Parents, coaches urge Commission to light up Central Winds Park

Parents and coaches of some of the city’s young local athletes urged the Winter Springs City Commission to address their concerns regarding lighting in Central Winds Park during its Feb. 24 meeting. 

Multiple residents spoke during public input to share how their children have been impacted by the lack of lighting in the lower fields of the park, where youth leagues for local sports often practice and host games. 

Many said the park area, which includes 5 practice soccer fields and 4 practice softball diamond fields, are too dark to use at certain parts of the year and that opportunities to play become limited in the winter months. 

Resident David Bear said he and his wife have three children who play sports locally at Central Winds, and that the issue of the lower field’s lack of lighting is one that has become “very salient” to him and his family.

“We signed them up for our local city leagues, thinking that they can practice in the city,” Bear said. “All of a sudden in November, we were shocked to learn they’re not practicing in the city anymore because they’re kicked out. Why are they kicked out? Because when the city built the park, the resources allowed them to light up half of it, and since then nobody’s bothered to finish the park.”

During its meeting, the Commission unanimously approved a consent agenda containing a report on the current proposal of the final Central Winds Park Master Plan, which includes lighting installations for the lower fields. 

The report features a suggested nine-step phased implementation plan focusing on projects like the installation of a new boardwalk and event hall, as well as improvements to park areas like the event lawn and amphitheater, upper fields and lower fields. 

According to the report, the estimated probable cost of the field and area lighting for the unlit lower field portion of the park would cost around $437,000. The total estimate for the implementation of the entire nine-phase proposal comes out to around $42.3 million. 

Mayor Kevin McCann said the plan marks just the beginning of the city’s work on the project, calling it a starting point.

“This is just a report that now comes to us from an outsource company, and we get to go to work on this,” McCann said. “So our work starts now that this report is in here. This is not us saying that we’re going to do everything in here.”

Until that plan moves forward, Bear said that because the fields aren’t properly lit and unusable after dark it means residents with children who play sports locally are forced to drive to other cities like Oviedo and Winter Park for “almost half the year.” 

He suggested that the Commission could work toward making commercial opportunities in the city more viable to generate increased tax revenues to fund infrastructure projects like the lighting project. 

“It takes a little bit of planning and some tough decisions, and that’s what we’re here to do, is to encourage you guys to not just do the easy thing, but to plan and make investments for the city in our future,” Bear said.

Resident Andrew Gonzalez told the Commission another challenge the lack of lighting causes is that many teams are unable to find sufficient time to practice or host games during limited daylight hours.

“This is particularly important for working families like myself,” Gonzalez said. “Many parents work until 5 or 6 [p.m.] and by the time they can bring their children to the park, there’s very little daylight left … I’m relying on other coaches or parents to help me with my children to bring them to the practices before I can get out.”

He said his two children have been playing sports locally for the last four years and that prioritizing the need for lighting would allow for them and other young athletes in the city to “thrive.” 

Following public input, McCann addressed the residents who’d spoken on the lighting issue, assuring them they’d “been heard.” 

“I know that you’ve met with several of us independently and we’ve had some really good, valuable talks,” McCann said. 

A petition requesting commissioners to approve the installation of lighting in the lower fields at Central Winds Park posted on Change.org currently has gathered over 1,200 signatures. 

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