Vero Beach finalizes downtown master plan, hoping to attract young people, revitalize area

VERO BEACH — The city on Tuesday adopted a plan for the future of downtown, providing a blueprint for what downtown could become.

The plan is the final version of urban planner Andres Duany's vision for the heart of the city.

The master plan envisions affordable studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as walkability and nightlife, such as upscale bars and restaurants. The underlying aim, according to Duany, is to attract the younger generation, who are the lifeblood of downtowns.

"Now is the time. We've been at this long enough" said Mayor John Cotugno. "Hopefully, we can move this forward."

The focal point of the master plan is four blocks of 14th Avenue between 23rd and 19th streets.

The city's focus, however, could spread as far north as the airport, south past Vero Beach High School, east beyond the Florida East Coast Railway/Brightline tracks and west to 20th Avenue.

The City Council passed the master plan 4-1, Councilwoman Tracey Zudans dissenting.

"I do not feel that the plan has been vetted enough by the public," said Zudans. "I have a hard time saying this is a complete product."

Other councilmembers disagreed.

"We have been thorough, and spent a lot of time on this," responded Vice Mayor Linda Moore. "This plan is well done, and some of the ideas represent more than a decade of planning."

Finally adopted

Likewise, members of the public expressed support for the plan.

"We cannot lose the momentum we have built," said city resident T.P. Kennedy. "Let's press forward. This is the beginning of a lot of big things happening downtown."

Others, like Kennedy, are planning ways to keep the project moving.

"There are a number of people that have come forward proposing an education campaign," said Irina Woelfle, who heads a local public relations firm. "We will put together tours, fact sheets, a website and more."

The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce thinks the plan adds to the areas future economic viability.

"We are really excited about the opportunity this brings," said Chamber of Commerce President Dori Stone. "Great things are happening."

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Moving forward

DPZ CoDESIGN, Duany's firm, had been charged with creating the plan. It began in February with a week of fact-finding sessions. It was from those meetings that Duany developed his ideas for the future of downtown, which the city now looks to implement.

In his final presentation to the city in May, Dauny told the council that to revitalize a new downtown, the density needed to first be increased to 60 units per acre from the current 17, a suggestion that left many residents uneasy.

That density increase, which needs voter approval, now is on the Nov. 5 ballot — albeit at 36 units per acre. A second referendum would allow the transfer of development rights.

Transfer of development rights grants a property owner the ability to give or sell unbuilt units to another owner to develop at a higher density.

To quell fears of higher density, Planning and Development Director Jason Jeffries pointed to the Pocahontas Park Building — which permits 70 units per acre — to give an idea of what 36 units per acres would looks like.

"If the referendums do not pass, our ability to follow through with the goals in the master plan come into question," said Jeffries. "For now, we just have to wait."

Nick Slater is TCPalm's Indian River County Watchdog reporter. You can reach him at Nick.Slater@tcpalm.com and 224-830-2875 .

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Beach finalizes downtown master plan, hoping to attract young people, revitalize area