Banquet Halls May Require Special Use Permits to Serve Alcohol

by James Coulter

Planning on opening a new banquet hall in Winter Haven? You might need to seek a special use permit if you plan on serving alcohol.

Winter Haven City Commissioners are considering approving an amendment to the city code that would require banquet halls to apply for special use permits if they plan on serving alcoholic beverages at their hosted events.

At their city commission meeting on Monday, city commissioners reviewed the first reading of an ordinance that would amend the city code, thus requiring banquet halls to apply for special use permits if they plan on serving alcohol at their establishment.

Currently, the city code permits banquet halls to serve alcohol if they are in a shopping center or are more than 150 feet from a property zoned as agriculture (AG), residential estate (RE), single-family residential (R-1, R-2), or manufactured home park (RM) zoning districts.

If they are not inside a shopping center or within 150 feet from those designated zoning districts, they are required to be reviewed by the Planning Commission for a special use, according to the ordinance summary.

The proposed city code amendment will require future banquet halls, regardless of their location, to be reviewed by the Planning Commission for a special use permit. All current banquet halls will be able to continue operating if the ordinance is approved; however, as the summary states, “any expansion or cessation of the use would require the pre-existing banquet hall to apply for a special use.”

“The City’s Police Department and Code Compliance Division have noted an increase in businesses operating under the definition of a banquet hall, but creating impacts expected of a large-scale drinking establishment,” the ordinance summary states. “These proposed amendments to the approval process will help mitigate impacts by allowing the use to be more closely examined for compatibility at a particular location and provide the Planning Commission an opportunity to impose appropriate conditions to lessen impacts of the use.”

City staff recommends that the city commission approve the ordinance, and the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend the ordinance’s approval. The city commission will review and vote on the ordinance at their July 23 meeting.

Polk County Parks & Rec

We’re hiring!

Polk County Parks and Recreation is looking for full time recreation coordinators to join our team at multiple locations!

Opportunities Available for Recreation Coordinators:
Lakeland
Winter Haven

Ready to apply? Use the link below to get started:
https://fa-eqpz-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/943/?utm_medium=jobshare

City of Winter Haven

The dogs have officially been unleashed in downtown Winter Haven! Bring your four-legged friends out to enjoy the brand new K9 Courtyard, our downtown off-leash dog run.

Location:

NORTH OF AVENUE E N. W. BETWEEN THE WINTER HAVEN AREA TRANSIT TERMINAL AND THE CHAIN OF LAKES TRAIL (JUST SOUTH OF TRAILHEAD PARK)

City of Auburndale, FL Government

Celebrate Independence Day with a dazzling display of thunderous booms and flashing lights!

Our annual fireworks show is scheduled for 9:00 PM on Tuesday, July 4, at Lake Ariana.

Eagle Lake Ball Park Had An Emergency. Now They’re Better Prepared With A New AED!

by James Coulter

Recently, a young boy experienced head trauma while playing at Eagle Lake Ball Park. He recovered and was taken to the hospital safely. However, now the ballpark is better prepared to deal with such an emergency with an automated external defibrillator (AED) donated to their facility by a local non-profit organization.

Eagle Lake Ball Park recently experienced an incident where a young boy received head trauma. He had been riding in a wagon when he fell out and hit his head hard on the ground, leaving him momentarily unconscious, explained J.J. Britt, vice-president and coach of Eagle Lake Community Baseball.

“He fell out of the wagon, hit his head, and was unconscious for a few moments,” Britt said. “The ambulance came and rushed him to hospital, and he was really good. He is good now. I saw him yesterday, and everything is good.”

Britt and his team recently received a new AED donated to them by Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation, a local non-profit foundation dedicated to assisting local EMTs and other first responders and raising proceeds to donate AEDs across the county. The AED was installed inside the ball park’s concession stand.

J.J. Britt has been coaching baseball for 42 years. He had served as an umpire when the children of Melanie Brown Culpepper, the founder of Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation, were playing little league baseball. He felt honored that Melanie was generous enough to donate the new AED to their facility.

“This AED has been a blessing,” he said. “We deal with many kids year-round at the park, and it is great that we have something in place in case something is happening. We are in good hands.”

“This AED will be huge for the Eagle Lake community,” he further elucidated. “We deal with kids regularly all year long. Playing new sports where we had head traumas from being hit by the baseball or bats. In case anything happens like that, this will be huge for the league. And it will get parents more safety that this is here, that we are prepared and ready to go.”

Kiley Lanfair, a volunteer at the ballpark, had reached out to Melanie on Facebook Messenger about the AED following the incident with the young boy. Now that the facility has an AED, they are better prepared for such emergencies.

“It is amazing,” she said. “I feel we will be a safer park for having it here…How she [Melanie] is helping the community is unfathomable. It will make our park safer for all our patrons all of our players, everyone who has come to our park.”

Melanie started the Culpepper Cardiac Foundation two years ago following the tragic passing of her fiancée, Michael Culpepper, who had suffered cardiac arrest. Since its inception, the foundation has raised proceeds to donate more than a dozen AEDs across the county. Her most recent donation proved especially emotional for her.

“Eagle Lake Ball Park means a lot to me,” she said. “This is where my kids played ball. Even my oldest child…J.J. was the umpire when my kid was playing. Now he is the vice president of eagle lake ballpark. My oldest son is 35. So that many years ago I have known him for that many years.”

The Culpepper Cardiac Foundation will be donating several more AEDs in the coming months. It will also be hosting its annual fundraiser, Saving Lives Matter, in September.

“It touches my heart so much,” she said. ” I wasn’t sure how the foundation would go at first, but I didn’t give up and now it is going better than ever. It doesn’t just take me. It takes a community as we are all making a difference in the hope to save someone’s life. Thank you everyone for being a part of Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation.”

For more information about Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation, visit their website at: https://honoringculpepper.com/

Saturday 8am Tampa Bay Water Ski Team kicks off the tournament,
Carolina Show Ski Team follows Tampa. Individual events continue through the day

Sunday 8am Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team will ski followed by Sarasota Ski-A-Rees. Individual events continue through the day, ending with awards!

This event is FREE! Bring your chair, grab a bite to eat, and come have a great time!

Reuse Water Customers that experienced an outage anytime during the months of January – April 2023, please fill out the simple form linked below to submit a credit request for potable water used for irrigation in the absence of available reuse water.

https://winterhaven.seamlessdocs.com/f/os5gwj3zpqap

City of Winter Haven

Mark your calendars! Starting the week of June 26, 2023, Pavement Technology Inc. will be applying rejuvenation products to several roadways in our city. This proactive measure aims to extend the lifespan of our pavement, ensuring safer and smoother driving experiences for everyone.

Pavement Technology Inc. crew members will be visiting with door hangers to notify residents and businesses affected by the work. Rest assured, they will work efficiently to minimize disruption, and you will always have access to your home or business!

When driving on freshly treated areas, please observe all posted signs, follow flagman directions, and reduce your speed to 5 mph.

For more information about this pavement preservation technique and to find answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: FAQ Link https://ow.ly/VfkP50OQzh5

Your cooperation during the rejuvenation process is greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for further updates as we strive to maintain top-notch road conditions in Winter Haven!

All ages and abilities are welcome to stop by our first Chess Meet-Up Wednesday, June 28, from 1pm – 3pm. Whether you’ve been playing for years or are interested in learning, it’s a great way to meet other chess enthusiasts!