Placement: Public Hearing - Quasi Judicial
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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P23-116 The Port District - Master Sign Program
Location: The project is located abutting the North Fork of the St. Lucie River on the west side of Westmoreland Boulevard, south of the intersection of Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Westmoreland Boulevard, and adjacent to the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.
Legal Description: The South 452.00 feet of the North one-half (N ½) of Government Lot 8 of Section 10, Township 37 South, Range 40 East, lying East of the North fork of the St. Lucie River and West of the West right-of-way line of Westmoreland Boulevard, St. Lucie County, Florida.
This is a request to create a master sign program for the Port District Planned Unit Development (PUD).
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Submitted By: Bethany Grubbs, Planner III
Executive Summary: This is a city-initiated request to create a master sign program for the Port District Planned Unit Development (PUD). This Master Sign Program establishes comprehensive signage regulations for the Port District Planned Unit Development (PUD), formerly known as Riverwalk South PUD.
Presentation Information: Staff will provide a presentation.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Board recommend approval of the master sign program.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Board amend the recommendation and recommend approval of the master sign program.
2. Move that the Board recommend denial of the master sign program and provide staff direction.
Background: The Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) recommended approval of the master sign program at their September 13, 2023 meeting. The Port District is a mixed-use development designed to provide restaurants, recreation, historic preservation, civic, cultural, and entertainment uses. The project site is 9.75 acres abutting the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and located on the west side of Westmoreland Boulevard, south of the intersection of Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Westmoreland Boulevard, and adjacent to the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.
Issues/Analysis: The Port District’s mixed-use nature and multiple destinations necessitate a deviation from the standard signage regulations, which limit ground signs to one per street frontage. Given that the development has a single property frontage on Westmoreland Boulevard, the existing regulation allowing only one ground sign is insufficient. The development comprises several distinct subdistricts, including the Historic Home and Lodge, Pioneer Park, the River Food Garden, the Board Walk, the Event Lawn, and the Overwater Stage. Each of these subdistricts requires distinct signage to ensure proper identification. To address this, the proposed signage plan includes the installation of secondary monument signs at the entrances of each subdistrict. These subdistricts include the Historic Home and Lodge, Pioneer Park, the River Food Garden, the Board Walk, the Event Lawn, and the Overwater Stage. Additionally, the Port District functions as an important gateway, with key access points including Pioneer Park, the Botanical Gardens, Veterans Memorial Parkway, and Lyngate Drive. Gateway signs at these access points will facilitate navigation for visitors entering the park.
See the attached staff report for the full analysis.
Special Consideration: All signs addressed within this program, prior to permit application submittal to the City of Port St. Lucie, must be approved in writing by the City of Port St. Lucie Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). A letter of approval from the City of Port St. Lucie CRA must be submitted with the permit application to the City of Port St. Lucie. The CRA will review signs based on the criteria that follow. The sign guidelines in this manual supersede the City of Port St. Lucie Land Development Regulations and the Port District PUD. Existing city codes shall be used for sign criteria not addressed in this program.
Location of Project: The project is located abutting the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and located on the west side of Westmoreland Boulevard, south of the intersection of Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Westmoreland Boulevard, and adjacent to the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens.
Attachments:
1. Staff Report
2. Exhibit “A” - Master Sign Program
3. Exhibit “B” - Comparison Chart
4. Warranty Deed
5. Staff Presentation