Destination City - #011

How do we make Lake Wales a destination city so our local businesses and citizens can prosper? What steps have been taken to see this through and what can we look forward to in the future?

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Okay, hello, Lake Wales. Welcome to episode number 11 of the Mayor and the Manager. This podcast is a part of Providence Voice. Providence Voice is the media ministry of High Point Church, and our church created this so that you have a chance to get to know the people you elect and pay to lead the city. And we want to keep you up to date on issues and decisions that are important to you as a citizen of Lake Wales, give you a chance to ask questions. I'm joined here again with our city manager, James Slayton. Thanks, James, for being with me. Yes, sir. And today we're going to talk about an interesting topic for me. And here's why. Not too long ago, my wife and I, um, we were getting to the end of um a Friday and realized that we had something rare happening. We had a Friday and a Saturday with nothing on the calendar, a Friday night and all day Saturday. That doesn't happen too often. And so we decided we'd get away. And she mentioned a little town in North Central Florida that she had heard a lot about, about their downtown, about their farmer's market, about different things that were happening there, and said she'd been wanting to visit the place for quite a while. So we drove there that evening, stayed in a hotel room, got up the next day, went and enjoyed their downtown, went to their farmer's market, ate at their some of their restaurants, shopped at some of their shops. And um, so the word for that, I understand, is that that's becoming a destination city. So we have been talking about how does Lake Wales become a destination city? The kind of place there that when you've got a couple like that or a family like that that's looking for a place to go, how do we make it a destination city? So um, right, that's come up often, James. That's something we're working on. Absolutely. Without question. Okay. So let's that's what we're going to talk about today. How does a city become a destination city? What is it that makes that would make somebody say from um, oh, I don't know, Stewart, Florida, who's got a couple of days on their hands, say to their their wife or their husband, hey, um, let's go to Lake Wales. So let's talk about some things we've been working on here in the city of Lake Wales to make it a destination city. I'll just let you jump in on that, James, and then we'll take it from there.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Absolutely. Uh I think I think we're doing we're doing quite a bit. So, you know, you you started um what was the community that that you all went to again?

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Well, it actually was um Winter Garden. Oh, Winter Garden.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

There you go. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:40

I didn't name the city when I talked about it, but it was Winter Garden.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Okay, well, fine. That's a that's a we had a great time. Yeah. Nice little city, yeah. Beautiful communities. Matter of fact, I've heard uh Lake Wales now compared to you know, kind of an up-and-coming Winter Garden quite.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Here's the fascinating thing about that. Uh, probably 15 years ago, um, as a um, I it was just a civic group that had been gotten together by our main street, might not have been that long ago. Anyway, the whole point of the trip was to go visit three or four cities that we wanted to try and emulate. And one of them was Winter Garden. And I remember that visit, they were just beginning to lay the groundwork. So it was interesting to me to go back. They had just built the kind of, I don't know what it's called, but it was like if uh a big open commons building at the end of their main street, and their main street has this linear park, which is beautiful, but the bones were just in place, and to see it now was great for me. And I do see Lake Wales following that same trajectory. But go ahead, I interrupted you.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Yeah, no, no, I think that's great. Um, so you know, you started talking out, you know, talking about the downtown, and you know, at the end of the day, if we're to create a destination, we have to be able to provide an experience, right? Something that the that's unique that folks can't can't get at home, you know, quite honestly. And so, you know, the downtown and the redevelopment work that we're doing, um if you look at it today, any anyone that's been downtown, certainly since we've opened up, you know, Park Avenue to Market Square, let's just say, you know, aesthetically, you can't get that experience anywhere uh in in Polk County. You'd have to go um, you know, closer to Winter Garden Winter Park to even get something that that looks like that, you know, quite honestly. And so um Yeah, the the appearance, the aesthetic of our downtown is very close.

