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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

Jensen Beach Community

Redevelopment Plan

The goal of the September 2002, Jensen Beach CRA Plan is to create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed use community. The vision includes a continuation of the ‘casual’ Jensen Beach image, emphasizing street life and activity, buildings built to the street to create public outdoor space, a down-home feel with Florida vernacular architecture, enhanced landscaping, and coordinated signage.

The Jensen Beach Vision Plan sets out priority projects and details their implementation:

1. Infrastructure Improvements 2. Maple Avenue 3. Ricou Terrace 4. Public Buildings 5. Indian River Drive 6. Ocean Breeze Plaza (outside CRA) 7. Marina 8. Riverwalk 9. Municipal Parking

The priority projects list is headed by the provision of infrastructure including water, sewer, fiber optics and master stormwater facilities. The CRA understands the need for these essential services to promote redevelopment in the Jensen Beach district, which will allow it to compete with other areas of the county for quality development. The priority projects also identified the desire for a civic presence, such as a public building for Jensen Beach. NOW Visioning Exercise A factor in the text of the Vision Plan, and one that was referred to numerous times during the NOW Visioning sessions, was the continuing recognition by the community of the significance of maintaining a ‘down-home’ feel by encouraging small scale development.

The community also emphasized, during the NOW Visioning exercise, that the health of the waterfront is key to the prosperity and regeneration of Jensen Beach.

Significant progress is being made towards the aims set out in the 2002 Plan. Projects have been completed and are in progress on Ricou Terrace, Indian River Drive and the Community Building, all of which were indicated as priority projects in the 2002 Jensen Beach CRA Plan.

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

Commercial X-Ray

Commercial: Commercial land activities are focused along Jensen Beach Boulevard. Several large commercial parcels are located outside the CRA in the Town of Ocean Breeze.

Industrial X-Ray

Industrial: Florida East Coast Railroad (FEC) rail line runs the entire length of the Jensen Beach Planning Area. There are a limited number of industrial parcels outside the CRA to the west.

Residential X-Ray

Residential: The Jensen Beach Planning Area is bound by residential neighborhoods. The limited residential lots in the Planning Area are concentrated on Mango Terrace and Renar River Place. Community NOW Vision promotes small size cottage type development and infill.

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

Vacant Land X-Ray

Vacant: The numbers of vacant parcels are limited; however the total acreage is almost half of the developable area in the Jensen Beach CRA. A pro-active Redevelopment Zoning should be implemented to promote the Community Vision.

Street Contributing Network X-Ray

Streets: Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach Boulevard, and the Jensen Beach Causeway, all merge in the Jensen Beach CRA. NOW Visioning revealed Community desire to improve and reinforce the internal roadway connections.

Open Space X-Ray

Open Space and Institutions: Three are no public parks in the planning area, and a very limited number of institutional uses. However, the Waterfront and publicly owned land adjacent to the Waterfront offers opportunities to create an exciting public place.

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

STRENGTHS

The Green Dots represent the areas that the local community liked. These together with written comments, have resulted with the following strengths being identified by the community:

1. Small Cottage Businesses

2. Streets – Jensen Beach Boulevard

3. Waterfront

4. Community Events

5. Mixed Use

6. The Potential for Redevelopment

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

WEAKNESS

The Red Dots indicate locations that the Community had issues and concerns that demonstrate a weakness. Together with written comments the community identified the following weaknesses:

1. Renar Building 2. ‘Drug’ Motel 3. Sundance Building 4. Parking 5. Landscaping/ Streetscape 6. Derelict Boats 7. Entrance from Jensen Beach

Boulevard.

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

OPPORTUNITIES

The Blue Dots highlight locations that the Community has identified as offering some opportunities. Together with written comments the community identified the following opportunities:

1. Waterfront Access/Use 2. Develop – Jensen Beach Style 3. Sundance Marine 4. Community Events 5. Mixed Use 6. Potential for Redevelopment

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

DAN BURDEN’s RECOMMENDATIONS

Walkability Factors Dan Burden spent some time looking at Walkability factors that are affecting Jensen Beach Community Redevelopment Area. Some proposals are located outside of the Community Redevelopment Area, but are considered to be contributing factors that affect the driver/pedestrian perception of the Area.

Median crossings

Reduce speeds to 20-25 mph, through design

Load corridors with shade trees, spaced in planters, inset parking and planters each 30-50 feet

Roundabouts to replace signals at Jensen Beach Boulevard with Indian River Drive

Study and consider a roundabout at Jensen Beach Boulevard at Skyline Drive

Add mid block crossings in key areas

Continue to Promote the Urban form

Turn Maple into a Living Street, like Rosemary (West Palm Beach)

Reconstruct Jensen Beach Boulevard into an efficient Avenue or a Boulevard

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

ACTIVITY FOCUS

Recommended Activity Focus

1. WATERFRONT ENHANCEMENT Explore Partnerships with waterfront property owners. Boardwalk Encourage Small Scale Business Redevelopment Coding Grant Funding

Jensen Beach Now Visioning and Recommended Activity Focus The Jensen Beach Now Visioning exercise revealed a number of consistent themes. The Community expressed, and focused on, the need to retain a ‘Jensen Beach’ feel. A primary focus was the central area of Jensen Beach north of Ricou Terrace. The Community desire is to promote a central business/community/historic core through the encouragement of small scale retail and cottage development. The Waterfront was also strongly discussed with a boardwalk and improved waterfront access and waterfront development being suggested. Therefore, the recommended Activity Focus for Jensen Beach is a combined effort directed at attracting Small Family Businesses situated harmoniously with a small scale Jensen Beach Style Waterfront. The Activity Focus will be to facilitate a partnership to develop a pedestrian accessible and clean waterfront.

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Martin County CRA Jensen Beach 4

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