Increased Greenspace/Decreased Density
20,000 square foot tree lined public park on Salzedo behind a future new Publix on LeJeune plus a shaded 45-foot-wide dedicated pedestrian corridor area next to the LeJeune road sidewalk rather than setting the building at the LeJeune Road property line. Although the zoning for the parcel allows a 150- to 190.5-foot-tall building on Salzedo with over 300 residential units in addition to the store, the building approved is only 36 feet tall and has no residential units. The plans include pedestrian safety improvements and a bike lane east of LeJeune Road on Andalusia and Salzedo. The combined green spaces will reduce the asphalt and cement footprint by thirty percent (30%). This park combined with the next two canopied parks on Salzedo will create a green corridor in our Central Business District totaling ¾ of an acre that never existed before.
10,000 square foot tree lined public park on Salzedo/Almeria corner required for Regency Parc Residences project. The conditions of approval required approx. a sixty-two percent (62%) reduction of allowed density, resulting in a building with 126 actual units rather than 330 units allowed as of right. The park converts an asphalt parking lot into public green space. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the park must be green space with shade trees.
5,000 square foot park shaded with two specimen trees on Catalonia/Salzedo and moving of a third specimen tree into a public park from another development site that State law permitted to be cut down. The conditions of approval required installation of traffic calming in adjacent neighborhoods, extending the sewer line beyond the project so residents nearby could connect to sewer, and installation of street trees on both sides of two streets that never had any shade trees.
12,500 square foot shaded public park on Galiano/Almeria corner adjacent to a single-family residential area that strongly supports using the parcel for a children’s playground with ample tree canopy. The parcel currently has a surface parking lot. The conditions of approval require the developer to construct the park, convey it to the city and install shade trees on both sides of the street in sidewalks that have never had shade trees.
5,000 square foot public park shaded with three large specimen trees located on a site next to the Shoppes of Merrick Park. A prior permitted project provided no public park with green space and shade canopy.
22,712 well landscaped open space with large shade trees at Ponce Park Residences with 7,644 right of way improvements adding green space and full restoration and enhancement of Ponce Circle Park with amenities and shade trees. The improvements at Ponce Circle Park are estimated to be worth at least $2MD and require Ponce Park Residences to maintain all landscaped open space and Ponce Circle Park in perpetuity. The Commission rejected a prior, modern, denser and taller version of the project on July 25, 2022. The rejected proposed project was 149 foot-tall with 80 residential units. After two years of meetings with nearby residents, on March 1, 2024, the same residents that opposed the first project actively supported the revised plans for a high-quality Mediterranean Revival style building 33 feet shorter with 23 fewer residential units and a commitment to make all improvements needed for Ponce Circle Park, including pedestrian safety and traffic calming.
7,500 square foot tree lined green space on Valencia/Hernando where the zoning did not require the project to provide a public park or substantial green space. The original proposed project maximized lot coverage to the property lines and had three times more residential units. Rhonda advocated for these changes before she ran for office.