Staff updates Planning Board on Sailboat Bend streetscape master plan and outreach

City planning staff on July 15 gave the Planning and Zoning Board a mid‑project update on the Sailboat Bend Historic District streetscape master plan, summarizing outreach efforts and showing preliminary design concepts.

Assistant planning manager Trish Logan said the project grew from a 2024 vision plan and noted a recent three‑day public outreach initiative organized with the consultant Inspire Placemaking. Project manager Tyler LaForme described the engagement: an open house, a full‑day design charrette and follow‑up presentations in which community members placed green (likes) and red (dislikes) dots on preferred concepts.

Preliminary concepts under consideration include activating alleyways with pedestrian lighting, multimodal pathways and landscaping, and a more radical idea discussed in concept form: vacating a section of Waverly Road to create stronger connections between Tequesta Park, Waverly Road and Major Lauderdale Park. Logan said the project is still in draft form and will return with more fully developed recommendations; staff plans to present a final package to the City Commission in early 2027.

Board members asked how the project verifies that online respondents are local stakeholders; staff said the survey asked respondents to state their relationship to the district and the city rather than requiring street addresses. The presentation was informational only — the board will not vote on the master plan tonight and will see updated materials as the design work proceeds.