Canal: Large citrus groves and irrigation and drainage canals are a major landuse.

Pond: The rural land west of Palm Beach features unspoiled wetlands and forests.

Dodson Associates is developing site planning and design guidelines to manage future growth in a rural, rapidly suburbanizing sector of Palm Beach County. Part of a multi-disciplinary team led by WilsonMiller, Inc., Dodson Associates is helping craft overall development strategies to preserve existing agricultural lands and orange groves while accommodating new development in existing and new compact, mixed-use centers. The firm is developing detailed design guidelines to assist county planners, developers and landowners to fit new development in with the existing rural character and lifestyle of the area. The sector plan is being developed under Florida's new statewide landuse regulations.

Protecting rural character is a key element of the plan. Maintaining lower growth rates, preserving large tracts of citrus, nursery and other farmlands and reducing traffic congestion are important elements of the plan. Infilling existing developed areas and creating new town center will allow existing open space areas to be permanently protected. Enhancing the area's equestrian trails and facilities will strengthen a key element of the sector's rural character. Wildlife habitat enhancement measures include expanded preserves, linkages between existing preserves, creation of open space corridors and construction of new wetlands. Water management measures include creation of new water storage/wetland areas, restoration of existing canals and creation of on-site detention areas. Implementation tools include specific plan, design guidelines and strengthened county and state landuse regulations.

Plan: The plan calls for extensive open space preservation
and new, compact centers. Click image for full view.

Road: The unspoiled rural character of the sector is highly
valued by residents.