Pineland Prairie

Martin Countys Board of County Commissioners voted 4-1 today to approve the Master Site Plan for Phase 1 of the innovative Newfield mixed-use community, which will set a new standard for traditional neighborhood design and open-space preservation on the Treasure Coast. At the same time, it approved the creation of a Community Development District (... CDD) encompassing 2,212 of the projects 3,411 acres, to facilitate funding the infrastructure and amenities that Newfield will need over its estimated 20 years of development. The 1,199 acres of pristine natural lands not placed in the CDD will be protected forever under two or more county-sponsored PAMPsPreserve Area Management Plansthat are a centerpiece of Newfield. These landsadded to another 1,100 acres of open space like playing fields, farms and groves, school grounds, recreational parks and small squares and greens within the new townwill bring the combined open space at Newfield to an unprecedented 70% of the total acreage. Open space at Newfieldopen to the enjoyment of all county residents, without gateswill be several times the size of the countys current largest park, Halpatiokee. The natural areas in the PAMPs will become the Kiplinger Conservancy, crisscrossed by trails for hikers, mountain bikers and horses, skirting beautiful wetlands, pastures and upland hammocks. Agriculturethe biggest legacy industry of Martin Countywill live on in more than 100 acres of farms and groves in Newfield. The Conservancy will also include the countys first relocation space for gopher tortoises threatened by loss of habitat elsewhere in the county. The BOCC also approved the developer agreement under which Newfield will either contribute impact fees to the county or build public facilities, covering the cost of the countys providing basic services to Newfields new residents in the years to come. This agreementplus the new CDD, plus the regular county taxes that residents will payall assure that development will pay for itself, a long tradition in Martin County. Several ...Read More