unknown 4:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Yeah, it really it really is. And I think so. The redevelopment work in the public realm that we're doing downtown, number one, we're already creating, you know, an atmosphere. Um, but we you know, we start looking at things like the Wells Built Hotel. By far, it's it's um, you know, it's it's gonna be the the nicest hotel. I'll say it. It's gonna be the nicest hotel, museum quality restoration um in in Polk County. Folks are gonna want to come, number one, they're gonna want to come see it. It's gonna have a signature restaurant. People are gonna come want to come experience the Wales built, in addition to uh, you know, being in our downtown, um, the events that we're doing, you know, in Lake Wales, the the large-scale events, things like Orange Orange Blossom Review, um, for example, those are things that create an experience that I think draw people to a destination community. Um, all the events that our main street's doing and our city staff in and around the downtown, all of those things working together create a destination. It's a place that people just want to be. Um, you know, we're uh we have created and have been constructing, you know, as an example, um, you know, our master trail network. Okay. I still have not seen another community that has such a comprehensive, as comprehensive of a multimodal trail network as we have in in Lake Wales. I mean, at the end of the day, for people that want to be outdoors and and and want to walk and bike places, um, you know, we're gonna have all the assets and amenities inside the historic core, yeah, um, connected by these uh multimodal trails, surrounded by, you know, trees and and and and greenery. Um, all of those contribute toward creating a destination community for sure.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

We have done a lot already when it comes to trails, and we have big plans that are coming together and that will be uh begin work and finished quickly. You know, we've got the Tower Boulevard Trail, the Kwanas Loop Trail. Uh, we've already done the Park Avenue Connector a couple of years ago, and then the wraparound, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

The Crystal Lake Trail.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Crystal Lake Trail, the Scenic Highway Trail.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Scenic Highway Trail.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

So you're yeah, it's it is um if you are a person and it it there's a big segment of the population, that's a big deal. They the trails are an attractive thing for them.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

They they are an attractive, and people will come just to walk in biker trails and to be outside, quite honestly. And trails, believe it or not. I I spoke at a conference last year at the Florida Greenways and Trails Conference. They there there was uh a study that was just released on the economic impacts of having having these trails, right? Quite uh, quite honestly. And they they do draw people and they contribute toward, you know, placemaking and yeah, and creating a destination community.

SPEAKER_02 7:10

Well, and it had to be intentional for us here in Lake Wales. We are we have been following the historic Olmstead plan. We have the city and the garden vision, which was a part of Olmstead's vision. But um, you mentioned all of the big activities we have, like the Orange Blossom Review Pioneer Days. Uh a number of them have historically happened down by our lake. And unfortunately, there was a big disconnect between the lake and the downtown. That's right. Now we've created connector trails, which make it much more natural and actually pleasant almost to take the stroll either direction from downtown to the lake or otherwise, you know.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

That's right. And it happens, you know, and I'd be remiss uh if we did not mention Bok Tower Gardens. Yeah. I I think they're they're over uh you know, 260,000 or so visitors a year. Yeah. That's a lot of people coming to a small community. They're already doing it. But how do we then tap into that? Yeah. How do we tap into that and and redirect those folks to to the rest of Lake Wales? Right. And I think we're we're doing those very things, you know, particularly with the redevelopment uh of our downtown. Um, and you know, there are a lot of unique, super cool things. Everyone that lives here uh knows this and loves it. But, you know, even outside of our city limits, you know, we've got some, you know, wonderful, I think, uh, you know, assets in Lake Gissimmee State Park and Tiger Creek Preserve and, you know, even uh Canopy Oaks and Westgate River Ranch. And we have a lot going for us out here in um, you know, uh Camp Mac, you know, for example. Um, so I think all of those work together and if we can kind of harness that and um you know, uh harness that market it, uh, I think that they all contribute to creating a sense of place. And then, you know, another thing I I have to mention is as you know, Mayor, we we're working with uh USA BMX. We are we're designing right now a professional uh BMX course for Lake Wales. There's not another one uh anywhere near us, you know, he here here in Polk County, you got to travel quite a distance. And by designing that course, we we're working with USA BMX. And if we can get this thing, you know, constructed, we're gonna have visitors from all over the nation coming here because it'll be part of the professional BMX circuit. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

