A solution to parking pollution?

The Park Avenue Area Association Task Force had its first, official meeting on Tuesday, May 25 to discuss the Park Avenue Strategic Plan that is comprised of six goals designed to help bring traffic to the businesses of Park Avenue and Hannibal Square.

With the recent plans for the SunRail to stop in Winter Park, it could help patrons easily get to the downtown. One goal of the task force is to implement a parking and wayfinding program.

"I think the SunRail is going to be great for everybody," Grant Leibell, a representative on the Park Avenue Area Task Force said. "With parking being a situation that we are going to try to correct on Park Avenue, it gives people a means to get here, shop and not have to worry about parking issues."

Woody Woodall, a small property owner on the Task Force, also expressed his delight for the SunRail.

"It's inconceivable for me to believe that anybody would allow the SunRail to come through and not stop in Winter Park."

The other five goals the task force plans on tackling are: branding and marketing of Park Avenue and Hannibal Square; fostering and cultivating existing businesses; identifying and recruiting new businesses; increasing maintenance and aesthetics; enhancing the Park Avenue-area experience for the customer and creating a business improvement district.

Woodall, owner of Briarpatch, said the SunRail would be beneficial, because many of his employees could take the SunRail to work, which would eliminate those cars from the streets of Winter Park.

Patrick Chapin, president of the Winter Park Chamber's of Commerce, said it's perfect timing that three big projects — the strategic plan of the task force, the SunRail coming through Winter Park, and plans for the Rollins Inn project — are aligning at the same time to help create better marketing for Winter Park as a special destination for visitors from all over.

He said it will bring positive opportunities to the central business district, and it would allow more people to experience Winter Park and Park Avenue.

"To comment specifically to the issue of crime, there has been studies done that show no correlation to a stop on a commuter rail station to increasing or decreasing crime," Chapin said.

The task force's next meeting will be held on June 15 at 2 p.m.