Council renames Tavares Nature Park and Squibb Park as preserves, cites conservation and grant alignment

The Tavares City Council voted Aug. 6 to rename Tavares Nature Park to Tavares Nature Preserve and amended the motion to include renaming Squibb Park to Squibb Preserve.

Staff explained that the city acquired the property with a Florida Communities Trust grant in 1997 and accepted the grant’s land-management and conservation conditions. Staff recommended the name change to clarify the park’s conservation-oriented purpose, to reduce pressure for high-intensity recreational uses and to improve positioning for future conservation grant applications. Department presenters told the council the renaming itself carries no immediate fiscal impact; sign changes and map updates would be phased in during routine maintenance.

Councilmembers questioned whether school cross-country practice and existing approved trails would be affected. Staff said existing approved trails would remain and that activities such as middle‑school cross‑country practices would be evaluated case‑by‑case against the grant land‑management conditions. Any new trails or significant alterations would require state approval under the Florida Communities Trust agreement, staff said.

Councilmembers also asked staff to check the broader park inventory for similarly named properties; staff agreed to review the entire park system and return with recommendations. The amended motion to rename both parks was seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Staff said that, after legal review, they would return to the council if any legal issues arose before implementing additional park name changes.