So now so that moves us into a whole different thing. So you've got the trail network, which is just a nice way for the average uh tourist or family or just a couple that's out spending a weekend to enjoy a town. And it's conducive to them connecting to our downtown to some of our historic sites. But BMX brings up a whole different deal, and that's kind of like a sports tourism way to make your now. We've seen other cities do this. So give some, give our folks uh examples of how other communities in Central Florida have benefited from this sports tourism kind of approach.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Oh gosh. So uh a lot of the other cities have been doing it. Well, I I I do need to say with the Tourism Development Council and with Polk County's participation. Okay. But you know, you look at the Lake Myrtle sports complex in Auburndale. I mean, just think about the sheer numbers of people that that that travel from all around actually, some of their programs they come from all over the nation. And they're coming and they're staying in the area and they're spending money.

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Lake Myrtle is in Auburnale. Yes. It's a it is what kind of what all it's a sports complex, but what primarily kind of sports does it cater to?

SPEAKER_00 10:51

It's I would say it's it's mainly, it's primarily soccer. I mean the Florida Youth Soccer Association move their headquarters to to Auburnale, by the way. So the FYSA operates you know out of that facility.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

So every time there's a big tournament, hundreds, sometimes, sometimes even into the thousands, of people come to Pole County, Florida, yeah, because their kids playing in a soccer tournament. That's right. They gotta stay somewhere, they gotta eat somewhere.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

That's exactly right. Yeah, yeah. They're not bringing they're they're they're not bringing groceries with them. No, right? They're they're going out and they're they're they're spending time and and and they're spending money in their local communities. So that's just you're exactly right. That's just another way that um I think you know we help create a a destination, right? You know, here in Lake Wales.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

It may be for a different purpose, but at the end of the day, they're coming here to experience that that that sport for is there a place, so that's kind of soccer oriented, but is there then I'm I have I'm asking for a reason in this um Go ahead. Is there a place in in Polk County that's more centered on softball, baseball? Do you that you're aware of? Well, they do that out like they be down at Lake. The reason I am asking is because my Jenny and I, my wife and I, Lake Myrtle, um, were in a restaurant here in Lake Wales not long ago, and uh the place was just packed with baseball players. Baseball just packed. Yeah. And I think they were in for a tournament, and this is in Lake Wales, even though they're playing in Auburn Dale.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

So again, it it it benefits all the way down because there's so many people coming in. But yeah, so the BMX, that's the purpose behind that. It's another reason to give a whole different clientele a reason to show up in Lake Wales.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Absolutely. And you know, we we kind of chose that sport. We did a feasibility study, and and you know, we don't want to compete with Auburndale, for example, right? Um, we want to do something that was unique and different so that you know they would come here. Yeah. And so, you know, BMX was an underserved sport um here for the region, not just like Wales, but for the region. And then really what was important to me is, you know, you you look at uh in you know, the the county and Auburnale did a great job with like Myrtle. They they did a great job. But it takes up a lot of land. Yeah. And what we know is we want to be able to provide, you know, first rate facilities for the people that live here. Yeah. And part of what happens is, you know, the the you have to book these places up. The these these these sports teams that are traveling from all over, they they they pay right to to participate. And then you end up having to uh book your facilities up all the time, every weekend to justify, you know, kind of the cost. Um and so when you do that, you crowd out the locals. And so we wanted to, you know, we wanted to dip our toes into sports tourism, create something unique that doesn't have a massive footprint that isn't going to crowd out you know our our local residents who've been able to utilize our sports complexes.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Right. And we've had some preliminary discussions about this possibility. A BMX tract doesn't take up nearly the amount of land. Um and uh this kind of goes a little bit hand in hand with our last episode where we talked about um business development and why a local government should be very business friendly and incentivizing businesses. Again, it it you tend to so often what I've seen in my time is the concerns of the locals get played off against these kind of concerns. And it's not that, it's a win-win. So if you bring in BMX, how does that benefit, how what kind of benefits does that bring to the local sports and recreation that our citizens in Lake Wales enjoy?

