Here's where you get to ask those questions about Port St. Lucie's history you've wondered about, and we'll try to find the answers.
Q. When did the population of Port St. Lucie first exceed that of Fort Pierce? And what proportion of St. Lucie County do the two cities now represent?
A. According to the annual population study conducted by the University of Florida, Port St. Lucie became St. Lucie County’s most populous city in 1988, with over 42,000 residents, thanks to a growth spurt. At the same time, the population of Fort Pierce had declined slightly to under 39,000.
The 2010 U.S. Census found the city’s population approaching 165,000, more than 59 percent of that of the county. Fort Pierce holds just under 15 percent, with the rest living in the unincorporated county, which includes River Park, Indian River Estates, White City and Lakewood Park as well as smaller neighborhoods and rural land.
Q.What are the boundaries of Sandpiper Bay?
A. The Sandpiper Bay Community was developed and named by General Development Corporation (GDC). The resort in its boundaries, now known as Club Med -- Sandpiper, bears the name as does the city’s gateway signage at its entrances. The geographic boundaries are the North Fork of the St. Lucie River to the south and west, Port St. Lucie Boulevard to the north and US 1 to the east (minus the commercial strips along the latter two).
These boundaries were re-validated by a district court ruling in the early 90s during/after the bankruptcy of GDC. Within the Sandpiper Bay Community’ boundaries are a number of HOA / Condo associations, all with their unique identity, including the Sandpiper Bay Homeowners Association, Ballantrae, The Anchorage, River Vista, etc. Sandpiper Bay is the area where the city of Port St. Lucie originated, although there had been previous development in the unincorporated area of River Park.
"The Sandpiper Bay area (Sandpiper) is defined as the area within the following boundaries: Beginning at the intersection of the East shoreline of the North fork of the St. Lucie River and Port St. Lucie Boulevard proceeding East along the South side of Port St. Lucie Boulevard to Delano Road and then South along both sides of Delano Road and Carthage Road across Howard Creek and continuing South along the West side of Giffen Avenue and Bakersfield Street to the Martin County line, thence South to the South boundary of the city, thence West along said South boundary to the North fork of the St. Lucie River and then North along the East shore of the said river to the point of beginning, all being and lying within the corporate limits of the city of Port St. Lucie, Florida."
Richard McAfoos, spokesperson for the Coalition of Sandpiper Bay AssociationsQ. What is the history of the property on Westmoreland Boulevard where the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens are now located?
A. Early City records show that the land was part of the Pruitt Fish Camp. Then in 1981 the site was approved for residential development (Moonraker Bay PUD). That development program was for a 374 residential unit development. The only construction on the site was the installation of the roads and utility infrastructure. In 2002, the City of Port St. Lucie purchased the property under the Florida Communities Trust Land Conservation Program.
Once the City had purchased the property utilizing the grant it worked on several concepts to integrate the public recreation component that was required by the Florida Communities Trust. Concepts of parkland, marinas were considered and then finally a botanical garden idea was accepted. The area became part of the Community Redevelopment Area in 2006. The Botanical Gardens site plan was approved by the City Council on March 24, 2008 and opened on March 7, 2009.
-- Daniel Holbrook, AICP, Director of Planning and Zoning, City of Port St. Lucie, FLSend an e-mail to info@pslhistory.org. Include as many details about the subject of your question that you know or suspect. Include your name and phone number in case we need to contact you for more information. Also indicate if you will permit your name to be used.
We will attempt to locate an authority to answer all legitimate questions. Unanswered questions will also be posted and we would appreciate input from a reader who has knowledge of the issue. We request that any submitted answers be limited to 200 words. We will require names for attribution of answers. Thank you for your participation.
