Candidate Profile: Frank Krens

Frank Krens, 78, has spent a majority of his life calling the town of Windermere home, valuing it for the sense of community he’s seen it inspire not just in others, but himself, as well. 

“I am definitely happier and more productive, a better person for being involved in this community,” Krens said of the town he discovered nearly 45 years ago.

Before retiring in 2013, he had a 47-year career as an aerospace engineer with the U.S. Navy-operated Naval Sea Systems Command in Virginia, and as a director of business development for both Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) and L-3 Coleman Aerospace in Florida. His work even brought him into contact with notable figures, such as former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. 

But a temporary assignment from his job in Virginia to serve as a local representative for Martin Marietta brought Krens and his family to the Orlando area in 1979. He bought a condo near Kirkman Road, but only expected to live there for a few years. 

That was until his neighbors, who grew up in Windermere and owned a real-estate business there, took Krens and his family to explore what the town had to offer. 

“They kind of adopted me and my family and brought us out here,” Krens said in an interview with VoxPopuli inside Windermere Town Hall. “For like a year and half, I came out here every weekend and dragged myself into work Monday morning. I made some good friends here and just loved it.”

When he was contacted by his boss asking him to move back north for work, Krens decided to use his connections at Martin Marietta to secure a job and build a life in the town he’d been charmed by. 

“Bought a house, a little house on the canal, and then I bought another house later in 1985,” Krens said, pointing out the window in the direction of his nearby home. “We’ve been in this house for 40 years.”

His wife of 42 years, Diane, often likes to tell him that the town of Windermere is his hobby, he said. The couple share a son, Joe, who lives in College Park with their daughter-in-law, Layla. Their granddaughter, Emma, is a sophomore at the University of Florida. 

Krens truly is a bit of an expert when it comes to Windermere. He often gestures and points when mentioning many of the town’s notable landmarks and historic buildings, each as familiar to him as the back of his hand. 

It’s a familiarity seemingly born not only from his extensive time spent living in the town, but involvement in many of Windermere’s various community groups, as well. 

Krens currently serves on the town’s Long Range Planning Committee, chairs and was the past secretary of the Tree Board, is an active member of the Historic Preservation Board and is a liaison for the Food Truck/Farmers Market Selection Committee. He’s also been a member of the Rotary Club since 2013, holding roles such as youth services coordinator, secretary, membership chair and even president. 

Now, Krens wants to add another commitment to his resume — serving as a member of Windermere’s Town Council. 

“Woody Allen said showing up is 80 percent of life,” Krens said. “It’s a reason to show up. Yeah, you could stay in bed half the day or you could go do something … I want to keep my skills going, and I want to use the skills that I have.”

As Krens seeks election to one of the three open seats on the five-member town council, he faces incumbents Mandy David, Tom Stroup and Anthony Davit and candidate Jessica Lee in Windermere’s first contested election since 2021. The election is nonpartisan. Council members serve two-year terms and are unpaid. 

The last day to register to vote in this election is Feb. 10. Early voting takes place March 3-7, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Supervisor of Elections Office at 119 Kaley Street in Orlando. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is Feb. 27 by 5 p.m. Return ballots to the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on March 11. 

Preserving Windermere’s charm 

Krens’ years serving on Windermere’s many boards and committees help him see where the town can make improvements while balancing preservation with growth. 

His time on the Tree Board, for example, has afforded him a wealth of experience with Windermere’s distinctive tree canopy, which he wants to continue to protect and restore.  

“Most people come here and they say, Wow! Look at all the trees,” Krens said. “A lot of trees have been lost to storms and development. The tendency is to tear down a little grandma house and build a 5,000 square foot house in a little lot, so the trees go.”

Instituting higher penalties for policies that protect or limit impacts to the tree canopy as well as educating residents and developers on the importance of preserving it is one way Krens has sought to address the issue. 

“Developers have to have a plan and a permit to take down trees and do things, but a lot of times they don't pull them,” he said. “So there are penalties for that, [but] they're not big enough to really prevent much of that. At the request of the Tree Board that I'm on, the town council just approved higher fees, higher penalties for removing without the proper [permissions].”

Still, Krens said, the town has lost “thousands of trees” over the years. 

“There’s still a lot of them, but a lot of the trees that are gone are the trees that don’t have long life, a certain kind of oak tree,” Krens said. “They’re still on the church property, all oaks, and they’re pretty much aged out. I want to talk to [the church] and see if we can get a succession plan and get some other trees going.”

When asked what one of his biggest priorities would be if elected, Krens said preserving the town’s three historic buildings — Town Hall, the Cal Palmer Memorial Building and the 1890 Windermere School.  

“The [Cal Palmer Memorial] Building on the corner here, it needs work,” Krens said. “We’re going to get it done, we’ll do our best to match the materials. You can’t match the materials that well because they don’t exist anymore, so you have to use like-materials. The Historic Board is on top of that.”

