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2.0 COMMUNITY PROFILE
This section describes the geography, population, infrastructure, property and
development trends, economic resources, environmental resources, historic and cultural
resources, and critical facilities within St. Lucie County and the municipalities therein. The three
main sources of information for this section are the 2000 U.S. Census, Enterprise Florida
(2003), and The 2008 Florida Statistical Abstract (University of Florida, 2001a).
2.1 GEOGRAPHY
St. Lucie County is located along Florida’s southeast coast, in the upper reaches of
the South Florida geographic region. Locally, this area is referred to as Florida’s Treasure
Coast because of the many Spanish treasure galleons shipwrecked along this part of the coast.
The County comprises approximately 600 572 square miles, of which 513 480 square miles are
unincorporated. The balance of the land area is located within the incorporated municipalities
of Fort Pierce (14.7 square miles), Port St. Lucie (75.5 square miles), and St. Lucie Village
(approximately 1 square mile).
St. Lucie County may be characterized as slightly rectangular in shape. At its widest points, the
County measures 24 miles north/south and 29 miles east/west. The County is divided into three
physiographic regions, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge (including the barrier islands), the Eastern
Valley, and the Osceola Plain. The dominating physiographic region of the east/central portion
of the County is known as the Eastern Valley. The most populated area of the County is the
Eastern Valley. The Valley extends from the Atlantic Coastal Ridge to the central part of the
County. Elevations in this area range from +15 to +30 feet above sea level.
St. Lucie County averages 53 inches of precipitation annually as well as an average
of 127 days of rain per year. The average high temperature in January is 73 degrees, while the
low is 53 degrees. In July, the average high temperature is 90 degrees, while the average low
is 73 degrees.
The vast citrus and ranching areas of central and western St. Lucie County are
contained within the Osceola Plain physiographic areas known as which includes the
Sebastian/St. Lucie Flats, Allapattah Flats, and the Osceola Flats. Except where drained for
agricultural activities, these areas are characteristically pocketed with surface wetlands and
have limited natural drainage. Elevations in this area are in the range of +30 to +60 feet, with
the general fall of the land being from the northwest to the southeast.
The Atlantic Coastal Ridge forms the eastern border of the County and includes the
coastal barrier island Hutchinson Island. Elevations range from sea level to about +15/+17 feet
on the barrier island to as much as +60 feet along the western shorelines of the Indian River
Lagoon. The western terminus of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge lies along the shoreline of the
Indian River Lagoon south of Fort Pierce and along the U.S. Highway 1 right-of-way (eastern
side) north of Fort Pierce.
The North Fork of the St. Lucie River is the single principal freshwater estuary in St.
Lucie County. Secondary watercourses include the North Fork’s two primary tributaries, Five
Mile and Ten Mile Creeks. An unconnected freshwater marsh network, known as the
Savannas, is located immediately to the west of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. The Savannas
represent a vanishing natural feature that was once found along the entire length of the Indian
River Lagoon, from Volusia County to northern Palm Beach County. Over time, the spatial
extent of the habitat has been lost due to the pressures of urban development. The key tracts
of habitat that remain are situated in Port St. Lucie and northern St. Lucie County. Through the
continued effort of the State of Florida’s Florida Forever Program Conservation and
Recreational Land (CARL) acquisition program, privately held properties within this area are
being acquired for perpetual public preservation.
Lying between the western edges of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and Hutchinson Island
is Indian River Lagoon. This saltwater estuary is part of a larger ecosystem that extends
115 miles from Volusia County to northern Palm Beach County.
In addition to its inland estuary and isolated wetland network, St. Lucie County has
18 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline, much of which is currently undeveloped. Through the
efforts of the citizens of St. Lucie County and the State of Florida, approximately 4.5 miles of
this unincorporated oceanfront are under public ownership. Another 2 miles of oceanfront
property are owned by the Florida Power & Light Company, and are to be maintained in their
present natural state in conjunction with the operation of the St. Lucie Power Plant facilities.
The balance of the remaining oceanfront properties is held in private ownership and available
for development activities, which have historically been residential in character. Presently,
approximately 40% 75% of this privately held frontage is developed for residential or business
purposes.
From a hazard perspective, especially in terms of flooding, drainage has had an
important component shaping the overall development pattern. Many canals and drainage
ditches have been constructed throughout St. Lucie County. The primary canals include
?C-23 – Providing drainage for 168 square miles in southern St. Lucie, northern
Martin, and eastern Okeechobee counties. C-23 and its structures remove
excess water from the C-23 Basin, supply water to the basin (and, occasionally,
to the C-24 Basin), and maintain ground water elevations west of S-48 to prevent
saltwater intrusion into the local ground water.
