Winter Springs parks manager reports 13,500 attendees at Winter Wonderland, outlines accessibility upgrades and a boardwalk grant pursuit

Michael Christ, parks manager for the City of Winter Springs, told the Parks, Recs and Mobility Advisory Committee that recent parks programming and maintenance work included a notably high turnout for the Winter Wonderland drive-through and a set of accessibility and small capital improvements across city parks.

"We had about 13,500 cars, and that was over the week of the eighth to the twelfth," Christ said, reporting the drive-through's attendance. He also summarized recent work at Sunshine Park and Central Winds Park — brush removal, pressure washing, restroom repainting and parking-spot repainting — and listed refurbishments: a sandpit at Torcasso Park, surge protectors installed at the Central Winds Park administration building ahead of hurricane season, and planned repainting and replacement parts for playgrounds and swing sets.

Christ outlined accessibility-focused connections completed or underway: walkways from handicap parking to the Pam Carroll Pavilion and to a small pavilion near Troutwood Park; links between picnic tables and the small sports playground at Central Winds Park; and sidewalk connections from new parking at Trotwood to the tennis and pickleball courts.

On funding and larger capital work, Brian Dunnigan, director of administrative services and operations, said the city has re-engaged a grant writer to pursue a Recreation Trails Program (RTP) grant for a Central Winds boardwalk. "We shared all the information that we've already put into the project, like work that we've already done, and then also, did issue him a PO," Dunnigan said. He added that the RTP deadline has been pushed back, that RTP grants are reimbursement-based and that the city would need to budget up-front costs if it applies.

Dunnigan also described permitting progress: some partial permits are in place with the water management district, and the city is evaluating whether pressure-treated wood components could avoid Army Corps permitting for some elements, though other permits (Saint Johns River Water Management District and local approvals) remain necessary.

On the budget for accessibility work, Dunnigan said FY26 accessibility enhancements are funded at $100,000 and the city set an initial project budget of $50,000 for a new Trotwood Park sidewalk; staff reported favorable pricing on sidewalk work that allowed more work to be completed than initially expected.

Committee members raised site-specific concerns — additional sidewalks near the Field of Dreams playground, better seating at lakeside docks, a potential net between tennis and pickleball courts, and lighting and visibility on trail approaches — and staff agreed to continue evaluating options and to provide a look-ahead of priorities at future committee updates.

The committee requested a quarterly "look-ahead" of planned projects and a public summary before future meetings to allow members to review and comment in advance.

The committee confirmed the next meeting for May 6 and adjourned.