ORLANDO, Fla. — Residents of an Orlando neighborhood have started a petition to save a home built in the mid-1920s from being demolished and two homes being built in its place.
Built in 1926, the property at 440 Westminster Street in the Orwin Manor neighborhood has recently become notable as the home where the Dinner Party Project started nearly three years ago.
The Dinner Party Project brings eight strangers together for a prepared meal and, according to the project’s website, is currently held at different venues throughout the city of Orlando.
Plans submitted by the property’s owner to the Orlando Municipal Planning Board would result in the home being torn down along with ancillary structures on the property.
Mary Soule has lived in the Orwin Manor neighborhood for three decades and said the home at 440 Westminster Street has been a mainstay.
She was upset at the thought of the home being torn down after sitting at the corners of Westminster Street and Pelham Road for more than 90 years.
“For the Orwin Manor neighborhood, we think it’s quite a tragedy,” Soule said. “It’s one of the oldest homes in the neighborhood. It just is an iconic building.”
Residents have started a petition on Change.org in the hopes of convincing the owner and/or Municipal Planning Board not to go forward with the plan.
“This house and this neighborhood are well worth saving,” Soule said.
The proposal will be taken before the Orlando City Council for approval at the end of September.
The Orwin Manor Westminster Association sent the city the following statement in opposition to the proposed plan:
"The Orwin Manor Westminster Association is opposed to the Plat with Modifications for 440 Westminster Street. The association has represented the residents of 315 single family homes in Orlando and Winter Park since 1983. Recently we worked with the developers of the Calvary Assembly of God property to help create a development acceptable to everyone and protect the integrity of our neighborhood.
Orwin Manor Westminster Association’s responses to staff responses:
(A) Purpose and intent of GMP. The Plat with Modifications IS NOT in keeping with the established character and use of the existing neighborhood. 1. The fabric of our historic neighborhood founded in 1924 is found in the layout of our streets, the diversity of architecture and most importantly the mix of lot sizes and the relationship of open space to the street. 2. Orwin Manor Westminster was platted in 1924 with a variety of lot sizes. This is unlike many later subdivisions which were platted with all small lot sizes. This diversity with varying lot and house sizes provides the character that makes Orwin Manor distinctive. The staff report location map on page 1 (attached here) shows the location of the larger lots. 3. Larger lots are clustered at the intersection of Westminster Street and Pelham Road and 440 Westminster St. is one of those lots. 4. It is the most prominent property at a high-profile location for traffic heading west on Westminster St. and south on Pelham Rd. 5. The fact there are nearby small lots is not the reason to create more as stated in the staff report. It is the reason to maintain the larger lots that provide character with a mix of lot sizes and the resulting variety of house sizes.
(B) Public interest. If the residents of Orwin Manor are considered the public, then the proposed Plat with Modifications would have a negative impact on the public as noted in (A) and (C).
(C) Public Facilities. If Westminster St. and nearby streets are considered public facilities then approval of the Plat with Modifications would impact traffic with the addition of another home that was not originally platted for the neighborhood.
(D) Hardship. A hardship is not created since this property has been owned by the current owners since 1997 and has not been restricted by any regulations that were not in place when the property was purchased.
Orwin Manorites do not want to live in a homogenous neighborhood that looks like every other one. We expect the City of Orlando to continue to protect our historic residential community’s quality of life. It starts with your thoughtful analysis of what we have provided. Allowing two houses on this property is not appropriate for our neighborhood."
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