Following It Through

The Concern

When discussions began about a potential Walmart and Sam’s Club project near Hancock Road and Citrus Grove Road, residents raised concerns about traffic, safety, and how the proposed development would fit into the surrounding community.

Opening the Conversation

I had an existing relationship with the developer of the property. I used that connection to share neighborhood feedback directly and stayed in regular communication as concerns came up.

But passing along feedback was only part of the work. Residents also needed an opportunity to explain their concerns themselves, ask follow-up questions, and have a conversation.

I worked with the developer and community members to help organize smaller, focused meetings where residents could speak directly with the people planning the project.

These smaller meetings provided a more personal setting for constructive feedback and discussion. Residents could explain what concerned them, ask follow-up questions, and hear directly from the developer.

Alongside the Public Process

Public workshops and Planning and Zoning or City Council meetings remain important opportunities for residents to speak and put concerns on the record. But the conversation can sometimes feel one-sided. Residents have their time at the podium, yet there is not always an opportunity for the back-and-forth discussion that helps people feel heard and better understand a proposal.

These smaller conversations added another opportunity for that engagement alongside the public process.

What Continues

The original vision for this parcel was a walkable Minneola Marketplace, an idea that appealed to residents. However, the developer was unable to attract the interest needed to move that concept forward.

We do not yet know what will happen with the property, but communication with the developer remains open. That gives us an opportunity to keep the features residents valued about the Marketplace idea in the conversation, ask questions about future proposals, and explore what may be possible.

My contribution was using an existing connection to help residents speak directly with the developer and keep neighborhood concerns in the discussion.

Following through does not end when one proposal stops moving forward. It means staying engaged as plans evolve and continuing to share what residents hope to see for this property.

Listening to Different Views

Listening to residents means hearing people who support an idea and people who have concerns about it—and taking those concerns seriously even when opinions differ.

When a gas station and convenience store was proposed at County Road 561A and Hancock Road, I helped gather community feedback and keep residents informed about opportunities to participate.

What Residents Said

An informal poll in The Hills of Minneola’s community Facebook group received 98 responses supporting the proposal, 55 opposing it, and 34 neutral or expressing no opinion. Support led among respondents, but that did not answer whether this particular site could safely accommodate the project.

Del Webb residents and other nearby neighbors raised concerns about additional traffic, U-turn movements, pedestrian and cyclist safety, and how vehicles would safely enter and leave the property.

Residents also questioned the effects of noise, lighting, and overnight activity near homes, along with potential environmental risks involving private wells and groundwater. These were questions about how the proposed use would fit alongside the surrounding neighborhoods.

Reconsidering My Approach

I went into the initial Council meeting intending to share the poll results. As the discussion unfolded, I decided not to present them. The concerns being raised deserved answers from the applicant, and a support-or-oppose tally could not provide those answers.

That meant taking concerns from another neighborhood just as seriously as feedback from my own.

The Initial Decision

Council unanimously denied the proposal in November 2025.

After that meeting, I shared the outcome with our community and explained why I had decided not to present the poll results. Residents thanked me for keeping them informed, including people who had been unable to attend.

Some also expressed support for that decision and agreed that the safety and infrastructure concerns deserved serious consideration. Others continued to support a gas station or questioned the denial.

Keeping residents informed does not require everyone to reach the same conclusion. It means explaining what happened, being open about your own reasoning, and leaving room for people to ask questions and disagree.

The Process Continued

The matter then entered a challenge and mediation process, and I continued following it and sharing updates.

On May 5, 2026, Council considered a mediated agreement that included conditions addressing traffic access, operating hours, and environmental protections. The applicant maintained that the proposed safeguards addressed the risks, while residents continued to raise unresolved concerns.

I also had concerns about whether the mediated agreement meaningfully addressed the issues residents had raised. During deliberations, Council members questioned that as well, including a condition tied to the opening of North Hancock Road to CR 455—even though the road was already open.