Krens has spent time learning how the town can find a balance between maintaining the historical integrity of the structures while ensuring their functionality and longevity, something he knows many residents are concerned about. 

“One of the first complaints that came up was if you do something to this building, if you put a metal roof on, is it going to violate the historic certificate?” he said, referring to the Town Hall renovation. “And if you research it, you'll find out that of the however many historic buildings in the state of Florida that lost their accreditation, [around 98 percent] were because they burned down, not because somebody replaced the door.”

Big on Krens’ list is addressing the issue of runoff into the lakes across Windermere, which the town’s iconic dirt roads contribute to, he said. 

“The worst thing for the lakes is the runoff,” Krens said. “The runoff goes down to Fernwood Park and runs off the boat ramp. So keep the roads, let's do better about controlling runoff. We may have to make some concrete in certain places.” 

Krens isn’t interested in paving the roads — he knows that’s a nonstarter with residents and would be costly besides. Still, he hopes to address the runoff issue and find solutions that work for all. 

“I’d say we need better protections for the lakes, some way without drastically affecting the dirt roads,” Krens said. “And I don’t really know how the lakefront people are doing. I would say we should … make sure the [homeowners] that are on the lakefront do their best to not dump fertilizer in the yard.”

Krens said he also hopes to learn new ways to tackle the town’s traffic issue while improving the safety of motorists and pedestrians. He said the town’s roundabouts have helped in that area, though he can recall a time when such traffic junctions faced opposition before being constructed. 

“All the development west of the lakes has had a huge impact with traffic, traffic has been a big issue,” Krens said. “Twice a day it’s basically gridlocked and slow moving … I don’t know what we’d have done without the roundabouts, and there’s a plan to upgrade this one so that when you’re coming from Sixth Avenue and turning on Main Street, you won’t have to stop, you just carry on, so that’ll help.”

Krens said that installing more flashing pedestrian signs at certain crossings also could help raise awareness among drivers. 

Communication versus conflict 

There are other issues that Krens is looking to improve upon outside of the town’s historic infrastructure and other defining characteristics. One such area is expanding and improving the communication between the town council and residents on matters that impact Windermere. 

“The biggest issue I see is communication is hard, getting the information to people to make the right decisions and to promote compromise,” Krens said. “I can help do the research, do the outreach, help get a better understanding of what the issues are for both sides, if there’s controversy. Compromise, if necessary and do the things the town needs.”

While he admires much of the work done by the town staff and council members, he said failed attempts at compromise cost the town the $1 million Foundation for a Healthier West Orange grant to Windermere Rotary Inc. in early 2024.  

Originally, the grant was earmarked for a pavilion project near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Main Street, but residential pushback against a venue that they said would have brought more visitors, noise, trash, traffic and parking problems to the town, sank the project. Subsequent attempts to use the grant for needed Town Hall renovations were also unsuccessful.

“I want to build a better relationship between the Rotary Club and the town of Windermere,” Krens said. “The pavilion is kind of a black eye for everybody … I blame myself for not doing more.”

He said he applauds Mayor Jim O’Brien and civil engineer John Fitzgibbon and others for what he called a “heroic effort” to try and reach a compromise to move forward with the project. However, the loss of the grant was “sad in a number of ways” for the town, he added.

“All that healthy West Orange money, some of it came from here … I mean, is there another opportunity?” Krens said. “I don't know. That's a question I would ask [if elected], is there another opportunity?” 

While he regrets no solution for the grant issue was found, Krens realizes it highlights the need for increasing both communication efforts and residential involvement in local projects and decision making. 

“As a community, we failed,” Krens said. “There were opportunities for compromise. There was plenty of time for alternative approaches. As a community, we weren't willing to come to an agreeable solution.”

Then there’s the legal battle between the town council and the seven owners of the five historic boathouses located in the lagoon in Palmer Park, another sore spot in the Windermere community. The current battle is over the town council’s decision nearly three years ago to terminate the owners’ month-to-month right-of-access leases. The matter, which has already accrued more than $453,000 in legal bills for the town, is headed to trial in August.

Krens said he ultimately hopes a compromise can be reached, but knows it may be difficult given the longstanding nature of the legal fight. 

“It’s such a complicated issue, I’ve been on both sides of it,” Krens said. “That's what I dread being on town council, having that continue and not be resolved and continue lawsuits.” 

Still, Krens has a positive outlook not just for the town’s future but its present too. He’s quick to praise the many residents and town staff whom he’s come to know well over the years for their own contributions. 

“I have gotten to know and to work with many of the town management, staff and volunteer committee members, and I am proud of how our town and its police force are run [and] the integrity, diligence, transparency, quality of service, and the sense of community that it builds,” he said in a candidate biography he shared with VoxPopuli. “It is an honor to be associated with this exceptional cadre of professionals.” 

He said he’s ultimately not interested in looking to make “change for change’s sake.” 

“I'm not running for town council to fix the town,” Krens said. “It doesn't need fixing. There are things that can be better, and there are things I think I can help with. I have a lot of respect for the town staff.”