices off Kirkman and the I4 commute has become intolerable. Meanwhile, other than the actual junction with I4, the Turnpike and Webster out to WG are mostly a breeze.

Of course, had light rail gone through, all of that would have been moot. Thanks, Clarence Hoenstine and Mel Martinez, wherever you are!

[John Hargrove]

Yeah the 429->TP->408 route is pretty smooth most of the time.

Except last week when the 429 caught on fire for some reason.
 

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, castorvx said:

Yeah the 429->TP->408 route is pretty smooth most of the time.

Except last week when the 429 caught on fire for some reason.
 

Oh my

[HankStrong]

I was in WG last night.  Downtown on Plant St picking up the wife's anniversary present at a small local jeweler.

I did the 429-TP-408 at 5:30pm and it wasn't horrible.  It was also raining, so I'm sure I got the least desirable version of it.  It was a bit slow at I-4, but not even a dead stop.  The rain was sheeting over the construction and causing some delays.

 

That said, the situation on 50 is just unbelievably awful.  A few weeks ago someone on this forum told me that Western extension of 408 was dumb and unnecessary.  I now have the firsthand info to tell you that opinion is horrible.  That stretch of road is a nightmare.  It seems that a 408 extension would be EXTREMELY helpful.

[spenser1058]

I've been going to Plantation Jewelers on Plant Street for a while now whenever I need watch batteries or to adjust links on watch bands and such (not really a jewelry guy but love my watches.) So often, jewelry stores have more than a little attitude but everyone at Plantation is always friendly and helpful, even if I'm only spending $10 for a battery.

Edited June 2, 2017 by spenser1058

[WAJAS]

On 6/2/2017 at 8:09 AM, HankStrong said:

I was in WG last night.  Downtown on Plant St picking up the wife's anniversary present at a small local jeweler.

I did the 429-TP-408 at 5:30pm and it wasn't horrible.  It was also raining, so I'm sure I got the least desirable version of it.  It was a bit slow at I-4, but not even a dead stop.  The rain was sheeting over the construction and causing some delays.

 

That said, the situation on 50 is just unbelievably awful.  A few weeks ago someone on this forum told me that Western extension of 408 was dumb and unnecessary.  I now have the firsthand info to tell you that opinion is horrible.  That stretch of road is a nightmare.  It seems that a 408 extension would be EXTREMELY helpful.

My b lol

I'd never personally driven on it during rush hour, but I've heard it is the least of the worries of Orlando.

[HankStrong]

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 8:15 AM, spenser1058 said:

I've been going to Plantation Jewelers on Plant Street for a while now whenever I need watch batteries or to adjust links on watch bands and such (not really a jewelry guy but love my watches.) So often, jewelry stores have more than a little attitude but everyone at Plantation is always friendly and helpful, even if I'm only spending $10 for a battery.

I spent a bit more than $10, but they were awesome and my wife loved her present.

[spenser1058]

The latest from booming WG as the WOT/Observer notes Heritage at Plant St breaking ground:

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/m-i-homes-breaks-ground-on-heritage-at-plant-street

Edited June 6, 2017 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

The WG City Commission passed the design framework for East Plant St. on first reading, according to the WOT/Observer:

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/east-plant-street-overlay-design-plans-pass-first-reading

Stay tuned for final passage.

Most interesting, however, is that Jay Strates, scion of the James E Strates family with winter HQ in Taft and who ran the midway at the Central Florida Fair for decades among other shows, apparently owns 70 acres on East Plant. Here's an old Orlando family we hadn't heard from in years resurfacing in WG of all places. Fascinating.

[spenser1058]

And now, the Ocoee side of the Plant/Franklin corridor, from WOT/Observer:

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/city-leaders-approve-preliminary-plans-for-ocoee-village-project?time=1497475622

Given the longtime rivalry between the two towns, I suspect this will never happen but given the brand equity WG has achieved over the past decade, Ocoee really should think about renaming their stretch of the road Plant St. as well. 

Also interesting is a brief mention of a realignment for Silver Star Rd., in the area, which potentially makes a lot of sense.

 

[John Hargrove]

Wonder if/when we can see some minor improvements to transit out here. A Plant St. express bus that connects neighborhoods and downtowns along Plant/Oakland Ave would be great, but I'm not sure the demand warrants it yet. And go out to Oakland the city as well. Oakland-Winter Garden-Ocoee on a 20-minute or 30-minute loop during business hours would be cool. But again, not sure if demand is there. Maybe just one bus to begin with.

Of course remember that Plant and Oakland will be more like one road if the master plan is implemented: 

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by castorvx

[spenser1058]

My guess is that Lynx will provide bare minimum service until WG/Ocoee/Oakland are willing to chip in for more service.

WG probably has the widest range of incomes and affordable housing so it's probably going to have to start with them

While WG's all-star city managers have done any number of things right in the past decade (first Hollis and then Mike are among the best examples I've seen in the profession), mass transit really hasn't been a priority. Whether other issues have simply taken precedence or they intuited there would be no support I don't know, but it bears asking.

[RedStar25]

So that's Starke Lake?

[spenser1058]

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 0:26 AM, RedStar25 said:

So that's Starke Lake?

Yes, that appears to be Starke Lake over on the right.

[Jernigan]

On 6/1/2017 at 11:33 AM, jack said:

Never. I looked a couple of years ago and did not want to commute. I hate driving. 

Same for me - concerned that once we have 408 express lanes within the regular tolls lanes, the daily commute wouldn't be affordable even if tolerable.  

[spenser1058]

Winter Garden getting a dedicated Boys/Girls Club facility with much more space for activities on south W Crown Point Rd.

Glad to see investment in this so that WG will continue to embrace all income levels. Also pleased to see OC kicking in 500K.

From the WOT/Observer:

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/boys-and-girls-club-getting-new-home-in-winter-garden

[spenser1058]

More of a macro view of proposed changes for the Plant/Franklin/429 (Webster) corridor from OBJ:

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2017/06/26/winter-garden-ocoee-look-to-429-corridor-for-big.html

[spenser1058]

Plumbing ain't sexy, but this reminds us how important it is to keep switching septic tanks and small inefficient treatment systems to central sewer systems. Along with runoff, it's been a tragedy watching our lakes and springs become unusable due to short term profits leading to long term disaster.

http://theapopkavoice.com/2-project-benefits-water-quality/

(From the Apopka Voice)

[spenser1058]

In a bit of a hangover from "Reefer Madness," the WOT/Observer reports WG is not yet the progressive paradise many of us are hoping for.  *

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/winter-garden-contemplating-ban-on-medical-marijuana-retail-stores?amp

There's also a blurb about the city freeing up some space on W. Plant for retail purposes which I'm happy to see.

(* I don't have a dog in this fight, and Rick Scott and his minions didn't give much leeway for cities to work with, but the voters supported this by a healthy margin and we've learned the hard way that Prohibition is rarely successful.)

[John Hargrove]

Yeah what a joke. Get with the times. 

[spenser1058]

Horizon West goes vertical:

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/orlando-health-announced-new-construction-plans-for-its-horizon-west-hospital

(From WOT/Observer)

[spenser1058]

Walkability in Oakland- who knew?

From WOT/Observer:

http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/workshop-addresses-mobility-plan-for-oakland