?C-24 – Providing drainage to 167 square miles in central St. Lucie and east
central Okeechobee counties. C-24 and its control structures remove excess
water from the C-24 Basin, supply water to the basin, and maintain ground water
table elevation west of S-49 adequate to prevent saltwater intrusion into the local
ground water.
?C-25 – Providing drainage to 165 square miles in northwest St. Lucie and
eastern Okeechobee counties. C-25 and its control structures remove excess
water from the C-25 Basin, supply water to the basin (and occasionally, to the C-
24 Basin), and maintain ground water table elevation west of S-50 adequate to
prevent saltwater intrusion into the local ground water.
2.2 POPULATION
In 2000, the estimated countywide population was 192,695, up 28% from 1990
Table 2.1
(). According to the 2008 Florida Statistical Abstract, the countywide population
estimate as of April 1, 2007 was 271,961, up 41% from 2000. The Treasure Coast has
experienced tremendous growth since the 1960’s, and this trend is expected to continue.
According to a FEMA Post-Disaster Recovery and Redevelopment Guide, St. Lucie County was
th
ranked 13 of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast counties with the largest population growth rates
Figure
between 1960 and 1990. The County’s growth rate during this time period was 282.2%.
2.1
illustrates population growth in St. Lucie County between 1960 and 2000.
Table 2.1. Population growth in St. Lucie County.
1980 1990 2000 2007 % Increase % Increase
2010 % Increase
City/County Census Census Census BEBR (1980 - (1990 -
(Projected) (2000 - 2010)
Data Data Data Estimate 1990) 2000)
Fort Pierce 33,802 36,830 37,516 41,972 9.0 1.9 55,500 47.3
Port St. Lucie 14,690 55,761 88,769 155,315 279.6 59.2 140,700 57.8
Village of
593 584 604 635 (1.5) 3.4 833 37.4
St. Lucie
Unincorporated 38,097 56,996 65,806 74,039 49.6 15.5 93,067 40.8
Countywide
87,182 150,171 192,695 271,961 72.3 28.3 288,900 49.9
Totals
Sources: South Florida Water Management District, 1998.
University of Florida, 1989, 1998, 2001b, 2006, 2007
Figure 2.1. Population growth, St. Lucie County, 1960 – 2000.
250,000
192,695
200,000
150,171
150,000
87,182
100,000
50,836
39,294
50,000
0
19601970198019902000
Source: United States Census, 1990, 2000.
The A majority of the growth has occurred and is expected to continue to
occur in proximity to the City of Port St. Lucie, the fastest growing area in St. Lucie
Figure 2.2
County. illustrates the projected population according to the 2008 Florida
Statistical Abstract for St. Lucie County between 2010 and 2030.
Figure 2.2. Projected population, St. Lucie County, 2010 – 2030.
314,100
350,000
295,200
274,600
300,000
253,400
232,800
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
20102015202020252030
Source: University of Florida, 2001a.
There are three municipalities jurisdictions in the St. Lucie County: Fort
Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and St. Lucie Village. In terms of population, there is significant
variation among them. The 2007 estimate of population for Port St. Lucie is 155,315.
Fort Pierce is estimated to have a population of 41,972 and the Village, 635 people.
Since 1980, there has been a dramatic shift of population toward southern St. Lucie
County. From 1980 to 1998, countywide population more than doubled; however, during
that same period, the population of Port St. Lucie increased from 14,690 to 88,769, an
increase of a little more than 500% or five times the 1980 population base. This growth
pattern is expected to continue into the future.
Other significant population characteristics include age, race, income, and
special needs. The median age of St. Lucie County residents is 40.5. Twenty percent of
the County is over the age of 65. This is significant because elderly populations may
require additional or special assistance during a natural hazard event. Because cultural
differences can influence an individual’s response to an event, it is important to define
the County population in terms of race. Fifteen percent of St. Lucie County’s residents
are Hispanic or Latino, while 17% are Black or African American. While the entire
County population grew nearly 28% between 1990 and 2000, the Hispanic population
grew by over 800%. Nearly 14% of residents speak a language other than English at
home. Language is an important consideration when developing preparedness
materials for residents. The median household income in St. Lucie County is $46,127,
and 7.8% of families are considered to live below the poverty level. Per capita personal
income in St. Lucie is approximately 25% lower than the state average.
