Juno Beach council asks consultants for more public engagement before next master‑plan step

The Juno Beach Town Council spent much of a Sept. 3 work session pressing consultants to expand public engagement before the next round of master‑plan deliverables. Council members and consultants agreed on a statistically valid public survey and a series of interactive public workshops aimed at getting clearer resident and business input on tradeoffs such as height, density, and the commercial–residential mix.

"Everything that comes up in the master development plan, if it's not codified through a land use regulation, would not be mandatory," said Rob, the meeting facilitator, summarizing the consultants' view that a master plan is primarily aspirational until implementation steps are adopted. Council members asked that any future visuals be clearly labeled as drafts and circulated in advance so residents and council have context before public meetings.

Council members who favor stronger resident influence said previous presentations did not reflect community comments. "Keep it small. Keep it Juno," said Council member Didi Halpern, urging a resident‑centered approach. Other members emphasized the need for concrete analyses — such as site‑level traffic and infrastructure impacts — that would let the town evaluate policy tradeoffs.

Consultants from the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council said they will coordinate a survey instrument (Polco was mentioned as an option), propose in‑season meeting dates when seasonal residents are present, and prepare a set of illustrations that compare what the current code permits with alternative concepts that reflect resident priorities. The council asked staff and the consultants to present a timeline and to ensure workshop materials make clear they are work‑in‑progress.