Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve the Selection of an Alternative Neighborhood Gathering/Green Space Site
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Submitted By: Nikki Zheng, Civic Designer, Strategic Initiatives & Innovation
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of Strategic Growth for a Resilient Future.
Executive Summary (General Business): Previously, the City Council approved four sites as pilot neighborhood gathering spaces. Following Council direction on site development and further analysis, staff is recommending a change to one of the site locations.
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council approve the recommended alternate site and shift the budgeted funds accordingly.
Alternate Recommendation:
1. Move that the Council provide staff direction
Background: The City Council previously approved four pilot sites owned by the City of Port St. Lucie for the Neighborhood Gathering/Green Spaces project, one per Council district, previously identified by Neighborhood Services Department. Since the project has transitioned to the Parks and Recreation Department, the District 2 site was successfully transformed through community outreach and site improvements, retaining much of its natural beauty. The goal is to replicate this model in other park-deficient neighborhoods.
Staff is requesting to shift the Neighborhood Gathering/Green Space project site in District 4 from Berkshire & Blackwell to SW Lovell Terrace & SW Hiawatha Street in the Whispering Pine neighborhood due to feasibility, cost, and community engagement advantages.
Issues/Analysis: During site assessments, staff determined that the originally selected District 4 parcel at Berkshire & Blackwell is approximately 90% overgrown with invasive species. Remediation would require substantial funding, along with additional community education and outreach to support the transformation to remove invasive species and to replant the parcel.
In contrast, the proposed alternate site in the Whispering Pine neighborhood offers more open space, existing native vegetation, and a community that has already completed a year of engagement through the Love Your Block program (funded through a two-year grant powered by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins). This makes the proposed site more feasible, cost-effective, and aligned with the goal of Neighborhood Green Space model of leveraging strong community partnerships for sustainable green space development.
Financial Information: Funding has been previously budgeted for the District 4 site and would be shifted to this alternate site.
Special Consideration: Earlier this year, the city received grant funding from the Trust for Public Land’s On Common Ground program, which supports community engagement through parks and public spaces. The shift of parcel selection could leverage existing community relationships and multiple philanthropic funding sources to provide a green space opportunity in a park-deficient neighborhood in District 4.
Location of Project: SW Lovell Terrace & SW Hiawatha Street
Business Impact Statement: N/A
Attachments: Exhibit A - District 4 - Berkshire & Blackwell parcel (Originally Selected); Exhibit B - District 4 - the SW Lovell Terrace & SW Hiawatha Street parcel (Proposed Site Selection); Exhibit C - 2023-2024 Locations of 4 city-owned parcels as Neighborhood Green Space Pilots
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: N/A
Legal Sufficiency Review:
N/A