A Unique City's Brand
by Geri Throne / February 26, 2022
Winter Park residents know they live in a special place. But what makes this city truly distinct? And what should it look like in a decade or two?
The Voice asked city commission candidates those questions to get a sense of how they define the city’s core identity now and what they want it to be like in the future.
The questions were inspired by the city’s current conversation with the Chamber of Commerce and economic development board about branding the city. City brands are more than just a logo or a slogan. Experts say they require focus and a vision for the future. The biggest challenge for those answering the questions was narrowing the city’s many attributes – its tree canopy, neighborhoods, chain of lakes, business district, arts, Rollins College, its parks – into a focused vision.
Two commission seats are on the March 8 ballot: Anjali Vaya and Kris Cruzada face each other for Seat 3 and Elijah Noel is running against incumbent Todd Weaver for Seat 4.
SEAT 3
For Cruzada, the city’s core identity centers around the resiliency of its neighborhoods, as well as its relatively low density and tree canopy. The city’s founders in the late 1800s established neighborhoods as key to the city’s future, he said. Winter Park’s many amenities promote an interconnectedness. “We’re a neighborhood community.” he said. Besides attracting visitors, he’d like a brand to reach people who grew up here to persuade them to return, as he did with his family 15 years ago.
In an ideal future, Cruzada said, Winter Park’s traffic would move better because people will have moved away from gas-fueled cars. Residents would have more walkable corridors along narrower highways and use other forms of transportation. “There would be more interconnectedness.” The city would be more diverse and would be an international destination.
For Vaya, a local business owner, the heart of the city’s identity is its charm, character and unique businesses. “It has small-scale businesses you just don’t see anywhere else.” A brand needs a strong economic plan as its foundation, she said, and that requires good data. She would first want to survey both residents and businesses to find out what they want for the city in the next five years. The city needs to be very specific about what businesses it needs to attract, she said. “We have to make sure we have an economic plan that makes everyone happy.”
In the future, Vaya envisions enhancements to the city’s small-scale quality. She sees more pedestrian and bicycle paths connecting the city’s main assets, such as its parks, library and downtown. “Winter Park is small enough to make that happen.” She’d like to see a transit system connected to SunRail, perhaps to include additional Lynx bus connections and shuttles funded by private-public partnerships.
SEAT 4
Todd Weaver describes the city as “a premier urban village.” Winter Park is distinctive, he said, because of its long history of shaded brick streets and well-cared-for lakes, combined with the many cultural elements that have been added through the years. “I think Winter Park already has a very unique brand.” The way to retain that image is to avoid building larger and larger buildings as other Orlando suburbs have, said Weaver, who sees no need to attract more tourists.
In the future, Weaver would like to see the city’s housing stock increase with the addition of medium density residential zones in areas where roads and infrastructure could handle it. He envisions a more stable tree canopy, a more diverse business base and fewer cars on the road. The city also would be taking more steps to protect the environment, including using reclaimed water for irrigation.
Weaver’s opponent, Elijah Noel, declined to talk to the Voice for this article unless questions were submitted in writing in advance.
Cruzada… We do not want Winter Park be an international destination!!!!
Vaya… You will not be able to please all the people…
Weaver… The traffic will always be heavy due to the population.
Noel… A missed opportunity for those of us who still haven’t decided.
Failing to answer questions about the city and requesting them in writing before answering makes me have no confidence in the candidate. Three of the candidates handled it well. Why did one refuse?
Why would the one candidate fail to answer the questions unless provided in writing in advance? That doesn’t instill confidence.
Someone needed help from his handlers to answer the questions
You called it Rick.
The issues in WP are the stupidity of the post office scheme, spending $7,000,000 for a turn lane at Denning and Fairbanks, $3,000,000 for a park that has no attraction with 17,000 am commuters blowing by AND an 8% utility rate increase on the backs of the lowest income people, renters and seniors on fixed income. Future? Heck, let’s make sure we can get past these spendaholics.
But your guy couldn’t even answer the questions. Buh-bye. He’s toast. You cannot fool the folks.