2.3 INFRASTRUCTURE
2.3.1 Public Buildings
Central Services at the County is responsible for 1.6 million square feet of
building space. Port St. Lucie is responsible for 400 structures and 1.4 million square
feet of building space. (Need info from Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Village) There are a
total of 17 fire stations in the County as well as a total of 41 public schools. In addition,
the County library system is made up of seven branches. Altogether the County is
responsible for 350 miles of paved roadways, 134 miles of rock/dirt roads, and 31 miles
of asphalt roads.
2.3.2 Transportation
St. Lucie County is a multi-modal hub as exhibited by the various modes of
transportation that exist within the County. Being an urbanizing County, residents and
businesses are serviced by many suppliers that depend upon the air, rail, and trucking
industries to distribute goods throughout southeast Florida. There are two major traffic
corridors (i.e., Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike), the Florida East Coast Railroad
and CSX, Port of Fort Pierce, and St. Lucie International Airport. The St. Lucie
th
International Airport was the 12 busiest airport in the state in 2002. The Port of Fort
Pierce is 28 feet deep, consists of 87 acres, 3 docks, warehouses, and dry and
refrigerated storage. Major State Roads in St. Lucie County include SR 68, 70, 605,
611, 615, 707, 712, 713, 716, and 778. The County has a fixed route and a demand
response transit system to serve the transportation needs of County residents. If
lessons are to be learned from more highly urbanized areas to the south (Fort
Lauderdale and Miami), increased traffic congestion creates a greater potential for
transportation accidents if no steps are taken to mitigate against such occurrences.
2.3.3 Utilities
Florida Power & Light Company and the FPUA provide electric service in the
County. The FPUA, the City of Port St. Lucie, the City of Fort Pierce, St. Lucie West
Utilities, and St. Lucie County Utilities provide water and sewer services in the County.
FPUA, NUI/City Gas Company of Florida, and the City Gas Company of Florida provide
gas service to County residents. There are three utility districts in the County:
HEW/Lakewood Park, North County Holiday Pines, and North Hutchinson Island.
Telephone companies that provide service in the County include AT&T, BellSouth,
Sprint, and MCI.
2.4 PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
As growth has occurred, the County has become more urbanized, especially
east of the Interstate 95 corridor. Land in St. Lucie County is used for three major
purposes: urban uses, agriculture, and protecting environmentally sensitive resource
areas (e.g., water conservation areas, Savannas State Reserve Area, beach areas).
There has been some conversion of rural, agricultural areas into residential communities
and industrial and business employment centers. However, the major change has
occurred in Port St. Lucie. The City is the result of a massive land sale project created
by General Development Corporation (GDC) during the 1960’s. However, it was not
until the late 1970’s that development began to dramatically increase. According to
Enterprise Florida (2009), there are 9,809 acres of land zoned industrial in the County,
with 1,300 acres of industrial parks designated as well.
Table 2.2
provides a synopsis of the community characteristics for each
municipality.
Table 2.2. Community characteristics within St. Lucie County.
Community Character Economic Base
City Location Urban/Rural (Residential/Working/ (Industrial/Agricultural/
Retirement) Retirement/Business)
St. Lucie Village Coastal Semi-Urban Residential/Retirement Residential/Retirement
Residential/Industrial/
Fort Pierce Coastal Urban Residential/Working
Business
Residential/Working/
Port St. Lucie Inland Urban Residential/Business
Retirement
Unincorporated Residential/Working/ Industrial/Agricultural/
Coastal/Inland Urban/Rural
St. Lucie County Retirement Business
Source: Continental Shelf Associates, Inc., 1999. St. Lucie County Grants / Disaster Recovery,
2009.
St. Lucie County has a total of 130,581 housing units comprised mostly of
single-family detached units (80.3%) and condos (7.9%). Seventy-two percent of homes
in St. Lucie County were built prior to 1990. Nearly 71% of residents own their own
home in St. Lucie County, and the median value of owner-occupied homes in the County
is $214,900. According to the 2000 Census, there are approximately 336.6 people per
square mile.
Table 2.3
displays United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development data on building permits in St. Lucie County.
Table 2.3. Building permits, St. Lucie County, 1980 – 2000.
1980 1990 2000
Location
Single-Multi-Single-Multi-Single-Multi-
Family Family Family Family Family Family
Fort Pierce 49 334 22 76 25 26
Port St. Lucie 1,521 38 1,802 150 1,236 292
Unincorporated
392 713 432 93 458 56
County
St. Lucie Village 11 0 4 0 0 0
Total 1,973 1,085 2,260 319 1,719 374
Source: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2003.
