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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998 02 27 Orlando Sentinel: Spotlight on Winter Springs_~ _ _. Winter Springs: Spotlight on the community - • Couple find niche in Winter Springs ^ The one-time Village of North Orlando grew into a major Seminole County city with the help of people .like Charles and Ruth Holzman. By Linda S. Humphrey SENTINEL CORRESPoNDENT hirty-four years" ago when Chazles and Ruth Holzman were trans- ferred to Orlando Air Force" Base from Fairbanks, Alaska, they asked an officer to suggest a good place in which to live and raise their three children. They were told to move to the Village of North Orlando, because, said the'ser- geant, "That's where I live, and it's a great place.'. ,Today, the Holzmans say moving to -- ~ what is now known as Winter Springs •_- was a very good decision -one they m m Ci n 0 T a =n m Q io m rn DENNIS WALLJTHE ORLANDO SENTINEL 34-year residents.. Ruth and Charles Holzman love the city. Holzman was the 1st paid fire chief. have never regretted. an-area that is referred to today as "Old They bought their home in a quiet Tc•.vn;' Charles Holzman said. neighborhood in 1964 for $100 down in The Holzmans' subdivision and an- other on the other side of State Road 434 were practically the only residential areas. "It was practically a ghost town," he ~'~` said. r ~ ':•~-'"~`i`"`i~ .. lll~.$~:Qlaf%es~iolzs~i~~eeamein~a BE THERE SATURDAY MAY 2, 7998 ,~' ALEXANDRIA BOULEVARD, OVIEDO Food, Fm, P-w1eAaLlment, Classic Can, Flnc Alta, Cooldn= Conint, Childrenb Actlvitles s For lnformatloa (407)365-6500 S said. In many ways, the Holzmans typify longtime Winter. Springs residents. Throughout:their years here, the cou- ple have been involved:in'various as- pects of community service. Ruth Holz- man takes some of the credit for her husband's hard work: "I would throw ;ahis hat_in.the. rine."she said.. time that eventually he would become Society ,and was on the city's code en•- Winter Springs' first paid fire chief.: forcement board..fors.<three=years 'He "There was no equipment, no station. sponsored the city's first Cub Scout They had a truck sitting in a vacant pack in the 1970s. field," Ruth Holzman said. Today, their 9-yeaz-old grandson, Chazles Holzman explained: "If there Erik, is a member of Pack 196, the same was a fire, the one his grand- Police Depart- ~ ~ - father spon- ment got the cored almost 30 call fast and we i was fortunate years ago: to be involved were nDtified ei- they by phone with just about ss was:fortu- every project ` `~~'~ ~ ~- . or citizens band ~ volved -with radio: Then. we that has opened up ,in the city. ;,,St • a~„t:-;~~_ had to physical- i have learned~a lot over the ;:~:~ T~ p~~~ ~c ]y go and sound 9 ~_ ..has-bpened'up the -siren that years. ~ in-'the citl%.° I was located on a big pole and " 'have learged a Charles Holzman lot: °, over ~~.he wait for the f5re• years, Hoban fighters to show - mod, , uP•' He retired from the Fire Department Assignments in Germany and Ken- in 1991 with memories of a.lot of 11>ird lucky took the family away for brief pe- work and good relationships: ~#~. rinds. They rented out their house, al- "We came from a fug enginea'ir a ways looking forwazd to returning to field to two stations. We've 4rome ong Winter Springs: '-." way, and it's nice to have been a• of After he retired in 1973, Holzman it all," he said. once again found himself involved with The Holzmans say. Winter S gs the F7re Department: ~ will be their home for a long to "First, I volunteered again. Then come. Their son, Charles, Jr., and :one-of when they began paying the firefighters their two daughters, Suzanne, alsd'9ive in 1974, I became the chief," he said. in the city. -~ ' - ~- Holzman said the firefighters worked The warm climate, low city taxes and neazly around the clock during his first good services make them eager to re- years as chief. turn every time they go away, they said. "One of my first actions as chief was "It's been .fun, and I' would do it all to have that old original firetruck that again," Charles Holzman said. "And I was still sitting around hauled away," he would be right in the middle of it." V rater Springs. ap®tlight ~-n the c~r~r~unity I~'I ~! • - ' A town tr ~- rim scr~~~ ~.. ^ Winter Springs