Orange County won't let Windermere build boat dock

By Rich McKay | Sentinel Staff Writer May 31, 2009

WINDERMERE - Mayor Gary Bruhn and the Town Council are in a bit of a red-tape kerfuffle with their plans to build a new public pier and boat dock on Lake Down at the end of Fourth Street, just in time for families during the summer break. The town even has a $150,000 grant from the state. But Orange County's Environmental Protection Division says no. The rules say you can't build a dock on lakefront property unless it's attached to a permanent structure, such as a house. The only way around it is for the town to pass a special ordinance, which could take months.