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Right. So we we bring in the the BMX. I'll tell you the first thing, and um, this is something we talked to USA BMX about. What one one of the first things is um we are gonna we're building all these trails.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

For for example, right? I think we may introduce uh our local kids, not not just in Lake Wales, but but countywide to maybe introduce them to a sport that they would have not gotten involved with otherwise because quite honestly, the facilities didn't exist.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Um, so I I think that's extremely important. And then again, the the visitors uh I uh you know, coming in and and and spending more money, I think everyone just profits and prospers. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

How so we've made Lake Wales over the last I'd say decade, um, the sports that I've seen us really invest in. And I know we have plans. We just discussed and as it came up in this week's commission meeting, some of the investments we hope to make in our um some of our junior football league that goes on around here. A big one that we've seen investment in the last decade has been the soccer fields, Alan Hunt, Brothers Road. Um, we've always been active in little league. Uh the city maintains those fields for the little leagues. The what would be is there any downstream benefit to all of those? Um you we're talking about the tax base, but it how would is are those facilities enhanced at all while we're enhancing the BMX, or is that a whole separate deal?

SPEAKER_00 16:05

Are we gonna continue to enhance the other facilities while we're working on the BMX? Oh, the the answer is yes. Let me tell you, this year, this calendar year, and very soon, um, you all have already uh approved a contract with a firm, Kiwanis Park, this year, 2026, um, is gonna get a complete, complete makeover. It is going to be a flagship premier family park. Um, you know, next to the next to the um, and Chris Lake Park is widely used, but next to the um soccer complex that by the way gets about 65,000 visitors a year.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Yeah, it's busy.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Um, is pretty busy. You know, our our next busiest park, believe it or not, is Kawantas Park. So what's been budgeted for this year is is to really remake that into a premier flagship park for Lake Wales. That's gonna happen this year, as well as the trail. There's another trail um that's being constructed and designed in conjunction with that park um that's gonna go around Kawantas Park. Yeah, but it's ultimately gonna connect. This is this is great. It's gonna connect the the existing rails to trails, right? Finally to the rest of our trail network.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

I remember when we put yeah, that that's exactly right.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Um, and you know, we're gonna continue to make uh improvements to those other parks as well while we're working with the BMX. At the end of the day, the BMX, while we're designing it, um, it's gonna be an expensive endeavor. The Polk County and through the um Tourism Development Council, um, you know, they they've provided a lot uh of funding for these other initiatives, uh sports tourism initiatives around Polk County. And we really need them uh to partner with us so that we can um construct this, we can afford to construct this BMX complex. And those are conversations that we've been having with them uh over the last year. And so far, um, it's sounding pretty positive. Um, but you know, as we go into our budget for this upcoming fiscal year and our budget season kicks off next month, the county's going through the same thing. Yeah. And we need to keep in regular contact with them and uh, you know, and cross our fingers and hope that they're still willing to partner with us to build this complex.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

So that brings up, at least in my mind, I think I'm normal, is okay, we start getting all of these um BMXers. What are other things that we need to do to capture that locally? Um, you know, hopefully our downtown is growing small business, small restaurants. Um we need more hotels. We have uh we have, you know, I think most people would automatically think we've got a Hampton Inn, we've got a Ho Holiday Inn Express, we've have a host of small, privately owned hotels, probably not real attractive to the kind of families that would be coming up. So what we've got the whales built, but what are some other developments that may be happening there?

