Winter Park OKs ‘informational’ buoys to help reduce boat speed

For more than 25 years, Winter Park had buoys in its chain of lakes warning boat and personal watercraft drivers to slow down within 100 feet of the shore.

With the designated “no wake zones,” drivers had to maintain an idle speed close to shore so as not to create potentially dangerous waves in the 2,781 acres of water.

But this summer, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission informed the city the markers didn’t comply with state law and had to be removed.

In order to get the floating devices back in the lake, city commissioners this week approved the installation of 35 “informational” buoys. But there’s a catch — they don’t have any regulatory power.

The buoys will act as location markers and have identifying phrases such as “Public dock with fueling,” “Canal entrance to Lake Osceola,” and “Isle of Sicily.” Each buoy will cost $300 to buy and install for a total cost of $10,500, according to city staff.

The lakes — Virginia, Osceola, Maitland, Mizell and Killarney — are connected with narrow canals that are frequently traveled by visitors on the popular scenic boat tour.

Some commissioners said they believe the markers will be enough to encourage safety in the water even without the ability to enforce speed limits.

Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel said she is anxious to get the buoys back on the lakes as soon as possible.

“This is all about safety and there are too many people out there who don’t have a feel for driving a boat and how close they’re getting [to shore], so I would like to start with what we’ve got here,” Sprinkel said. “This is a good recommendation to start with and is a great reminder that this not a freefor-all out there and they need to know where they are at all points.”

But Mayor Steve Leary noted that he’s heard from residents and lakefront property owners that they didn’t mind the removal of the buoys.

“There are others who say, ‘Listen, they didn’t slow people down in the first place, they were not preventing anything so I like the lakes [to have] a nice clean look,’” Leary said.

Commissioners unanimously voted for the plan but stopped short of discussing whether the city would eventually pursue the permit and cost of installing regulatory buoys at public boat ramps and in canals.