WINTER SPRINGS, FL – July 2025
In response to public questions and ongoing discussions surrounding the tree mitigation fee tied to the Seahawk Cove Extension project, City Commissioner Victoria Bruce has released a detailed update to clarify the facts, address misinformation, and outline a proposed path forward for environmental planning in Winter Springs.
“This is not about politics,” said Bruce. “It’s about ensuring the City honors its own agreements, follows its legal procedures, and lives up to its commitment to transparency and sustainability.”
Background: Tree Mitigation and the 2017 Agreement
In 2017, the City of Winter Springs entered into a recorded development agreement and First Modification with the developer of the Town Center area, which includes the property now referred to as the Seahawk Cove Extension. That agreement identified the full project site as 45.687 acres and established a tree mitigation fee totaling $149,660, which was subsequently paid in full. The payment included:
- $133,500 in mitigation credits
- $5,000 for specimen tree removal
- $11,160 in arbor permitting fees
This arbor fee was labeled in the agreement as the “final adjusted City arbor fee” for the Project, with “Project” defined as the entire development area—not a single phase.
June 23, 2025 Commission Vote
At the June 23 City Commission meeting, staff presented a proposed tree mitigation fee of $227,400 for the Seahawk Cove Extension. However, no reference was made to the 2017 agreement or the previous payment already made by the developer.
After reviewing the legal documents, Commissioner Bruce made a motion to clarify that the previously paid arbor fee applied to the entire project, including the area west of Michael Blake Boulevard. That motion passed in a 3–2 vote.
“I disclosed my meeting with the developer publicly on the record, and I brought forward a motion based solely on the documentation that had already been accepted by the City,” said Bruce. “Nothing was waived. The fee had already been paid.”
July 14 Meeting: Reconsideration Attempt
On July 14, a motion was brought forward to reconsider the June 23 vote. According to Robert’s Rules of Order, which the City of Winter Springs uses to guide parliamentary procedure, a motion to reconsider may only be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side—in this case, one of the three commissioners who voted “yes” on June 23.
The July 14 motion was made and seconded by commissioners who had voted “no,” rendering it procedurally invalid. The City Attorney paused the motion, advising that a motion to rescind would be required instead, and that it would carry a different legal standard.
During the discussion, Commissioner Mark Caruso disclosed that Mayor Kevin McCann had privately told him that it was City legal staff who “dropped the ball” in failing to bring the 2017 agreement into the initial June 23 discussion—contradicting public implications that the Commission acted improperly.
Clarifying the Project Location and Scope
The Seahawk Cove Extension project is located just west of Michael Blake Boulevard and north of State Road 434, within the City’s Town Center Development District. This area was always part of the broader 45.687-acre parcel defined in the development agreement.
“This is not an isolated site,” said Bruce. “It is part of a multi-phase, master-planned development, and the legal and financial obligations associated with that plan were intended to apply across the entire property—not just one section.”
Looking Ahead: Policy and Stewardship
Commissioner Bruce stated that beyond this specific vote, she sees an opportunity for the City to strengthen its environmental stewardship policies. At the July 14 meeting, she outlined two next steps:
- Engaging a certified arborist to advise the City on tree health, removal, and planting strategies.
- Using the arbor fund to purchase and conserve land, and to plant native tree species that support a “no net loss” tree policy for the City of Winter Springs.
“If we are going to maintain our designation as a Tree City USA, we need to lead with substance,” said Bruce. “That means not only protecting what we have, but building a future that’s environmentally and fiscally sustainable.”
Contact:
Victoria K. Bruce
City Commissioner, District 2
Winter Springs, Florida
www.VictoriaForWinterSprings.com
By Yvonne
Trees in my neighborhood are disappearing at an alarming rate–some very large. I do understand homeowners fears about damage to their homes during storm events. I, too, have removed a couple large sweetgums with large limbs overhanging my home, but I have also allowed recruitment of sturdy Taxodium distichum, Fraxinus caroliniana, and Carpinus caroliniana in the area between my home and the unnamed creek behind my home.
I am totally in favor of an arborist being hired by the city to assess health of trees proposed for removal and to potentially oversee enforcement. Also,enforcement of the tree ordinance by City police department personal is inefficient. Heard chain saws running for an entire day a couple months ago, but the enforcement person said he could not trespass to find the potential violation and apparently did not want to walk along the unnamed ditch (labeled “park” by the City) to find the potential violation.
By Victoria Bruce
Thank you so much for your feedback, Yvonne 🙂