Thursday, July 10, 2014 The West Orange Times
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West Orange Business in Brief • ADALBERTO RIVERA-GUEITS has joined Winter Garden-based R.C. Stevens Construction Co. team as safety manager. RiveraGueits brings with him more than 15 years of experience within the construction industry. His duties will include safety management and safety compliance. • MARGARET A. “PEGGY” MCGARRITY has been appointed chief deputy to Orange County Comptroller Martha O. Haynie. McGarrity is a CPA and a lawyer with a master’s degree in business Aadministration. She has a 30-year background in government finance, which includes 20 years as a municipal finance officer and seven years as finance officer at Osceola
County and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, as well as two years as the CFO for Lynx. She is a past president of the Florida Government Finance Officers’ Association and remains an active member of the FGFOA. She is an adjunct instructor of accounting and law at Valencia College and FAMU Law School. • KEITH BOUDREAUX has joined Century 21 Professional Group Inc.’s Ocoee office. He has many years of experience in the field and most recently worked for Villa Direct Realty. Boudreaux specializes in residential and second/ vacation homes. • HOLD-THYSSEN INC., a commercial real estate services firm based in Winter Park,
• CHRIS BARLEY has become an Ameriprise Financial Private Wealth Advisor. Barley, with an office in Orlando, is one of approximately 9% of the nearly 10,000 Ameriprise financial advisors to achieve this status. To become eligible, advisors must be experienced in serving affluent clients, maintain high client satisfaction scores, complete specialized training and achieve superior business results.
• JESSIE LADSON has joined Andrew General Contractors Inc., a full-service commercial construction firm, as project managers. Ladson is a Winter Garden resident and has 5 years of experience in the construction field. He was previously project engineer and field engineer for Turner Construction.
Officials meet, discuss legislative road to local prosperity Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs recently participated in a panel discussion and luncheon titled “The Legislative Road to West Orange Prosperity,” coordinated by the West Orange Chamber of Commerce. The West Orange Chamber builds partnerships by serving and facilitating opportunities for nearly 1,000 member businesses in the region. Held at Valencia College, the discussion covered a wide range of topics from economic initiatives to health issues. Panelists
negotiated three new leases in the TD Bank Building at 12200 W. Colonial Drive in Winter Garden: Scholastic Insurance of Florida LLC leased 2,050 square feet, and Lotus Financial Services Group and Statewide Permit Service Inc. both signed lease agreements for executive suites. Earlier this year Taylor completed 10 other lease agreements in the TD Bank Building, which is currently 85 percent leased, up from 70 percent under Hold-Thyssen’s watch. • TOLL BROTHERS announced plans to develop two new Orlando-area communities, including the 116-acre Royal Cypress Preserve, an exclusive, gated-community of 206 singlefamily homes on State Road 535 just north of
included District 12 Florida State Sen. Geraldine Thompson, District 15 Florida State Sen. Kelli Stargel, District 44 Florida Rep. Eric Eisnaugle Ocoee Mayor Scott Vandergrift, Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn, Oakland Commissioner Joseph McMullen, Orlando Commissioner Sam Ings and Winter Garden Commissioner Bobby Olszewski. The West Orange Chamber of Commerce received the prestigious state of Florida’s Chamber of the Year award in 2009 and 2012.
Interstate 4. The company recently acquired 189 acres for a new luxury home community off Seidel Road in Horizon’s West, a master-planned community in West Orange County. It will include 365 single-family homes and townhomes with a selection of oversized lots. • TD BANK has provided $2.4 million to Winter Garden Vineland LLC for the acquisition of a Winter Garden building on Winter Garden Vineland Road with 32,000 square feet of Class A office space and excess land. The transaction includes a seven-year fixed-rate loan with a 20-year amortization. The building currently is occupied by various tenants, including United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida.
• HEATH SHORT was appointed project superintendent at Westyn Bay in Ocoee for Avex Homes. He has more than 25 years of experience as a homebuilder, including 10 years in concrete and masonry and 15 years building single-family residences and townhomes. The Avex Homes Westyn Bay sales center is at 634 Fortanini Drive, Ocoee.w
City sells commercial property for $121k By Suzan E. Kurdak The city of Ocoee accepted Satish Somwaru’s offer of $121,000 to purchase the property located at South Bluford Avenue just south of Oakwood Plaza. Support Services Director Al Butler spoke at last week’s commission meeting and recapped how Ocoee had received two bids in April on this property that was “a little over an acre in size.” Somwaru of Help My Auto facility initially offered to purchase the city-owned land for $70,000, pending an assessment. A recent appraisal showed the market value at $121,000. Somwaru modified his purchase price to match it. A public hearing was held, and elected officials voted unanimously, with Mayor Scott Vandergrift absent from the meeting. Butler said he and staff “will work on coming up with the best plan on the site.” Mayor Pro Tem Rusty Johnson said: “It’s a win-win for the city. We have a business there, and I’m glad to see it. It’s been a long time coming.” In a separate matter, commissioners granted a special exception to amend the
Iglesia Cristiana Sendero De Luz Church master plan. Church representative Ken Leeming said the church had obtained three portables to allow for additional classroom space and storage needs. City staff supported the special-exception request for a term of seven years, with the possible extension of three years. In other business, the commission: • approved the final subdivision plan for Spring Lake Reserve, which will include 79 single-family detached homes in the proposed gated community. • heard from two residents who expressed concern over several worn-out roads that need restriping, as well as concern about the water level and quality of Starke Lake. • listened to Lisa Murphy, executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Central Florida, promote an event at Lake Meadow Natural Farm on Oct. 25. • cancelled city commission meetings on Sept. 2, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. • proclaimed July Parks and Recreation Month. The commission voted by consensus
to approve the following: • transferred $2,800 from the Parks and Recreation budget to cover costs for the remaining two months of a contract with BeatCreative Marketing LLC for the promotion of the Ocoee Lakeshore Center. • agreed to a two-year warranty surety and maintenance, materials and workmanship escrow agreement with October Holdings LLC for the Fountains at Tivoli Place. • granted approval of the third amendment to the interlocal agreement regarding the Coca-Cola property and the third amendment to declaration of conditions of approval. • allowed the city to seek separate surplus auction for its PBX telephone equipment. • approved sponsoring a West Orange Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event at the Lakeshore Center on Oct. 16. • appointed Sujeily Ruiz to the Human Relations Diversity Board to serve a three-year term ending May 2017 and Robert Carbone to the Citizen Advisory Council for Ocoee Fire Department for a three-year term ending November 2017.
Coffee with Jen & De
bbie. Trail run to Winter Garden. Bakery and booksto re.
Gathered salad gree ns from
the garden. Spotted a blue hero n.
Watched the Spanish moss
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Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.
sway.