SPEAKER_00 19:00

In terms of hotel construction. Do we have beds? And yeah, so I'll tell you, um Polk County in general, they they they do a um the tourism development council does a study every few years. And there has long been, believe it or not, though there have been some new hotels constructed. There there have long been there's long been a um deficit, quite honestly, in in hotel beds and especially here in southeast Polk County. So you're exactly right. We we need the rooms. Um and if we're gonna be bringing these tourists to come look at our beautiful downtown and use our trails and travel here for BMX and other sports, they need somewhere to stay. So it's really important. And it'll help keep the you know, it'll help sustain the the the whales bill.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

Um so I just I'm sorry to interrupt, but I I just remember when my wife and I first began, when we first heard of Lake Wales, the first time we ever came back um in the late 80s, it was still it was all citrus and tourism. That's all that we had. And but the tourism back then, you had the Black Hills Passion Play, um, Spook Hill was still kind of a big deal. You um you bock tower gardens, of course. And um but most of the hotels were all of the mom and pop hotels that existed along Scenic Highway and Highway 27, and almost all of those now will either they're out of business or again they're being used as short-term rentals. Um and we've talked a lot about the economy has changed and uh and the way people travel and what they're looking for has changed. So I I know it's come before the commission that they're um we do have plans for another hotel that's being built out in the long leaf business park.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Longleaf business parks. Matter of fact, just uh I got a um I was contacted by their engineer there yesterday. They're actually they're they're moving forward and they're creating the civil engineering plans for the home two suites that will be constructed at the Longleaf Business Park. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 21:00

Do you um how big is that home two suites? I mean, you don't know. Okay, so but just stuff like that, those are the kind of issues that come up again. As we're growing, making Lake Wales a destination city, we also have got to be making trying to do as much as we can to capture in the local economy those folks that show up for the BMX tournaments and the soccer tournaments and things like that. Um, okay, so that brings us back. You've mentioned it already, but it brings us back to the big, big, big deal in Lake Wales is the wells built hotel. That's right. You've already mentioned that. I think that that does make us a destination city just because it's gonna be such a gorgeous um hotel. I think you're right, probably the nicest hotel in the county. It's gonna have a signature restaurant. So some people will drive here. I know I my wife and I might do it once to just to stay there, just to have the experience. But um, we had a group um come and our actually our communication department. Has been working with them. There's a move to turn Highway 60 into a scenic highway. Well, what does that mean, other than just it's a pretty drive? What does that mean?

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Well, the effort is is really modeled after Route 66. Right. And so there's a there's a vision to create a Route 60 corridor ultimately from coast to coast in Florida. And it's for folks that maybe um, you know, want to want to do things off the beaten path. And and maybe they don't want to go to Disney, right? They want to see what else is is here in in the real Florida and visit some of these, you know, kind of boutique restaurants uh in in downtowns. And so that that's the that's where the effort really began. Uh Rob Kenkart, um, it was really his idea and vision, uh business owner at a barto. And so we we've been working with the other cities along Route 60 throughout Polk County on this initiative. As a matter of fact, our uh our marketing director, uh communications and engagement director, forgive me, uh Eric Marshall is the creative director for that project. And uh, you know, once we get it up and running, um and we we'll begin to uh engage the other other counties along Route 60 from coast to coast on this experience. And so the idea is to put together itineraries, you know, two-day, three-day, yeah, eight-day itineraries and what they can do along Route 60 uh throughout Florida.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

It's a great idea. I mean, they came and kind of rolled it out in front of us, and uh it immediately appealed to me the idea of um hey, watch the sunrise in Vero Beach, watch the sunset over on the West Coast, and in between, here's six different things you can stop and do.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

That's exactly right. And you know, we'll be highlighted, of course, right? We we'll be um we may stand to benefit the most, quite honestly. We're right dead center there.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

We're right there. And if you've got this, this uh this jewel of a hotel with a beautiful uh restaurant and and a newly renovated historic downtown.