Council voted 5–0 to reject the mediated agreement. The revised special-exception request was not considered, and the matter was sent back to the special magistrate.

The Starting Point

So far, I’ve used this series to share examples of issues I’ve helped work through with residents. But following through also means recognizing something that needs attention and staying with it.

This one is still at the beginning.

Others running for office have raised the need to revisit Minneola’s ordinances, too. I particularly agree with the call for a comprehensive review of our development code. Recurring problems deserve a broader look at the rules behind them.

A Practical Example

The September 14 Planning and Zoning discussion offered a practical example: where does a small business fit when it needs a storefront in front, work space in the back, and room for deliveries?

A proposed business park brought that question into focus through the discussion of B-1 commercial zoning, industrial zoning, and businesses whose activities include elements of both.

Think about a print shop, a coffee roaster, a custom embroidery business, or a small company assembling and shipping products. A business might need around 3,500 square feet for a customer counter, production, storage, and safe loading access. Only a few customers may visit each day, while most of the work happens behind the storefront.

Supporting these businesses requires thinking beyond traditional retail space.

Balancing Opportunity and Impact

It also requires attention to their surroundings. During the Planning and Zoning discussion, important questions were raised about how broadly the proposed uses were defined. The revised agreement included restrictions intended to keep operations low-impact and limit effects beyond the property.

That review matters. Noise, odors, truck activity, parking, and nearby homes deserve consideration. Businesses occupying similar spaces can have very different impacts.

A Broader Review

I support reviewing our development code with residents, business owners, and staff to identify where requirements need updating, where different activities belong, and what protections neighbors need.

Clearer standards would help business owners understand what is expected and residents understand what could be built around them. They would also help the City address recurring questions more consistently.

The Opportunity

A new park is an opportunity to think about how people want to spend time in their community—and what will make that space useful for years to come.

Two parcels are part of that conversation: approximately 30 acres for an active park at Keystone Pass Boulevard and Hancock Road, and approximately 25 acres for a more passive park in the naturally wooded area behind Minneola Horizon Academy.

Trailhead Park deserves continued attention, as do opportunities to serve residents in other parts of Minneola. Together, these properties give us a chance to consider how different parks can meet different needs across the city.

Community Feedback

I attended the City’s workshop, spoke publicly, and have been talking with community members about their vision for the active park.

Early ideas included a YMCA and organized sports fields. Those conversations brought mixed reactions. Some residents saw value in those amenities while questioning whether this location, within a large residential community, was the right fit for the activity they could bring.

A substantial playground and a large multipurpose field received positive feedback in the conversations I was part of. That was also the direction I brought forward at the workshop: a park with room for everyday play, informal recreation, and different ways for residents to enjoy the space.

A splash pad may also be worth exploring as another way for families to enjoy the active park.

Connecting the Park Areas

I’d also like to explore a walking trail that connects the two park areas. Rather than simply circling the active park, the trail could use the tunnel under Keystone Pass Boulevard to bring residents into the natural setting of the passive park.

That connection could let residents enjoy the playground and open field, then continue their walk through the wooded area. The route would need to be evaluated for accessibility, safety, and protection of the natural surroundings, but it is an idea worth exploring as the parks are planned.

Learning from Other Parks

I referenced Cherry Lake Park in Groveland at the workshop, as did others in community conversations. It gives us a useful starting point for discussing what people enjoy in a park. But we should also ask what could make a park here even better suited to our residents and this location.

The wooded parcel offers a different opportunity. Planning for a more passive park means thinking carefully about how residents could enjoy the natural setting while preserving what makes it special.

An Unexpected Change

Over just a few days, residents in The Hills of Minneola saw the street lights throughout our community replaced. For many, the difference was immediate: the new fixtures felt too bright and sent too much light into nearby homes and yards. Others appreciated the increased visibility and did not want the streets to become too dark.

As a member of our HOA Board, my first call was to the City Manager. He moved quickly to contact SECO and helped establish a direct connection so I could work with their team on the concerns residents were raising.

