America in Bloom: Tavares’ charm, sustainability judged
Seventy dangling baskets filled with petunias in downtown Tavares add to the city’s small-town charm.
But landscape judges visiting the Lake County city, dubbed America’s Seaplane City, on a recent weekday weren’t just looking at its floral displays.
As cities across the country look to revitalize their urban cores, the group America in Bloom aims to celebrate the benefits of landscaping, environmental sustainability and heritage preservation.
Tavares is among 40 communities the group is assessing in its annual competition. It’s in the competition for cities from 13,000 to 18,000 population. Three other cities — in California, Illinois and Iowa — are in that group.
“Communities have begun to reembrace their downtowns,” said Laura Kunkle, executive director for America in Bloom. “But it requires good strategy, smart implementation, courage by government, planners, citizens and entrepreneurs.”
The nonprofit organization holds an annual symposium annually to spotlight efforts to make communities nicer places to live. This year’s event is in October in Holliston, Mass., and includes an announcement of awards. More than 240 cities in 41 states have taken part since the organization was founded in 2001.
Winter Park, which won awards the last three years competing in America in Bloom, heavily values the judges’ critiques on facets as trivial as its cigarette-butt containers to as consequential as its “sustainability action plan” involving shortand long-term objectives for the Orange County city.
“It provides an outsider’s evaluation on the city,” said Kris Stenger, assistant director of building and sustainability at Winter Park. “Because if you’re looking at it through your own eyes, you tend not to see everything.”
Armed with a notepad and camera, America in Bloom judges explored Tavares for two days. Their interests ranged from how the drainage system works to the number of establishments with outdoor seating. Accompanied by a group of city officials and residents, they visited government buildings, green spaces and the Lake County Historical Museum.
“I didn’t see anything on display about American Indians,” said Sue Amantangelo, a judge and award-winning master gardener from the Chicago area, standing inside the county’s historic courthouse, where the museum is housed.
“That’s the next room right here,” said Tavares City Council member Bob Grenier, the museum’s curator.
Judges also inquired about energy and water conservation efforts.
As the seat of a county that boasts 1,400 lakes, Tavares has a vested interest in protecting Lake Dora, where the city has a seaplane base and has spent millions on waterfront improvements. Officials pointed to a $5.3 million project underway to redirect storm water from downtown streets that now goes into Lake Dora into a retention pond that will filter runoff such as automotive oil and lawn fertilizer. It’s also a beautification project that will include an 8-acre walkable park.
Tavares’ charm assault also includes an effort to become a Tree City USA Community. The city of 16,000 will have to pass a tree care ordinance, spend $2 per resident on trees and hold an Arbor Day celebration, where residents gather for planting.
“That’s a really big project,” said Traci Anderson, the city’s landscape specialist.
It’s a drastic change from a decade earlier, when City Administrator John Drury first came to the city that he said was “Anytown USA.”
“There was one restaurant in Tavares,” he said. Today, there are 10.
He’s hoping that other Lake County communities will follow Tavares’ lead to jump into America in Bloom, creating a friendly competitive spirit. “We are in bloom,” he said. “We are blooming.”