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Vero Beach council seeks public ‘charrette’ and visuals to guide airport master‑plan choices
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Summary
After reviewing the airport master plan, councilmembers asked staff to hold a community charrette with visual renditions and online survey options to collect public input on terminal expansion, parking and future growth; staff will return with a timeline and coordination plan.
Councilmember Carroll and other members pressed for broader public engagement on the Vero Beach Regional Airport master plan at the April 14 council meeting, asking staff to convene a community charrette and gather visual renderings and targeted survey questions to help residents decide whether the airport should expand commercial service or remain at its current scale.
Why it matters: The master plan identifies more than 70 projects over a 30‑year horizon — including terminal expansion, runway extension and additional hangars — and council signaled it wants early, focused public input before taking direction from the airport commission or adopting major changes.
What council asked for Council asked staff to prepare focused visuals showing a) baseline (no-change), b) moderate improvements and c) full buildout scenarios so residents can visualize tradeoffs. Members recommended a narrowly scoped charrette, targeted survey questions for residents and county constituents, and the use of social media and the city’s outreach channels to maximize participation. Several council members emphasized reliance on the airport commission’s technical expertise and asked staff to have the commission provide formal recommendations after the public input phase.
Public commenters and new appointees Dr. Ian Blafries, who said he had been appointed as an alternate to the airport commission, told council he has not been receiving commission documentation and urged staff to share reports and materials with alternates so they can contribute. Other residents supported the charrette approach and emphasized transparency because the city holds ultimate responsibility for airport property and potential liabilities.
Next steps Council gave consensus for staff to develop a timeline and approach for the charrette, coordinate with airport staff to prepare renderings and survey instruments, and return to council with a proposed schedule and outreach plan.
