Title:
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Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Special Event Permit for the Wekiva Island Winter Wonderland from November 30, 2025 to December 23, 2025 and December 28, 2025 to December 30, 2025 located at 1000 - 1014 Miami Springs Drive, Longwood; (Mary Sue Weinaug, Applicant) District3 - Constantine (Jose Gomez, Development Services Director)
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Division:
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Development Services
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Authorized By:
Jose Gomez, Development Services Director
Contact/Phone Number:
Angi Gates/407-665-7465
Background:
The Applicant is requesting approval of a Special Event Permit for the Wekiva Island Winter Wonderland. The Wekiva Island Winter Wonderland will include a variety of events scheduled each day during the Special Event as shown on Attachment 2.
Attachment 1 is the request to vary from the Amended and Restated Development Order, approved October 23, 2018. The deviations are to permit extended hours of operation, increase the number of attendees, and amplified sound for outdoor family-friendly movies.
The Applicant has requested a maximum of 450 attendees each day and extended operating hours, Sunday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., except for December 14th and 21st, they are requesting extended hours from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Amplified sound is proposed for December 7th, 14th, and 21st, 2025 for family friendly movies.
Security and traffic control will be provided by off-duty Seminole County Sheriff’s deputies. The applicant has met all the requirements of Ordinance 2024-21 regarding the site plan, certificate of insurance, and the security plan which was reviewed and approved by the Seminole County Sheriff’s office.
An updated Certificate of Insurance must be submitted prior to the Special Event as the current Certificate expired on September 29th, 2025, and must be renewed prior to the Event.
This is the fourth Special Event of the calendar year for Wekiva Island. Per Development Order #17-20500038 Section (3) t, four (4) Special Events are allowed per year, not to exceed a total of sixty (60) days. The Strings and Springs Special Event totaled one (1) day, the Spring Fling and Paint Out Special Event was twelve (12) days, the Fall Fest is six (6) days, and the Winter Wonderland request is twenty-seven (27) days. After this approval, there will be fourteen (14) remaining days for Special Events at this location.
The Event is within the Urban Bear Management area. Special Events occurring outside must keep the area free from accumulated waste. The refuse must be collected and secured within a structure, a bear-resistant container or removed to a disposal site.
Pursuant to Section 30.6.4.2 of the Seminole County Land Development Code (“LDC”), in approving a Special Event, the Board shall make a determination that the proposed event is reasonably compatible with the nearby existing development and does not pose an unreasonable safety or health risk for patrons or neighbors.
Staff finds that the application submitted for this request meets the requirements of Section 30.6.4.2.a.(4), LDC, and due to the limited and temporary nature of the event, the security being provided, and the conditions imposed by the Special Event permit, the proposed event is reasonably compatible with surrounding uses and does not pose an unreasonable safety or health risk to patrons.
Requested Action:
Staff requests the Board approve and authorize the Chairman to execute the Wekiva Island Winter Wonderland Special Event Permit from November 30, 2025 to December 23, 2025 and December 28, 2025 to December 30, 2025, subject to staff’s recommendations included in the attached Special Event Permit.
Note: The Special Event Permit Conditions of Approval (i.e., full details of the above conditions) are contained in the Special Event Permit in this Agenda Memorandum to be issued by Seminole County, if approved by the Board of County Commissioners.