Tavares council adopts themed designations for waterfront park areas

The Tavares City Council on April 2 voted to adopt proposed designations for the city’s waterfront park and to request staff include estimated implementation costs in the city’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

City economic development staff presented a graphic that divides the nearly one‑mile public waterfront into four color‑coded areas: Wootton Park, Pontoon Promenade, the Seaplane Base and Pontoon Promenade West. Council member Bobby Grenier, described in staff materials as the city’s “resident keeper of history,” helped develop the map. Council discussion added the adjacent Tavares Ecological Park as an integrated element of the waterfront designation plan.

If implemented, staff said the designations would be used to produce on‑site signage, printed and online maps and other wayfinding materials to help residents and visitors navigate facilities that include the Pavilion on the Lake event center, playground, splash pad, seaplane base, marina and other amenities. Staff told council the cost estimates and implementation plan for signage and graphics will be prepared for inclusion in the FY2026 budget process.

A motion to approve the designations with the addition of the ecological park was made and seconded; the council approved the motion by voice vote.

In discussion, councilmembers said the designations would help visitors and those with limited mobility find specific facilities more easily, and several members described the plan as a tool to strengthen waterfront branding and tourism promotion. The police chief noted the map could also help officers and first responders identify locations more quickly.

All direct quotations in this article come from speakers identified in the meeting record.