Merchants knock medians

Fairbanks Avenue merchants say they see nothing pretty about Winter Park’s proposed “beautification” plans for the corridor that serves as the gateway to the city.

“‘Beautification’ is a word they’re hiding behind because it makes it sound like a nicety and of some benefit to me as a business person here, but I mean look at the pictures,” said Lisa Coney, president of the newly established Fairbanks Neighborhood and Merchants Association, of the project plans. “This is not beautiful by any means.”

Plans for the renovation project were revealed last September, and are currently 90 percent complete, said David Zusi, Water and Wastewater Utility director for Winter Park, and a leader in the Fairbanks renovation planning process. The planned renovations include milling and resurfacing Fairbanks Avenue, beautifying the road with landscaping and lighting, installing a sewer pipeline and adding medians. That last addition is the one that concerns Coney the most.

If she could change just one thing about the plans, Coney, a Winter Park resident, said without hesitation: “No medians.”

The goal of the Fairbanks Neighborhood and Merchants Association, Coney said, is to operate in the best interests of the Fairbanks community and businesses. She said the proposed construction plans go directly against that by cutting off left-hand turn access and entrances to businesses and complexes, including Carey-Hand Cox Parker Funeral Home, which she manages. She said this restricted traffic flow, along with the construction period, will be enough to kill many Fairbanks businesses.

“[The city] needs to stop the bus, take a breath and decide if what they’re doing is really that important to them. Is this so important that they’re going to risk long-standing businesses, the employees that serve them, and the residents that benefit from them just so that they can get a median?” Coney said.

Mayor Ken Bradley said he does not know of any plans in place right now to redesign the medians, but he said the city has heard the citizens’ concerns and he and the rest of the City Commission are open to amending the plan.

District 5 Orange County Commissioner Ted Edwards arranged a meeting on Monday with the Florida Department of Transportation to discuss the traffic flow patterns in and out of the Fairbanks corridor. He said he did so after hearing increasing concerns from residents in Winter Park, and Orange County in general, over medians and construction issues related to the project.

“Right now we’re in a down economy and it’s difficult on businesses — even in a good economy — to deal with a road construction project,” Edwards said.

The result of the meeting, said Steve Olson, public information director for FDOT, is that both FDOT and Orange County Traffic Operation engineers will research access management concerns associated with the project where Fairbanks intersects Cambridge Boulevard as well as Shoreview Avenue. FDOT, however, is not playing a role in the construction process other than funding the resurfacing and milling aspects of the road renovation. The rest is up to Winter Park.

Patrick Chapin, president of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, said he is trying to find a middle ground, quite literally, between the city and business owners.

“I think it’s a tough time for businesses to be affected,” he said, “but I do appreciate the city’s efforts to hold forums and they seem very open for dialogue … It’s going to be difficult to satisfy everyone.”

Coney, however, said she does not believe there’s been enough dialogue.

“This isn’t political rhetoric; these are people’s lives and livelihood,” she said. “These are concerns over people who have spent decades building their relationships with their customers and their community, and one simple little median that was never vetted by us puts all of that at risk.”

She hopes one day the Fairbanks Neighborhood and Merchants Association will do more to unite and promote the Fairbanks corridor, but right now, she said, “All our association can focus on is saving our businesses.”

Zusi, director of water and wastewater for Winter Park, said finalized plans for the renovation project should be completed by the end of March, with bids going out in June. Funding for the project is coming from a few sources: $1.5 million from the city’s general funds, $1.2 million from FDOT for resurfacing and milling, and the remainder, about $1.4 million, from assessment fees paid by residents. Zusi said exact fee rates and collection details have yet to be decided.