SPEAKER_00 24:05

Oh, yeah. And so those all those types of amenities are or key amenities here in Lake Wales, Block Tower Gardens will all be featured, right? Those would be featured amenities around along, you know, route Route 60.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

Sure. So that I could see the day coming when we have the connector trail, the tower boulevard trail. You could see a day coming when our citrus connection offers to pick people up at the door of the Wales Belt Hotel and take them all the way up the Tower Boulevard to Bach Tower Gardens as a part of the package that we put together for them. Without question. What a great idea. We can absolutely do that. Yeah, so things like that. So a couple more things on this issue, then. You have mentioned some of the signature events. We've done we our city government, I don't know that if everyone is aware of this, but our city government um supports some NGOs financially, including our Lake Wales Um Arts Council and Main Street here in Lake Wales, who both do a fantastic job. Oh, and the Orange Blossom Review, who all do a fantastic job creating events. So this past year, make it magical, uh, approximately 6,000 people in our downtown. Yeah. Crazy amount of people that are starting Orange Blossom Review, thousands come in for that. So those are a couple of a couple of things. Creating consistent events in your downtown and we're working on this right now, creating the kind of business atmosphere downtown that gives people an experience and a reason to walk around and shop. So Winter Garden. We mentioned Winter Garden. Winter Garden years ago created a bottom floor use restriction. Um you want shops where people walk in and look. You want restaurants. So we are working hard trying to recruit those kind of businesses and trying to create that kind of atmosphere. So it's when you're talking about creating a destination city and your downtown needs to be the heartbeat of it, quality events and and intelligent zoning and business development, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:08

Yeah, the answer is yes. We're doing all of those things. And you know, we've even created the downtown mixed-use design standards so that we can, you know, encourage uh, you know, uh, I think the the historic architecture of the buildings to to remain in place or enhanced um rat rather than you know, prime examples or chair of our CRA, Robin Gibson, deputy mayor, yeah. He's put in. He's put a lot of money in into his building downtown, removing stucco, you know, for example, and that just takes away from the downtown experience. So we're really trying to enforce and encourage, you know, I think the the care of our historic buildings in the downtown, which by the way, contribute to creating a sense of place and the destination. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

I you know, when you drive down Scenic Highway now, and uh no matter what direction you're coming from, north or south, and you see that uh pillar with Lake Wales on it, and then you it automatically draws your eye. It's it's right there in front of the Oakley Park, which is beautifully landscaped, and then you turn to your left and you look down Park Avenue. If you're just out looking for something to do, you think to yourself, you know, I'm gonna go down the street and take a look. And even if you just drive through because it catches your eye, that's different. There was nothing about Lake Wales five years ago that would have drawn people's eyes. You could drive right past our downtown and not even note that it was there. So all that's been intentional.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

I agree, and it's working. We we get a lot of recognition, I'll tell you, and a lot of visitors um that there was a commissioner yesterday I was walking around, you know, with with an investor, and there was a commissioner from another city, you know, walking around downtown. Yeah, you know, and of course I recognized him and you what are you doing? Yeah, what are you doing down here? And just enjoying it.

SPEAKER_02 27:59

I think I talked to him too. In fact, he ate at a restaurant while he was there. Yeah. Well, so for instance, I had family come in to visit me for Easter this year who had who had been to Lake Wales, actually lived in Lake Wales for a short time, many years ago, but they hadn't been here for a long time. So we finished up our meal, and as they were getting ready to leave, I said, Hey man, drive down Scenic on your way. You've not seen downtown Lake Wales. And they did. And uh the call I got was incredible. Wow, what have you guys done down here? It doesn't even look like the same place. So uh again, that is something that we are working on. Um, that is when you uh when you all see, um, for instance, I even my wife and I occasionally we will just say, hey, let's just go downtown and walk around and sit in the swings and absorb the atmosphere is gorgeous. We've got the games on the lawn there at Market Plaza. And now the next step is um what can we do that there's activity down there for them? You know, there's a good place to grab something to eat. And I know some of our local businesses are working on that, but that's something we're gonna keep doing.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

Yeah, you know, you know, one other thing that um we should probably talk about um the Ace district. Yeah, I it's you know, uh you all have approved it. It's been uh we've created a new bill, Florida legislature has passed it, it's awaiting the governor's signature right now. But you know, we've got the first and only social district uh in in all of Polk County, for example.

