SANFORD, Fla. – Mayor Art Woodruff, a sixth-generation resident, is the first to admit the popularity of Sanford’s 32771 ZIP code has created a steady boom in population (65,212) and demand for new housing and resources.
“We’re managing to keep up,” Woodruff told News 6. “We sort of see that we may be close to the edge, and we’re taking another look.”
Woodruff’s family moved to Sanford in 1844.
The easy-going mayor is following the legacy of his great-grandfather, Frank L. Woodruff, the mayor of Sanford from 1903 to 1906.
The veteran educator balances teaching assignments in computer science and physics at Oviedo High School with the challenges of running the city.
Woodruff told News 6 that Sanford plans to hire more police officers in the next budget year to handle the growing needs of the community.
New single-family homes and townhomes are popping up all over, and the growth is expected to continue.
The mayor said the city plans to build a new fire station by the airport, a new clubhouse and restaurant for the Mayfair Golf Course and a rebuild of the docks swept away by Hurricane Ian in the heart of the popular Riverwalk back in 2022.
That storm delivered flooding that exposed the vulnerability of Sanford’s aging sewer lines prompting an $80 million upgrade with new lift stations in the works for Sanford Brewing and Hollerbach’s restaurants.
“Sometimes it would rain hard and it backed up and they would have to close,” he said. “It’s been very frustrating for them.”
With hurricane season just a few months away, Woodruff told News 6 the city will be ready.
“We have people to manage the system, we have people on call,” he said. “And we can manage it most of the time unless something actually fails.”
When asked what he was most proud of in the city, he said, “I am most proud of how the residents of the city of Sanford have pulled this together.”
WKMG’s Hits the Road segment will broadcast live from Hollerbach’s German restaurant from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.
Woodruff will join us for a live interview to talk about expansion and what the future holds for the city of Sanford.
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