West Palm Beach should put someone in charge of its downtown waterfront, redesign Flagler Drive and help people feel safer there, consultants say in a draft report to the city.
After the collapse of an effort in July 2023 to allow a marina on the waterfront, Mayor Keith James commissioned a community study to set a direction for the city’s signature feature.
Thousands of residents and visitors participated in the study, which included three public workshops. It followed intense blowback from residents after city commissioners aborted the marina plan championed by James and it does not make a recommendation concerning a marina.
SunFest’s surprise announcement last week leaves it unclear if the weekend-long festival will return to the Flagler Drive waterfront. Much of the waterfront’s design has been driven by the need to accommodate SunFest and the Palm Beach International Boat Show.
Stet News obtained the preliminary report through a public records request.
Jennifer Ferriol, director of Housing and Community Development, told commissioners last month the report is still under staff review.
The 77-page draft report, led by Street Plans’ Miami-based consultants, recommends 10 ideas to improve the resiliency of the waterfront and enhance the experience for visitors. Some of them overlap. Here they are:
1. Adopt a stewardship model.
What the report found: No single organization is responsible for the waterfront, and the public is tired of a series of studies about its future.
Key recommendation: Identify a department to manage the waterfront. It could also hand off the responsibility to an entity or nonprofit “friends of” management model.
The department or organization would direct planning, fundraising, stewardship and programming.
In the short term, consultants recommend the city hire a dedicated staff member in the department of Housing and Community Development to drive the report’s nine remaining recommendations..
2. Redesign the waterfront as a unified public space.
What the report found: The public spaces are beloved, and they would benefit from a master plan that unites the district from the Royal Park Bridge north to the Flagler Bridge.
Key recommendation: Create an updated plan that includes a full redesign of all public space including shade, tree canopy, native landscaping, coordinated seating, amenities, structures, play and art.
3. Rethink the edge of the waterfront and access to water.
What the report found: The waterfront offers access to nature in an urban setting, but little direct interaction with the water.
Key recommendation: Replace the seawall and waterfront edge with a combination of natural and built edges that offer access and enhance the beauty of the space. No costs were projected.
4. Activate the waterfront promenade.
What the report found: Residents and visitors expressed a love for walking on the waterfront.
Key recommendation: Improve the experience with short-term additions of shade, things to do and upgraded seating while the longer-range plans come together.
5. Complete the Lake Trail loop.
What the report found: The waterfront bike and walking paths are cut off from Palm Beach’s venerable Lake Trail. Crossing Flagler Drive to get to the waterfront can be a challenge.
Key recommendation: Work with Palm Beach to create a Lake Trail loop and address the missing access to the Flagler Bridge on the north side of the promenade.
6. Redesign Flagler Drive.
What the report found: The street provides more space for cars than is needed and crossing it is a barrier to people moving toward the waterfront.
Key recommendation: Within the first year of the plan’s adoption initiate a short-term design and capital improvement project to update Flagler Drive with a focus on expanding the waterfront promenade and making it easier and safer for people to cross Flagler.
In other words: Improve pedestrian crossings and consider changing downtown Flagler Drive from four lanes to two lanes.
In 2017, then-Mayor Jeri Muoio led an experiment to close the eastern two lanes of Flagler. The project drew criticism before ending in March 2018.
7. Implement quick-impact initiatives.
What the report found: Beyond the water’s edge and promenade, the other public spaces need attention.
Key recommendation: Lower or remove the berm at the Meyer Amphitheater. Provide for structural, electrical, plumbing and security updates there and possible expansion to include concessions.
8. Create a coordinated program schedule.
What the report found: Residents appreciate the major events and the 525 smaller events each year. The experience could be even better.
Key recommendation: Expand programs and create a brand strategy to promote the waterfront with a name and logo.
9. Make it nice (Or as the report put it: Prioritize stewardship of the waterfront)
What the report found: There is not a clear idea of who is responsible for everyday maintenance and cleanup of the property.
Key recommendation: Establish a regular maintenance calendar and punch list that reports up to the waterfront manager position to be created.
10. Improve perceptions of safety.
What the report found: A concern about safety fueled in part by the presence of homeless people.
Key recommendation: There are several here. One is to work with the future waterfront steward to create a program with ambassadors who have a daily presence and can address small-scale safety and public behavior issues, similar to a service now provided by the Downtown Development Authority.
What’s next: The city’s Ferriol told commissioners she expects to present the final recommendations around the end of the year.
City commissioners will decide whether to adopt the recommendations.
Read the complete draft report here.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