That connection allowed us to share feedback, ask detailed questions, and work through possible solutions directly with the people responsible for the lights.

Testing the Options

Through those conversations, we learned that the old fixtures and their replacements were both considered “medium” models within their respective product families. But that label did not mean residents would experience the same lighting. The older sodium lights and the new LED fixtures use different technology, and their specifications do not translate into a simple, identical comparison.

I gathered resident feedback, researched the fixtures, documented the differences, and stayed in contact with SECO’s representatives and engineering staff.

The first attempt involved dimming a handful of the new lights. Residents could not distinguish the dimmed fixtures from the others. We had tried an adjustment, but the feedback showed that it had not made a noticeable difference.

SECO then offered a smaller fixture. Several were installed so residents could compare them in the neighborhood and provide feedback before a broader decision was made.

I also asked SECO to confirm that the smaller fixtures would provide appropriate roadway lighting. SECO provided that confirmation. Resident preferences matter, and so does having the professionals responsible for the system confirm that an alternative is appropriate.

Moving Forward in The Hills

All of the information and testing results were then passed to the CDD. In response to the complaints received by both the CDD and the HOA, the CDD decided to move forward with changing the lights. That process has now started.

This took residents speaking up, the City Manager helping make the connection, SECO working through alternatives, and the CDD making the decision. My role was to help connect those pieces and keep the information moving until a workable option could be considered.

Beyond One Neighborhood

I also learned that Del Webb residents were facing similar concerns and having difficulty reaching the right people. I shared our photos, testing results, what we had learned, and our contact at SECO. I offered to help coordinate the conversation if needed.

For Del Webb, the decision rests with its HOA, which remains under developer control. Their HOA now has the information and a direct SECO contact to decide what it would like to do next. That decision is theirs, but they do not have to start the research and outreach from scratch.

The One-Provider Problem

Not every issue affecting residents is something City Council directly controls. That does not mean the conversation has to end.

The Hills of Minneola was built with Spectrum as its only fiber-to-the-home provider. For residents unhappy with the service or price, there was no comparable alternative. Another provider would give residents a choice they did not have.

Keeping the Conversation Moving

When I saw fiber construction taking place in other parts of Minneola, I started asking what it would take to bring another internet option to The Hills.

I reached out to city leaders and began making inquiries directly with Gigapower, the company building the network that will make AT&T Fiber service possible in the area.

It took more than a year of conversations and follow-ups. During that time, Gigapower was evaluating network capacity, routes, engineering, and the approvals needed to serve the neighborhood. There were updates that planning was underway, but timing remained uncertain.

Documenting Resident Demand

Keeping the conversation going also meant helping answer the company’s questions. Gigapower needed a clearer picture of resident demand.

I helped organize and promote a fiber-interest survey through HOA email lists and community Facebook groups, then shared the results with their team. Residents’ responses helped document interest and support the case for expanding into our neighborhood.

Connecting the Right People

I also helped connect Gigapower with HOA, CDD, management company, and local contacts. As questions came up about who to speak with or who was responsible for a particular issue, I used my local knowledge and relationships to help get those conversations to the right people.

From Interest to Project Planning

By mid-2026, the discussions had become more specific. Gigapower was considering equipment locations, power availability, connections to its existing network, and how to reach homes throughout the community.

My role was to help with the local information: ownership questions, HOA and CDD contacts, and identifying who could address easements or additional approvals. The engineering and construction decisions remained with Gigapower and the responsible parties.

By August, I was included in conversations with the construction team about network connections and planning. I remained available as an HOA contact if community coordination was needed.

Understanding the Roles

This was not a City project or something Council could simply approve. Gigapower had to make its own business and engineering decisions. Residents helped demonstrate demand, and local contacts helped the company work through community questions.

My contribution was to keep asking, gather useful information, connect the right people, and stay involved as the conversation moved from initial interest into project planning.

Sometimes following through means helping turn “Will our neighborhood be included?” into a concrete path forward.