Good Morning, Sunland
It's Wednesday! I'm super happy to be here. I bought 7 tickets for a dance fitness class with Coach Apple over at We've Got Heart Studios. Mel is doing something really special there and she's looking for teachers and folks who are busy and need a little exercise. The next one is October 1 if you want to join. It's a long newsletter down below. So much has happened this week in our public meetings. Let's cut straight to it.
💜 People Pass Shoutout: Thank you to everyone supporting the newsletter! If you want to help keep this going, support here.
In today's newsletter:
🚗 Port St. Lucie has a $2.2 billion plan to keep up with growth and is $1.7 billion short
🚒 St. Lucie Fire Board reviewing policies after hazing terminations
🏘️ Lincoln Park residents push for affordable housing and community policing
🎪 Martin County Fair breaks ground on new Indiantown home
🎉 Weekend events: Soul Rodeo, Blue Collar concert, Bacon & BBQ Festival and more
⛈️ Weather Update: Cloudy and humid with a heavy thunderstorm this afternoon.
☀️ Day: High of 87°F | Cloudy and humid with heavy thunderstorm 80% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 74°F | A thunderstorm in spots this evening, 55% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:10 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 7:17 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 5:35 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 5:06 AM
🎶 Sounds like: "I'd Rather Be With You" — Bootsy Collins
Ja'Min Devon
Founder & Publisher, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: Port St. Lucie has a $2.2 billion plan to keep up with growth and is $1.7 billion short of paying for it
Port St. Lucie City Council took the first look Monday on a 25 year infrastructure plan that lays out everything the city thinks it will need to build between now and 2050 to keep up with where it is headed 🚗.
The plan is called the 2050 Mobility Plan and it covers roads, sidewalks, trails, bike lanes and transit. The city has added more than 65,000 people since 2020 and the traffic is something residents already feel every day.
The honest part of Monday's meeting is worth paying attention to. City officials acknowledged directly that the plan cannot fully fund itself. The gap between what is needed and what is available is $1.7 billion.
What the plan covers 📋:
🛣️ New and improved roads, sidewalks, trails, bike lanes and transit through 2050
📅 Short term projects through 2030 include expanding St. Lucie West Boulevard from four to six lanes
💰 Funded primarily through mobility fees charged to developers on new construction, not existing homeowners
The funding reality 📋:
💵 Total plan cost: $2.2 billion
📉 Current funding gap: $1.7 billion
🔧 Increasing mobility fees is one of the tools the city is looking at to close that gap
What the mayor said: "We know that growth has never paid for itself."
That is a notable thing for a mayor to say out loud and it gets at the core tension in a city that keeps growing faster than the infrastructure can follow.
What's next: The updated plan still needs final City Council approval before taking effect December 31st 📅.
💬 What do you think about the traffic situation in Port St. Lucie? Call or text us at (772) 212-1504
📰 Press Round: Policies, Properties & Prospects
🚒 St. Lucie Fire Board Reviewing Policies After Hazing Terminations
The St. Lucie Fire District will audit its disciplinary practices and complaint processes following the termination of three firefighters over a hazing incident involving a modified bug zapper. An independent investigation found a culture of peer pressure, though the union called it mutual horseplay. The board will hold workshops September 30 and October 7 to discuss policy changes and oversight improvements.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🏘️ Lincoln Park Residents Push for Affordable Housing and Community Policing
Fort Pierce's Lincoln Park neighborhood wants zoning changes to enable affordable housing development, better police presence through foot and bike patrols, and tougher code enforcement. A preliminary master plan found that over 60 percent of the 1,156 vacant parcels are too small for development under current 10,000 square foot minimums. Residents also called for first-time homebuyer training and neighborhood commercial services.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🎪 Martin County Fair Breaks Ground on New Indiantown Home
The Martin County Fair held a ceremonial groundbreaking on September 22 for its new 30 acre fairgrounds on Southwest Citrus Boulevard near Indiantown High School. The fair will move from Stuart in February 2028 after 68 years at its current location. Construction starts in January, funded by $1.7 million in state grants and local donations.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription may be required)
🎉 772 Weekender: September 25–27
Friday, September 25
🐴 South Florida Soul Rodeo Kick-Off Field Party, St. Lucie County Fairgrounds, Fort Pierce. 5PM–11PM, presale $36. Details
Saturday, September 26
🏃 6th Annual Out Run Hunger, Causeway Cove Marina, 601 Seaway Dr, Fort Pierce. Hunger Action Month benefit race, registration coming soon. Details
🎤 Blue Collar Big Dollar Concert, Elliott Museum, 825 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart. 5:30PM–8:30PM, live music from Three O'Clock Storm, dinner, museum tour included. Details
🎬 Saturday Drive In Movie Nights: Beetlejuice, Treasure Coast Park and Watch, Fort Pierce. Gates 6:45PM, movie 7:45PM, $19/vehicle. Details
🐴 South Florida Soul Rodeo, St Lucie County Fairgrounds, Fort Pierce. 5PM–7PM. Details
🌿 Farm Fest, Five Acre Farm, 1030 90th Ave, Vero Beach. 10AM–3PM, free, 20+ local vendors, food trucks. Details
Saturday–Sunday, September 26–27
🥓 PSL Bacon & BBQ Festival + Fall Craft Fair, MIDFLORIDA Event Center, PSL. 10AM–4PM both days, free admission, art and crafts, BBQ and bacon food, live entertainment. Details
If you have an event, send it to me here
💧 The Last Drop: Local Events & Transit
🚌 Area Regional Transit expands routes Oct. 1 – Routes 5 and 8 combining into newly expanded route 5 connecting Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and Tradition with full-service hours including Saturday service. Fare-free system administered by St. Lucie County Transit Department. Info
🎨 Fort Pierce Redevelopment Week highlights community impact – City spotlighting programs and investments made through Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency. FPRA grant programs support property improvements, business growth and neighborhood enhancement. Mural program transforming properties throughout Fort Pierce with public art. Details
🎵 River Nights concert series kicks off Oct. 8 – Port St. Lucie's free monthly music series returns with Reaxtion Band playing classic top 40s, disco and R&B at 5:30pm on second Thursday of each month through April at The Event Lawn at The Port (2454 SE Westmoreland Blvd). Food and drinks available for purchase. Details
📖 Thanks For Reading: How was today’s newsletter?
👋 Thanks for reading! If you found it useful, consider sharing it with a friend.
📱 Keep up with the Sunland News: Send comments & suggestions to [email protected] Follow us on, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube
🙋♂️ Did someone forward you this? Subscribe Below!
