Neighborhood stores with a community
feel - just walking distance from home.
That's how developers of Abacoa's Greenwich project are
describing the mixed-use property east of Military Trail,
adjacent to the New Haven community, set to begin construction
within the next few weeks. The project was approved by the
Jupiter Town Council in May.
But some New Haven residents say that they don't want it in
their back yard. Rick Orsi objects linking Greenwich's
commercial roads to New Haven's neighborhood streets.
"I'm not against the project by any means," Orsi said. "I'm
just against the extra traffic. I just don't want them exiting
that stuff into the neighborhood."
Tim Hernandez, a principal planner with New Urban
Communities, said his company has done everything possible to
appease those protesting the project. Hernandez said he has
attended several meetings with New Haven residents and has
made many concessions to satisfy everyone affected by
Greenwich.
"The principle of Abacoa is to embrace the community
development and interconnectivity of pedestrian orientation as
opposed to exclusive, gated, elitist type of approaches that
have been found throughout the country and in South Florida
for the past 20 years," Hernandez said.
"This is almost exactly the type of development that was
envisioned when Abacoa was created, and we're doing our best
to be good neighbors."
New Haven resident Jo Willams, who supports the project,
said the developers have done more than enough in working with
residents.
"The developer made a lot of good changes in our favor,
trying to be a good neighbor," she said. "We're so fortunate
to have this kind of project come into our community."
Five New Haven residents spoke of their opposition to the
project at the Sept. 16 Town Council meeting. The group
expressed concerns about students walking home from Beacon
Cove Elementary School, located just east of the project. The
students walk in the area where the project's roads will open
into the community.
"You've got the school exiting through the neighborhood,"
Orsi said. "I'm just wondering if the town will realize this
problem before some idiot runs a kid over?"
Hernandez said the interconnectivity was suggested to
reduce commercial traffic in the area. He said traffic studies
have shown that visitors to the retail area of Greenwich would
have no use for the roads connecting to New Haven.
Orsi hopes that the town will hear his and other New Haven
residents' complaints, and will reconsider interconnectivity
issues with the project.
"I don't think it's a dead issue," Orsi said.
But Assistant Town Manager Andy Lukasik said the town staff
does not want the project's approval reconsidered.
Hernandez said construction is set to begin within the next
few weeks and should take about three years to complete.
"(Interconnectivity) was discussed by traffic experts, by
city engineers, the town engineer," Hernandez said. "Everybody
agrees that there's not a problem now, and there won't be a
problem when this is built the way it is."
- jennifer.brannock@scripps.com
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