The mission of the Long Range Planning Committee is to advise the POA Board of Directors about the future needs of the Ocean Village community. We actively seek to improve the quality of life for all Ocean Village owners and guests.
Lara Currie (chair), Paul Dasso, Julio Davila, Steve Hanley, Ted Heisler, and Barbara Russell. The POA board liaison is Steve DeBack.
Long Range Planning meets on the second Tuesday of every month, except July and August, at 11:00 am in Aruba West. (Location and date subject to change.) All owners are welcome and encouraged to attend. The next meeting is Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 11:00 am in the Aruba Center. Here is the agenda.
Documents -
LRPC Proposal to POA Board of Directors April 9 2024
Pedestrian Safety Implementation
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Stormwater management and flooding mitigation are the two highest priorities for our community. On April 28, 2022, the POA Board of Directors approved a proposal submitted by Kevin Albrecht, P.E. to collect elevation data throughout Ocean Village. This information is being used to prepare plans that address localized flooding issues experienced by several clusters, including Beachtree I, Catamaran II, Ocean Villas II, Seascape II, and on Windward Drive near the second green. He is analyzing the long term stormwater management needs of the entire Village.Please click this link to learn more about Albrecht Engineering.
In February, 2023, Kevin Albrecht submitted a comprehensive analysis of current flooding conditions within Ocean Village which contains several recommendations for ways to manage stormwater in the future. His report, which includes cost estimates, is available at this link. All Ocean Village owners are encouraged to read the report. Flooding in Ocean Village is likely to become the most significant challenge for our community in the near future.
The Florida Department of Transportation is considering a proposal by Kevin Albrecht to connect the exit drain from the 3900 retention pond to the drainage box at the corner of Coconut Drive with a pipe about 2 feet below the grade of the swale along the east side of A1A. This would promote better drainage for most of Ocean Village and lower the normal water level in our retention ponds as they can accept more stormwater when needed Once the necessary permits are approved, the work should take about 6 months to complete.
The next phase of our plan to better control stormwater and flooding is under development by Kevin, who will update the board and the general manager as those proposals are finalized. His latest report was presented at the February meeting of the POA board of directors.
In January, 2022, Jeff Carney of the University of Florida FIBER program advised the Long Range Planning committee that as sea levels rise, exporting stormwater will be less of an issue than preventing water from outside the Village gaining access to our community. The latest guidance from NOAA and 6 other federal agencies predicts that sea levels in South Florida are expected to rise a foot or more by 2050. This is the single most critical issue for Ocean Village as we plan to make our community resilient and sustainable. To understand the impact of sea level rise on Ocean Village specifically, please see this interactive model created by researchers at the University of Florida. We also now have access to the latest NOAA sea level rise modeling as of February, 2022. Here is a graphic prepared by the FIBER team based on publicly available data from NASA that shows what the effects of sea level rise will be on Ocean Village. Every owner should be familiar with this information, as it will define the challenges we face as a community in the future. The green areas are marsh land. The blue areas are sea water.
To meet these challenges, Ocean Village should consider all future landscaping as part of a stormwater management framework and draw upon two available natural devices:
A bioswale is a ditch with vegetation and a porous bottom. The top layer consists of enhanced soil with plants, and below that layer is gravel. These materials have large empty spaces, allowing the rainwater to drain off.
A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression, which is generally formed on a natural slope. Rain gardens are a cost effective and aesthetically-pleasing way to reduce stormwater runoff. They have the ability to absorb a significant amount of water -- these drainage systems can soak up 30% more water than typical grass. Here is a link to information from the University of Florida that explains what a ran garden is, how one is created, and what it does.
Every owner is strongly encouraged to become familiar with those strategies and techniques, as they will help offer solutions as to how Ocean Village responds to our flooding and stormwater issues in the future.
Permeable surfaces are another way of reducing flooding. Instead of going into a storm drain, rain percolates through the permeable surface into the ground below. Permeables:
Reduce stormwater runoff rate and volume;
Reduce water pollution by trapping pollutants in the pavement;
Replenishes groundwater, which can in turn be used by plants surrounding the pavement;
Reduces surface temperatures since permeable pavement doesn't produce a “heat island.”
Permeables should be given due consideration whenever a hard, impermeable surface within the Village is added or modified.
Kate Rotindo of the University of Florida Extension Service visited Ocean Village in May, 2022 and provided us with a list of resources the POA board, the General Manager, and individual clusters can use when making decisions about what plants grow well in Ocean Village and how to care for them, including plants that help with stormwater management. Here is a list of her recommendations, with links to several guides and specific information on several species.
Walking or biking in Ocean Village after dark can be challenging, particularly in the winter months after
Daylight Savings ends. There are many parts of the Village that could benefit from more exterior lighting,
especially along our roadways. The community could opt to install low voltage bollard lights like the ones at
the community center or solar powered lights such as those available from Solar Electric Power Company in
Stuart.
On April 27, 2022, First Service Residential presented a webinar about providing EV chargers in condominium communities. A video of that webinar was created and is available on YouTube at this link. The presentation explains the various options available and the costs of each. The Long Range Planning Committee suggests this as recommended viewing for the members of the POA board of directors and all HOA boards who may be considering the installation of EV chargers for residents and guests.
At the February meeting, Max Ammons, from Loop EV, a manufacturer of electric car charging equipment, and Harry Bernstein, representing Rack Electric, a company that installs EV charging equipment were on hand to answer questioins from owners about installing EV chargers in Ocean Villge. Our General Manager, members of the POA board, and cluster representatives who have questions about EV chargers may reach out to them for informatioin.
In addition, Thierry Sydne of FPUA was on hand to talk about the many ways our local utility can help support the installation of chargers at Ocean Village.
On February 18,, 2022, Sandra Bogan, the Resilience Navigator, and Joshua Revord, head of Erosion Control for St. Lucie County, addressed the Long Range Planning Committee and several owners.They described the efforts that St. Lucie County is making to coordinate its resiliency programs with cities and counties along the Treasure Coast. Bogan presented a PowerPoint presentation describing those efforts, which may be viewed at this link.
They said Ocean Village is one of the most proactive communities on South Hutchinson Island, as advanced preparation will offer us information, guidance, and tentative solutions as our community attempts to offset the effects of rising sea levels.
Vision 2030 is an interactive document designed to bring together in one place every idea --- big or small --- that could benefit the Ocean Village community now and in the future. It is intended to promote discussion, generate ideas, and keep community members informed about proposals that will affect your Village. Vision 2030 updates automatically each time a change is made. Please click the link above to view the entire document.