“Silent Elijah” is a timid little sole who can’t bear to put their name on the comment. Speaking of “silent”…..
I have always felt even before the time I was mayor that Winter Park was in the past, is currently and should remain in the future a “premier urban village.” I am pleased others have adopted this phrase. It is the perfect brand for Winter Park and encompasses the vision expressed by those candidates who chose to speak on this subject.
Winter Park is either urban or it’s a village.
It absolutely cannot be both, Joe.
The Voice wouldn’t be here if Winter Park is still a village.
It has become urban.
The only question remaining is will residents wake up and realize Winter Park is urban?
And if so, once residents wake up to that fact, will residents act to restore the town to the village it once was?
Or will residents prefer to live in la la land, pretending that Winter Park is still charming, and let the politicians and developers take advantage of their gullibility as they slowly turn Winter Park into another Miami?
Residents answer this question twice a week on the Instagram account CharmingWinterPark! Check it out for beautiful images of Winter Park’s charms.
Indeed, CharmingWinterPark says it all! Low density, human scale and deference to historic preservation all contribute to the charm of Winter Park and its VALUE to residents and businesses.
We have plenty of bike lanes, Lynx does serve Winter Park, and the city is small enough that we don’t need more interconnectedness; we are interconnected. Does it matter if cars are electric or petroleum powered? We already have a traffic problem that would only be made worse by higher density building.
My question to all the candidates is, why have the Orange Avenue Overlay proposal at all? Would you support abandoning the OAO proposal and simply leave development of that area to proceed under EXISTING zoning? I believe the answer to that question will be something all citizens need to know regarding where each candidate stands on the future of Winter Park.
Good question, William, but approval and subsequent implementation of the Orange Avenue Overlay is pretty much a fait accompli. As a member of the Orange Avenue Overlay Steering Committee, I supported the City’s and Orange Avenue property owners’ years long effort to revitalize this stagnant stretch of our economic community. It was long overdue but the current sitting Commission rescinded the prior Commission’s approved plan to make it more traffic manageable with less scale and intensity of redevelopment.
But, the City Commission will soon be reviewing similar overlay plans for its two remaining corridors of Fairbanks Avenue and Lee Road. Who will we elect now to be best qualified to promote all stakeholders’ interests in this upcoming legislation?
We know candidates Cruzada, Vaya and Weaver vow to retain our small city charm and character in redevelopment decisions so who’s best qualified moving forward?
Vaya with her small business ownership experience and technology expertise and Weaver’s engineering background and proven decisions to date are best qualified to manage the scale and intensity of these upcoming redevelopment challenges.
Why are so many Vaya’s and Noel’s signs posted in strip malls and commercial buildings. Any hint they will stand for more development…and its undesirable consequences to RESIDENTS (traffic, pollution, crime, etc).
Hello! I’m supporting Todd and Anjali. I know Anjali to be an independent thinker who is against out-of-scale/unchecked development. I have seen more of her and Todd’s signs together than any other pairing. Including on a few commercial properties. Are you saying Todd is for massive development? We both know he’s not 🙂
Please vote however you feel is best, but I do encourage you to call Anjali yourself. Her number is on her website. Have a pleasant day!
This is all obvious and has been for the thirty years Fran and I have lived in Winter Park. No city commission member has ever tried to do anything but strengthen the Winter Park brand as a “premiere urban village.” Evidence is clear from our residential property values that we continue to succeed in re-enforcing this brand in tangible ways.
Our problem, to the extent we have one, is wasting our lavish tax income on personal agendas that have no strategic foundation or justification. We have too much spending, to many petty arguments, and to many thoughtless criticisms in our political realm. This results in most experienced and capable residents laughing at our policy approaches rather than contributing to actually do something of value for current and future residents.
So, we end up with less than desirable people on the city commission who think their job is to spend more of our money on stuff they like.
