Wetlands could become a park
Winter Park has big plans for the 55 acres it has acquired
WINTER PARK — Karen Diebel has long seen the potential of what now is a swampy swath of land off Howell Branch Road.
For more than 20 years, she’s worked to protect and preserve the marshy wetlands surrounding Howell Creek that’s blanketed with cypress and oak trees and other lush greenery, in hopes that one day the land will be a window for residents to see a slice of Old Florida.
That day could be soon, as Winter Park city commissioners signed off last week on buying 55 acres for $304,500. Now the city will begin weeding out invasive chinaberry and skunk vine and replanting native species in the lush forest.
“We have an opportunity to make it a real authentic Florida environmental experience for those people,” said Diebel, a former Winter Park city commissioner. “As soon as it’s cleaned up, I think people will use the natural parts of it.”
When their work is done, City Manager Randy Knight said, he imagines winding running trails under the shade of large trees and a place to launch canoes and kayaks on Howell Creek, which knifes through the property.
The public also would be able to fish in the creek, he said.
City officials say they have at least $525,000 to spend to create the future park.
The sale has been on Winter Park’s radar for about 15 years, officials said, but to formally ink a deal they first had to persuade the owners of the land to sell and then find a funding source.
Commissioners credit former state Senate President Andy Gardiner, an Orlando Republican, for helping the city obtain grant money in the 2017 budget to cover about half the sale.
“This is one of the last tracts of Winter Park that’s in its natural form,” Knight said. “This entire thing will be natural nature that Winter Park residents can enjoy without driving to Wekiwa Springs.”
The property is split into seven parcels on the north side of Howell Branch Road. Because two of the lots are within Maitland city limits, officials from the two cities expect to sit down this week and discuss how to manage the land.
The wetlands are highlighted by Howell Creek, which flows under Howell Branch Road and runs for about a mile, connecting Lake Maitland and Lake Waumpi.
On a recent morning, a white egret swooped down between the trees and