Public Meeting on Hutchinson Island Private and Public Property

The Western Peninsula of South Hutchinson Island has a privately owned parcel that's vacant and a public parcel now used as the FPUA's waste water treatment plant. The waste water plant should be moved in the future, but when and for how much is a big unknown. The vacant, privately-owned parcel was the location of the Causeway Trailer Park, until the 2004 hurricanes gave the city the opportunity to close it. The City of Fort Pierce has hired a consultant to host a public meeting to allow property owners, businesses and residents to provide input into what should happen there in the future.

Editorial: Participation critical for public design workshop on South Causeway in Fort Pierce

A workshop scheduled for Saturday will lead to potential goals for prime waterfront property in Fort Pierce

By Editorial Board

Friday, March 16, 2012

After four years of discussion and a year of negotiations, a public design workshop on the future of the western peninsula of Fort Pierce Beach will be held Saturday.

Major parts of the workshop — or "charrette" — are the potential uses on the south side of the peninsula for the privately owned parcel that was formerly the Causeway Mobile Home Park and for the waste treatment plant on the Indian River Lagoon owned by the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority. Other properties to the north on the peninsula will be included in the discussion.

Residents, property owners and city and St. Lucie County officials are urged to take part in the charrette from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the River Walk Center, formerly the Fort Pierce Community Center, at 600 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce.

(Yes, it's appropriate to wear green in recognition of St. Patrick's Day.)

Some of the delay in scheduling the charrette was making sure property owners, businesses and residents, including seasonal residents, would be available. There was some delay, also, in determining funding for the event and follow-up.

This will not be an inexpensive exercise. City and county officials have agreed to split the $35,000 cost, which includes the charrette and a report on consensus recommendations, as well as maps and drawings of possible uses for the properties. Facilitating the workshop will be Marcela Camblor of Stuart, a former design specialist with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. A report will be due in about three weeks.

The need to create a vision for the prime waterfront property became clear last year when Ashton DePeyster of Palm Beach, who owns the former mobile home park site, submitted plans to the state to build a marina on his property adjacent to the FPUA waste treatment plant. Residents and city officials have said they want an overall plan for the peninsula rather than piecemeal projects that could impact the overall future use. It's unlikely any of the properties can or will be developed to their full potential until the waste treatment plant is moved inland from its present site.

DePeyster and/or his representatives are expected to attend the workshop.

Leslie Olson, assistant planning director for the city who has been coordinating Saturday's charrette, said participants will be asked to develop, potentially, two sets of goals — one on their ultimate desires for the properties and one in which private investment might help financially in getting the waste treatment plant moved. The FPUA, she said, doesn't have the financial means at this time to fund the move inland.

It has been many years since Fort Pierce residents, business and property owners have had an opportunity to weigh in on the future of the western peninsula of the island. Officials have suggested such goals as a resort hotel and a convention center.

Considering the cost of this public design workshop and its role in developing a plan for the eventual use of the sites in connection with public and private partnerships, major participation from those with an interest in their future can be critical.

A few hours of discussion and drawing maps and buildings will likely have a significant impact.

editorial board

PUBLIC DESIGN WORKSHOP

Reason: To establish goals for waterfront properties on the western peninsula of Fort Pierce Beach

Date: Saturday, March 17

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Participants may drop in and do not have to attend the entire session.)

Location: River Walk Center, 600 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/mar/16/editorial-participation-critical-for-public-on/

South Beach Bridge Reconfiguration from St. Lucie TPO

The St. Lucie Transportation Planning Organization presented information on the South Causeway Bridge Reconfiguration Study today at the Riverwalk Center in Fort Pierce. About 60 residents attended, and the discussion was often spirited. Most attendees did not favor reducing the number of lanes on South Beach bridge for safety, traffic or evacuation reasons. Several bridge walkers and cyclists attended and gave testimony about the safety hazards of walking and riding bicycles currently on the South Bridge. Many attendees spoke against the reconfiguration because of the $1 million rough cost estimate, especially now during the economic downturn. The St. Lucie TPO has information on its website on this proposal.: http://www.stluciempo.org/. Commissioners Edward W. Becht and Reginald Sessions serve on the TPO from the City of Fort Pierce. Commissioners Rufus Alexander and Tom Perona are alternates.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/sep/17/residents-argue-for-against-south-causeway-plan/

Residents argue for, against South Causeway Bridge plan in Fort Pierce

By Cathy S. Reeder Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers

Saturday, September 17, 2011

FORT PIERCE — More than 75 local residents and bridge users debated an early conceptual plan to rebuild the South Causeway Bridge on Saturday at the River Walk Center in Fort Pierce.

"It was a great meeting with great ideas, and we'll go back and consider each of them," said Peter Buchwald, executive director of St. Lucie County Transportation Planning Organization, which sponsored the two-hour public input meeting. "We're very early in the planning stages on this."

The plan would turn the current four-lane bridge with 4-foot barricaded sidewalks into a two-lane bridge with barricaded 12.5-foot bike/pedestrian lanes. During hurricane or nuclear evacuations, the bike/pedestrian lanes would be used for vehicle evacuation and emergency vehicles, transportation planners said.

That roughly $1 million configuration is the safest when vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists use the bridge at the same time, said Kimley-Horn traffic engineer Stewart Robinson.

Robinson said the local roads leading to the causeway already are two-lane, and making the causeway two lanes at current traffic levels would place it at 75 percent capacity.

Some residents were not convinced.

"I think we're going backwards instead of forwards if we're taking four lanes down to two on the bridge," said Mike Greene, a 39-year resident of South Beach. "Why would we make a lot of people suffer to give a very few people these improvements?"

He defined "suffering" as sitting through several traffic lights with no way around fender benders or to let ambulances get by, or to deal with other everyday traffic problems.

A younger resident countered that thought. "I would be one less car in that man's traffic jam if it were safe to come over the bridge on my bike," said Lorae Simpson, 25, of South Beach. "I want to ride my bike to work, but it isn't safe the way it is. I like this plan."

Planner Lisa Frezier of Kimley-Horne said current cyclist and pedestrian use of the bridge is not an adequate measure of who would use the facility once it's safer and easier to use. She also said the local economy would feel a direct positive impact from connecting more modes of transportation between Hutchinson Island to downtown Fort Pierce.

Peter Harrison, a land manager, argued a differing point. "It's not right to shift the use of this bridge when people in the condos there paid tens of thousands in taxes and development fees to build the four lanes. They want to use their cars to get to restaurants and movies and shopping. They don't want to use bicycles."

Cyclist Charlie Hayek, a South Beach resident, saw the project as more than a local issue. "We are trying to reduce our carbon footprint. We're trying to get people out of their cars, and ride bikes and walk," he said.

TO SHARE YOUR OPINION

The public input period for the South Causeway Bridge continues through early November. Send your written comments, along with your name, address, and (optional) phone number, to:

definie@stlucieco.org

St. Lucie Transportation Planning Organization

2300 Virginia Ave.

Fort Pierce, FL 34982

772-462-2549 fax