Leading planning organizations praise Pineland Prairie as setting ‘new bar’ for future projects

We have some exciting news—and key video clips from our meeting with the Martin County Commission—to share with you. We recently received very encouraging comments and reviews from two highly respected planning organizations—the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and 1000 Friends of Florida.

On June 15, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council granted unanimous approval to Pineland Prairie’s Comprehensive Plan Amendment No. 18-3DRI. Emphasizing “no adverse effects on regional resources or facilities,” the council stated:

“If built true to form, this ‘new town’ will deliver the positive economic, environmental, and social impacts the county and developer hope to achieve, without all the negatives of sprawl.  The Pineland Prairie plan represents a great opportunity for the county to ensure there is a regular and walkable network of streets and blocks, resulting in self-contained neighborhoods and mixed-use districts for all ages and incomes, that will effectively connect all the important components of public and private life… Martin County and the developer should be commended for their efforts together in creating the master plan for Pineland Prairie. It sets a new bar for future development and serves as a wonderful local example for accommodating some of the region’s future growth in a smaller footprint.”  Read more.

Additionally, in its spring newsletter dedicated to the role urban growth boundaries play in planning, 1000 Friends wrote that it “supported staff recommendations to refine the proposal which includes walkable clustered development, a mixed-use center, and 70 percent of the project area remaining in open space and agricultural use.”

In April, Pineland Prairie earned a 4-1 vote of approval from the Martin County Commission to transmit our proposed comprehensive plan amendment to the state for its select agencies to review.

The discussion was certainly thorough but also immensely enjoyable, with some excellent points and questions raised by the county staff and county commissioners. We appreciated the extended opportunity to delve into detail about:

• our multilayered assurances for the 70 percent of land in open space.
• our Form-based Code, which provides predictability and clear assurances that Pineland Prairie will be created precisely as depicted in the plan.
• our cautious-but-hopeful expectations for diverting and filtering water from the C-23 canal before it returns to local waterways.

We were especially encouraged by the public commenters. As TCPalm.com recently reported, “most people spoke in favor of the development, which would create a walkable community with shopping and offices near residential areas that have a variety of upscale and affordable housing according to project plans.”