Town previews Center Street redevelopment overlay changes and Palm Beach County widening plan; public outreach scheduled

Town of Jupiter planning staff and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council on June 10 outlined proposed changes to the Center Street/A1A redevelopment overlay area and the county’s funded plan to widen Center Street, and announced a public outreach program planned for July and late summer design work ahead of recommendations to local boards later this year.

Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning Stephanie Thoburn said the zoning text amendment is a precursor informational item to prepare the commission for an ordinance to come later. She said the council’s 2023 strategic initiative identified Center Street as an area of local importance and asked staff to consider shifting incentives in the redevelopment overlay area to requirements where appropriate, and to address building height, massing, historic character, on‑street parking, and green‑space and tree preservation.

Thoburn told commissioners the overlay was originally created in 2010 to incentivize redevelopment after the recession; that many properties in the area are older and nonconforming to current lot and green‑space standards; and that parking has become constrained in the corridor. She described a proposed schedule that includes online surveys, stakeholder meetings, one or more open houses and a return to the commission in September with a council hearing potentially in November, but stressed those dates are subject to change.

Thoburn also warned commissioners that Senate Bill 180, if signed by the governor, would bar municipalities from adopting new, more restrictive rules in certain circumstances; she said that provision is written to expire Oct. 1, 2027, and can also trigger a one‑year restriction after a hurricane within 100 miles of the tract. “So just wanted to put this all out there for you,” Thoburn said.

Kim Delaney of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council summarized the county’s roadway project. She said Palm Beach County has funding in its program for engineering and preliminary construction work and that the Center Street widening is programmed for construction in fiscal year 2028; she cited roughly $1 million for engineering and about $2.5 million for construction in preliminary materials provided to the town. Delaney explained the corridor is classified as an urban collector under the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency, which typically expects 2–4 travel lanes, 10–11 foot lane widths, sidewalks about 6–10 feet wide and bicycle facilities 4–6 feet wide. She said Center Street has been identified as a tier‑1 bicycle facility because of crash history and that the project will consider “complete streets” and Vision Zero design principles to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.

Delaney described outreach that will include focus groups for residents and property owners, a public workshop in July, online engagement, and late‑summer design work to produce recommendations in early fall.

During public comment, longtime resident John Kaku of 917 North Loxahatchee Drive said the Center Street commercial quarter is small and that physical constraints—older buildings, narrow parcels and the railroad—limit options such as adding parking or substantially reconfiguring lots. Lori Bailey of North Loxahatchee Drive requested a pedestrian crosswalk between Old Dixie and Pennock to improve safety for residents and dog walkers. Resident Brett Leoni urged the town not to replicate the western Center Street design and suggested the council consider asking the county to transfer control of the roadway to the town so Jupiter could implement its preferred design. Commissioners asked Delaney and staff about counts and crash data, the right‑of‑way width (about 70 feet as noted by staff), whether utilities could be placed underground, and who ultimately controls the design. Staff and Delaney stated the county controls the roadway and right‑of‑way and will be the final decision maker on the constructed design, but said the county has been collaborative in other projects and that the town could seek grant funding or partner with the county for additional elements beyond the county’s baseline design.

No formal action was taken; the presentations were informational and part of a public engagement process that staff and the regional planning council will lead with the county and the community. Town staff said they will coordinate outreach, provide interim updates to the commission, and return with formal zoning text amendment language and recommendations if the town can proceed under applicable state law.