Peter Weldon, Kind of like a $41.7 million dollar library and event center when Winter Park residents voted by referendum to approve a budget of $30 million? Is that what you mean when you reference overspending? And this $30 million was to include THREE things: a library, an event center and a related parking structure. The parking structure vanished along with adherence to the budget. We likely will never know the total cost to erect the project. Soft costs abound. The interiors of the buildings appear “unfinished”. Not to mention the sacrifice of the public trust. PS I am a library supporter. But I don’t support hoodwinking and deception.
Yeah it must be said that for 40 million clams this event center library should have someplace to sit other than a concrete shelf. It’s worse than a bus station. The sunrail station has 1000x the charm of that mistake of a library.
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Kind of like a previous Commission – yours, I think – that committed $1 million of our money to the Dr. Phillips Center, right?
I guess “personal agendas” are in the eye of the beholder.
Voters can now eyeball candidate financial reports, posted on a more frequent basis to the city’s Election page (go to toolbar “Government”, to to Election Info, scroll to very bottom “Election Info inside the blue banner). Some things never change in Winter Park: large scale developers are always looking for a shill to represent their interests. This time the best they could do was a 25 year old Rollins grad with no prior experience, hesitant to answer questions, unless he knows the answers in advance. Can you blame him? Working without a net. Nice guy, but suffice it to say: Voters Beware.
The OAO is a fait accompli as Michael Dick points out. He was one of two NO votes on the steering committee which advanced the original, rescinded version. He tried valiantly to get the steering committee to look at images of what they were enabling but he was shouted down. Weaver and Cooper were the only 2 NO votes on the commission on the original OAO. More overlays are surely coming. I favor Kris Cruzada for Seat 3 as he has the stronger background and experience to serve at this critical time. Cooper appointed Michael Dick to the original OAO steering committee and she also supports Cruzada.
As Usual 🙂
Here’s why I am supporting the candidates that I am supporting.
Weaver – He’s the best City Commissioner ever. Perfect? No. Far from it. But, he’s the best. And that’s the most anyone can ask for in Winter Park. So I’m voting for him.
Cruzada – He’s a nice, normal, Winter Park guy, with an accomplished professional career and civic involvement that indicates to me he’s fully capable of doing a good job as Commissioner.
Here’s why I’m not supporting the others.
Noel – I’m not going to hand over the City’s piggy bank to a kid who checks ID’s at an Orlando bar for a living.
Vaya – I have no idea who the REAL Vaya is. When she ran unsuccessfully two years ago for Orange County Commission she was shouting into the microphone “Orange County Must Grow.” Today she says she only wants charm, village scale, history and heritage, and small town feel. This chick is either schizophrenic or she will say absolutely anything she thinks will get her elected.
Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research and vote for whoever you want. It’s your right. Use your right or lose your right.
Thank you Beth Hall. Commissioner Cooper has appointed me to several board and steering committees over the years. I have great respect and admiration with her work ethic as she is always well prepared and up to speed on all agenda items that hit the dais.
It is these same qualities of preparedness and due diligence that I see in Anjali Vaya and why I feel she is the better candidate to succeed Carolyn Cooper for seat 3. Anjali has attended Commission meetings for the past year and has met with all 5 sitting commissioners and top city staff leadership to be better prepared to address current issues when she’s elected. Her opponent hasn’t displayed that level of commitment.
For me the choice is easy. Weaver for seat 4 and Cruzada for seat 3.
Kris Cruzada was born at the Naval Training Center, lives in the Winter Park High School area and has two children attending Winter Park schools today. …his roots are in Winter Park.
Kris Cruzada has an Accounting Degree…I trust financial decisions would be better understood by someone whose education and experience includes analyzing finances and understanding budgeting.
Kris Cruzada has a Law Degree. His understanding of law will enable him to better understand decisions related to our Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Codes, legal obligations…decisions that have both intended as well as unintended consequences.
Kris Cruzada has served on Orange County Government Boards for more than 10 years. He understands the pressures of growth and development that will filter out into neighboring communities.
I support Kris Cruzada because I believe he is the candidate that has the superior skills and experience to make the right choices to protect our unique charm and village scale.
This comment has to be the most intelligent thing I have ever read in The Voice.