HomeMy WebLinkAboutGrowth Plan-1995 Editor : is
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Help plan city's fixture,
Winter Springs residents
Winter Springs had its The plarning comes at a
beginnings as a bed- logical time. The county's
room community. Its newest high school is going up
purpose was intentional — an on the west edge of the busi-
affordable residential area for ness district, near a huge park
families of servicemen at the completed just last year. The
old Sanford Naval Air Station. highway, which is four lanes
Through the years that role on the west end, will soon be
changed only slightly, shifting four lanes on the east end, too.
to cater to people working pri- Rapid commercial develop-
ment in Orange County, and ment will no doubt follow.
including large communities Several years ago,Altamonte
of upscale homes. Only in re- Springs took a bold step by de-
cent years has there been a fining its downtown and set-
concern for the town's lack of tine strict development codes
commercial development and for it. The city even went so far
the juicier tax base that brings. as to run the entire area
As a result, the town's main through a development-of-re-
street — State Road 434 — de- gional-impact process, which
veloped into a long row of strip means future traffic and other
shopping centers. There is needs already are known and
nothing tying the commercial are being addressed.
area together — no sense of Like Winter Springs and
"downtown." Even City Hall, most other cities, Altamonte
on that very street, sits away once suffered from a lack of
from the business center, planning. Its main drag —
somewhat in the middle of a State Road 436 — was slashed
nowhere. with frequent curb openings
All that is about to change, and lined with low-rise stores
however. A plan is about to be that had too little parking.
molded for the commercial de- Already, the effects of the
velopment of this "main drag." city's bold planning are start-
Commendably, the city is ask-
ing to show. Down the road,
ing residents to step up and Casselberry is in the initial
give their opinion of what they stages of a similar step.
would like it to be. The day-
long planning seminar is Sat- Most Seminole cities are
urday and is an opportunity showing the strains from a
that ought not be passed up. decade of feverish growth
Fred Goodrow, the city's without the benefit of smart
planning consultant, says the planning.
seminar will cover everything Winter Springs' city officials
from what sort of landscaping are to be commended, both for 9
will be required of businesses their foresight and for making 3 0 J
to what sort of businesses this a citizen opportunity. The
ought to be allowed. He hopes opportunity will be at the city's
ideas from property owners, senior center, 400 N. Edgemon
residents, business owners and Ave., from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
community leaders will result Such convenience and time
in a consensus on what the leave little in the way of ex-
business district should look cuses for those who care about
- like down the road. their city. _