SPEAKER_02 29:25

So ACE stands for Arts, Culture, and Entertainment District.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

That's exactly something else. It's gonna help contribute to, you know, I think uh our our destination community, for example. You know, our our folks uh and visitors here in Lake Wales are gonna be able to buy a beer or wine if that's your thing. Uh and they're gonna they're gonna be able to enjoy them in our in our downtown, in our downtown square and and and shop and um you know, walk up and down the sidewalks without penalty.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

Yeah. And it it just, you know, what I what I as we talked about that, and there was a lot of discussion about that, it was an important decision for us to make. And like you said, I think we're the first city in Polk Canada. Without question, we are. So um, you know, one of the things we did was talk to our police department um uh and a lot of other business owners that were affected by that. But I think in in the end, what it did was remove a lot of um archaic restrictions that existed. There were reasons for them that were good reasons 30 years ago. They don't exist anymore.

SPEAKER_00 30:27

That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

And it just makes it a lot easier for people to go into our downtown and casually enjoy the whole environment. You're not you're not really, I guess the way I think about it is you're not uh ball and chain linked to whatever establishment you go into first.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

Yeah, that that's exactly right. Yeah. Yep. People are they're they're not handcuffed at being in one location. We want them in every store in downtown shopping. And so then they'll be able they'll be able to do that. And you know, uh I'm not the downtown design expert. I'll tell you though, it's uh I'm about to sound like I am. Um, but you know what we've done and what Dover Cole and the rest of our design partners have done and what they taught us was that downtowns are for people, yeah, not not for cars. We want people to be outside, and that's why we've designed um you know Park Avenue and and Market Square in in the way that we have. Um a lot of the a lot of the a lot of cities around the country, quite honestly, that they'll they'll they'll prioritize the vehicular traffic in their downtowns. And what that ends up doing is bisecting the two different sides of the streets, and you have people that that they don't feel comfortable and they don't really want to walk across the street to the other shops. Um, and so we've done the exact opposite. We we've created an environment so that the cars feel out of place and that the people feel comfortable being outside and walking across the street and hanging out, and just that the the the sheer design of the streets and the sidewalks in the downtown contribute toward creating this awesome destination.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

Yeah, it feels like it belongs to the pedestrians, exactly. And you know, most people wouldn't give that a thought, but as you're saying that, I recognize that that's absolutely true. For going back to where I started, our trip to Winter Garden, Wintergarden has become a very popular little town. And um, the day we went, it was Farmers Market Day, which is one of their big events every Saturday, and it was packed with people. And the ones that felt uncomfortable were the cars because the city prioritizes the pedestrian. That's right. So you, even though it was busy and there were a lot of cars on the road, everybody knows that the pedestrian takes the priority. And um, we're trying to create that atmosphere in Lake Wales. Absolutely. Been working on it intentionally for quite a while now. That's right. That's exactly right. Well, I will tell you that there is no doubt that, and I say this personally, but I think that this is true for the number, for the overwhelming majority of citizens that live in Lake Wales, is that the pride in downtown has gone through the roof. You you just can't go into downtown Lake Wales anymore and think and not think, wow, this looks good. And now we just need to keep working uh to fill up that container we've created with the life that it it has the capacity to hold. So all right. Well, folks, we appreciate you listening to episode number 11. We always want you to be aware that we are here to answer your questions. Send them to highpointlw.com and we will do our best to get them on the air. And we look forward to talking to you again on our next episode. Thank you, James. Thank you, Mayor. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Mayor and the Manager. The goal of this podcast is to keep you up to date on all that is happening in the great city of Lake Wales. To that end, we would love to take questions from you and take the time to answer them. So if you have any questions, just click on submit a question in the description above this podcast.