plans that building a new downtown ing the land and starting from grcund. l ! P D to develop a traditional is.an ambitious goal. °` scratch. He cautioned both land yn inast: s dge ark: Caro rive, This is a steep mountain to owners and city officials that Cl~~rledo, (407) 977-6081; Play- downtown With Shops climb, creating a town center they must build around the nat- ground, walking path, multipurpose and reStaUrantS. where there is none," he said. ural beauty of the property. For field. Dover will make a final pre- example, early drawings call for eke Jesup. Park: a miles south of sentation of the proposed town saving a forest of hemlocks as a State Road A6 at end of Sanford By Will Wellons center to the City Commission park. Avenue, Sanford; (407) 788-Oa05. on March 23. Even though the idea will Picnickin fishin O en da li ht 9. 9• P Y 9 OF THE SENTINEL STAFF The idea behind the town look ood on a er the cit still g P P S Y hours. center is to bring shopping, must convince landowners that ake Miiis Park: Lake Mills Road off WINTER SPRINGS -This townhouses, offices and excit- building a traditional town cen- State Road 419, about a mile north bedroom community has rarely ing public spaces to a mostly ter will make money. Robert of the Seminole-Orange County been a destination for anyone vacant area of the city. Gibbs, a retail analyst who line, Chuluota. 8 a.m. to sunset. other than its residents. The new town center, to be works with mall developers, is inlet Lake Park: East of U.S. High- But that may change. built during the next decade or part of the consulting team. way 17-92 on State Road a6 on Winter Springs leaders are more, would give Winter Gibbs said the town center Mullet Lake Road, Geneva; (407) working on plans to develop a Springs a downtown area that can support new shops and res- 788-0405._ Picnicking, camping, traditional town center on land could stretch -from Central taurants if it is built correctly. fishing. Open daylight hours.' mostly north of State Road 434 Winds Park to just beyond Tus- A Winter Springs town cen- vledo Sports Complex, 1251 E. along Tuskawilla Road. kawilla Road. A McDonald's ter can succeed even with the Broadway St., Oviedo (a07) 977- "We want to be a magnet," now sits at what could become opening of the nearby Oviedo 6081; Athletic ftelds, playground. verslde Park: 1600 Lockwood Bou- said Mayor Paul Partyka. the focal point of the city. Marketplace mall, Gibbs said. levard; Oviedo, (a07) 977-6081; ...The city has hired consult- Dover said the city is going People like to shop in old-fash '~ Pool, multipurpose room, multipur- ants led by a South Miami de- to have to change the rules to Toned open-air centers. pose-field; court sports, picnicking, , .sign firm to .draw them a plc- build its dream downtown. A Stores that used to be found pavilion and band shell.' ture of the town center.- Earlier town center will require very only in malls are now moving Fund Lake Park: 891 E. Broadway this month, planners with intense development around outside mammoth centers, he St., Oviddo, (407) 977-6081; Play- Dover, Kohl & Partners spent a park land or a town square. . added. ground, court sports, picnicking. week in Winter Springs work- "Density doesn't have to be One of the landowners, Mi- Neetwater Park: 201 E. Magnolia ing nearly around the clock bad," Dover said. "Good design chael Schrimsher, is watching St., Oviedo, (a07) 977-6081); Play- ground, court sports. studying and talking to people is the key." the town center planning care- ~Idier's Creek Park: State Road about the 230 acres north of Even thou h a ro osed _ g P P full Y• a1s a mile east of U.S. Highway 17- State Road 434. town center would be compact, "I'm always skeptical when 92. Boating and fishing. Open day- Lead planner Victor Dover Dover and other consultants government says it wants to light hours. warned interested residents are not recommending bulldoz- help," Schrimsher said. 'f%- -` Y _ -. .:_ ;,-,_, i' ~) ~; ~~I~r-, e'll soon., be o~ering,hometown bay tnk of Oviedo>is`now underconstruction '. ` vlarketplace Ma_ll.`. Soon, among national gores you'll-find the best i:n hometown fining ours-:new branch_to provide you the~° you need, along with'techriologies' to make ,:. and faste~4thari. ever before. We're also + ~ _ ,mated tellcr• machines inside the mall for ile shopping,;dinitig or watching a movie. tplace Mall "office will be staffed by ' ly faces you've come to know and trust,. is in our newest Banking home! =t ,; - ::~~ ,. .