Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new tourism oversight board is looking to exert its authority over development in Walt Disney World’s special district and the two cities controlled by the theme park giant, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
What’s Happening:
- Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new tourism oversight board states that their Board of Supervisors is the “superior authority” over planning, zoning and land development regulations for the entire special district, including within the city limits of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, both of which make up the whole of the Walt Disney World Resort, and a special district formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
- The proposal is expected to be reviewed during the board’s April 19 meeting.
- This is the latest attempt by the Florida state governor to exert authority over the Disney-owned property, which has been in a months-long power struggle over who will have authority over future growth in the special district that provides government services to the Walt Disney World Resort.
- Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista make up the district, with full councils and mayors, representing a combined population of 53 people – all believed to be closely associated with The Walt Disney Company. Disney is believed to use the two cities to control and maintain autonomy over the Walt Disney World Resort, and its hotels and attractions.
- The resolution proclaims that the new state law gives the power to the five members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s Board of Supervisors — not the two Disney-run cities – who were appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate as part of a DeSantis-backed law giving control of the district to the state. A move that was made after Disney’s response to the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
- The resolution states that “The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s authority over comprehensive planning, zoning, land development regulations, environmental protection regulations, and platting and subdivision regulations shall control within the entire District, including within the jurisdictional limits of the City of Lake Buena Vista and the City of Bay Lake.”
- “Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista shall not issue any development orders or permits or execute development agreements,” the resolution continues.
- Under the previous arrangement (which was not mentioned in the new resolution) Reedy Creek’s landowners elected board members, allowing Disney to effectively self-govern its resort properties. Earlier this year, the old board approved measures that new board members say could tie their hands for years.
- Part of which allows Disney to build projects at the highest density and the right to sell or assign those development rights to other district landowners without the board having any say, according to the district’s new special legal counsel, which includes a “declaration of restrictive covenants” that spells out that the district is barred from using the Disney name without approval or using “fanciful characters such as Mickey Mouse.”
- DeSantis has vowed to undo those agreements, and also has also said he and Legislature will consider adding toll roads and hotel tax in the district, responding to Disney’s preemptive actions. Disney issued a statement they were “appropriate” and done in accordance with state law.
- Richard Foglesong, a Rollins College professor who wrote Married to the Mouse, a book on Disney World’s origin story says “These two cities are, in fact, general-purpose local governments with the same status in law as the city of Orlando … As this legal matter moves forward, a key question will be whether a board created by the Legislature and appointed by the governor can rescind the constitutionally granted authority of democratically elected local governments.”
- More with the proposal will likely come out of the April 19th meeting.