Community places like an interactive water fountain in a "walkable" town center and recreational use of a 640-acre reservoir — that's what local residents would like to see in a new town planned on the St. Lucie/Indian River county line.
About 60 people, mostly St. Lucie County's movers and shakers and people with development interests, showed up at a forum Thursday night to discuss planning of a new town on an old citrus grove. Representatives from the county, School District, fire district, Sheriff's Office and the Adams family also were present.
However, average-Joe residents were noticeably absent.
Residents Pete and Rose Basile of St. Lucie West said they attended the meeting because they are interested in buying a home in an "active adult community" and both said they liked the idea of being able to help plan the city, to be called Cloud Grove.
"We're here to give our input," said Rose Basile, who sat at the table discussing a town center during the forum.
Planning for the town is a precursor to the final approval of the Adams Ranch Rural Land Stewardship comprehensive plan amendment, of which the town is an integral part. The plan is still being reviewed by the state Department of Community Affairs, which will send the plan back to St. Lucie County with comments before the County Commission decides its fate.
Although most of the land for the new town is in northwest St. Lucie County, about 1,441 acres are in Indian River County and are zoned for an agricultural density of one home per 10 acres.
The forum was specifically to plan the development of the St. Lucie County portion of the property; the Indian River County part of the property has no plans for development yet, said Ernie Cox, an attorney for Family Lands Remembered, a Fort Pierce business involved with the project.
Indian River County Commission Chairman Art Neuberger said Thursday afternoon he met with the developers earlier this week and had mixed feelings about the project.
Although the developers haven't proposed anything yet for the Indian River County part, Neuberger said that area "is bound to be houses."
"What else would there be?" he asked. "Maybe some commercial."
At the meeting, tables were set up for people wanting to discuss education, recreation, a town center, public places, natural environment, cultural amenities and public safety.
Marty Sanders, executive director of growth management for the St. Lucie County School District, sat at the education table. He said one idea discussed was of developers providing schools in the new town area, which Sanders said would be beneficial to the School District.
Sanders said planning a school in the new town area would be challenging because it is outside the urban service boundary for the county, which is an invisible line that separates the part of the county that can build at a higher density and receive utilities from the more rural areas.
"It's going to be interesting to make this plan fit into the School District plan," he said.
Other ideas for the town included the utilization of K-8 school sites, art in public places, a historical museum focusing on the ranching culture, use of native vegetation throughout the town and places for community activities like a green market or an open bandstand.
The plan for the town is to "create a mixed use, working town," Cox said.
The new town is being developed by the Florida Conservancy & Development Group, a joint venture of developers Lennar Corp. and Centex. The developers in December purchased 7,400 acres for the project, including 1,440 acres in Indian River County.
The St. Lucie County portion of the land, part of the Adams Ranch Rural Land Stewardship program, gives the Alto "Bud" Adams Jr. family incentives in exchange for protecting a large part of their 16,466-acre ranch from development in perpetuity.
The plan would transfer development rights from Adams Ranch to the new town.
There will be another forum from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Schreiber Conference Center to revisit ideas discussed Thursday.
Staff reporter Henry Stephens also contributed to this report.
NEXT FORUM
When: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 25
Where: Schreiber Conference Center, FAU/IRCC St. Lucie West Campus, 500 N.W. California Blvd., Port St. Lucie