- , .y ,~ ~J -non was the 1 st paid fire chief. said. In many ways, the Holzmans typify Longtime Winter Springs residents. Throughout tneir years here, the cou- ple have been involved in various as- pects of community service. Ruth Holz- man takes some of fhe credit. for: her 3lusband's hard work: "I would throw Yis hat in the ring;' she said. - Holzman served as treasurer for two years with the Winter Springs Historical Society and was on the city's code`;en- fon:ement board for three years. He sponsored the city's first Cub Scout pack in the 1970s. ~ " lbday their 9-year-old grandson, F'rik, is a member of Pack 196, the same cne his grand- father spon- -~-- Bored almost 30 }~;~; '~~' ~ ~a I - ~----Wiri~eg5prings: Spotlight on the community " Growth pushes Tuscawilla to top sales spot- ^ Tree-lined streets, nature trails and good schools rocket home sales in this Winter Springs' community, real estate agents say. By Linda S. Humphrey SENnNELCORRESPONDENT "Newcomers in 1997 chose Tuscawilla 2=to-1 over other neighborhoods in the aty, easily making it Winter Springs' liot spot. of growth. ~;-Kevin Fritz, vice president for com- ~iunications and marketing with the :Greater Orlando Association of Realtors, -said the group's records indicate more than $21 milliongenerated in the sale of those 120 homes last year. The second-highest was Oak Forest, with 58 home sales. An additional 150 priyate.home sales -t6ol: place during that same time, said Ruth Rudy, sales manager with Tusca- willa Realty Rudy said that in her 10 years at this location she has never seen anything like the growth taking place now. "We now have what we call multiple offers all the time. That's when you take an offer on a home and at the same time someone is giving you another," said Rudy, a licensed broker. With the current population estimat- ed at more than 27,000, it is easy to see which areas are growing rapidly, said Thomas Grimms, the city's comprehen- sive planning and zoning coordinator. "There is an explosion of well- planned growth in the entire city Tusca- willa being one area," he said. The Tuscawilla community encom- passes 3,500 acres within the city limits and includes 27 "villages," Rudy said. "The amenities are numerous. Most of the comments we hear first from pro- spective buyers are about the wide, tree= ~ lined meandering streets and nature trails," she said. Families are attracted to the area for. biking, jogging and recreation, as-well as the proximity to elementary, middle and high schools. At least four new neighborhoods have sprung up in Tuscawilla in the past`- three years, Rudy said, with the final one on the horizon. While the average. Dome sells for $180,000, the new section, which is in the marketing stages, will produce high- er-priced custom homes, Rudy said. "Our fmal area will be called Wick- low. When that is completed, that's it as far as developing goes," she said. "It will be a gated community with golf course and creek lots selling from $300,000 to $500,000. There are 48 lots available, 21 of -which will be sand• wiched in between the second, third and fourth holes of the course off Northern' ~"- Way„ _ Another attraction, Rudy. said, is the diversity of the Tuscawilla population. Young families share neighborhoods with single parents and retirees. "It's a wonderful move-around mar- ket," she said. "At first you buy a large home. Years later, you need to downsize, or you start with a smaller home and grow into a larger one. Tuscawilla is a perfect place for that." i i i .~~ r• ~L7 Vid~7iAlX~' ~!~l(t'Cl ~+ aaurruaer sfaiaf ~DtealerL`Of The Year 1 ~i _ ~~ ~ ,, rF ~ ~ UITE~ SIMPLY THE: BE ~~ ~~ S~ i ~~ - • ~.N WET ~7 R~ GULISTA1~t CARPET t WE~AR•DATED CARPET ~• x.~ , . ~ Qluurr GRPET SMG U2/ .. l - ° IT'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW. ~O Nc N~daen w~EAN~H Dealer Of The Year ..~~Me I (IN P~ I / ~ 1 I (l l((11 ,f~'PAOVFn ~~,m ,~.~: I DENNIS WALL(THE ORLANDO SENTINEL DENNIS WALL/1HE ORLANDO SENTINEL Drawing power. Tuscawilla encompasses 3,500 acres tivithin Winter Springs end includes 27 'villages.' The final new neighborhood is on the horizon.