According to University of Florida (2001a), St. Lucie County had
1,745 single-family housing starts (new construction) and 642 multi-family housing starts
in the year 2000. In 2000, reported building permits and new housing units in the
County and municipalities were valued at $193,998,000.
The St. Lucie County Future Land Use Element established an Urban Service
Figure 2.3
Boundary (), which runs generally along the I-95/Turnpike corridor and limits
the area for which the County will provide services. Development west of the Urban
Service Boundary is limited to densities that range from 1 dwelling unit per acre to 0.20
dwelling units per acre (1 dwelling unit per 5 acres). Development in excess of these
densities requires an amendment to the Future Land Use Map in the Land Use Element.
Any approval of such an amendment must include findings that the developer will
provide the necessary services at no cost to local government, and the conversion of
agricultural land maintains the viability of agricultural uses on adjacent lands.
The major use of land within the unincorporated areas of the County is
agriculture. Well over 60% About 42% of the County is presently used for the production
of citrus, cash crops, or ranching activities. These agricultural activities account for St.
Lucie County being ranked among the top citrus producers in the State of Florida,
contributing substantially to the local and regional economy.
The largest urban use of land within the unincorporated area of the County is
for detached, single family residential dwelling units. This use accounts for
approximately 13,000 acres with an additional 14,900 acres vacant and available for this
use. Multi-family and mobile home development activity account for about 4,000 acres
of the remaining developed portions of the County. About 600 additional acres are
available for these uses.
Existing commercial and industrial activities account for approximately
5,100 acres. An additional 1,850 acres are available for commercial uses. About 850
acres are available for industrial uses. The remaining urban portions of the County are
comprised of public service/recreation and transportation/utility activities.
The City of Fort Pierce is the oldest incorporated municipal body in St. Lucie
County. Fort Pierce serves as the County Seat and has historically been the center for
Insert Figure 2.3 (St. Lucie County Urban Service Area Map)
both commercial and industrial activity for the entire County. The City of Fort Pierce is
consistent with small Florida coastal cities developed around the turn of the century.
There is a small but well defined Central Business District (CBD), along with a number of
residential neighborhoods. Typical of many established urban communities, the Fort
Pierce CBD is being transformed from a retail-oriented business center into a more
specialized business/office/service/tourist center. Retail activity is generally located in
the “suburban” fringe areas of the City. The City of Fort Pierce is essentially built out.
Future growth of the City will depend on the redevelopment and conversion of lower
intensity uses to higher intensity uses or the annexation of additional property. Land use
distributions within the City of Fort Pierce are typical of most Florida cities its size and
development age.
The City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie Village are encompasses
approximately 80 square miles and is dominated by residential use. Non-residential
development activity within these communities is limited to essentially strip commercial
development along the U.S. Highway 1 corridor, and isolated neighborhood
development throughout the City of Port St. Lucie, Port St. Lucie Boulevard, St. Lucie
West Boulevard, and Gatlin Road extending to Tradition Boulevard. Industrial
development opportunities also exist in the St. Lucie West and Tradition subdivisions.
On the whole, when compared to the County’s Future Land Use Plan, there does not
appear to be any points of significant land use conflict. with the adjacent municipalities
of Port St. Lucie or St. Lucie Village. Land use distributions within the City of Fort Pierce
are typical of most Florida cities its size and development age. For many years, the U.S.
Highway 1 corridor has served as the commercial core of the community. This land use
pattern has carried over into the unincorporated areas of the County and is indicated on
the Future Land Use Maps. Development to the west has typically been residential with
the exception of an emergency commercial area along Okeechobee Road and as far
west as the Turnpike.
Port St. Lucie may best be described as a pre-platted, single family
residential community. The City encompasses approximately 80 square miles, yet
because of the large number of platted, individually owned, single family lots, there is
very limited existing opportunity for medium/large scale multi-family, commercial, or
industrial development within the City limits. The St. Lucie West Development of
Regional Impact provides the City with an opportunity to allow centralized services to
develop.
The City of Port St. Lucie is dominated by residential uses. Non-residential
development activities within this City occur generally along the U.S. Highway 1 and Port
St. Lucie Boulevard corridors, within the St. Lucie West Development of Regional
Impact, and to a lesser degree in isolated neighborhood developments throughout the
City.
Population projections for Port St. Lucie indicate a continued high rate of
residential growth. As in the past, the majority of this growth will be detached, single
family dwelling units, located on individual 10,000 – 12,000 square foot lots. This form of
community development is typical of the land sales/development practices of Florida in
the 1960’s and 1970’s. This pattern is extremely inefficient for the economical provision
of municipal services.
The city of Port St. Lucie encompasses 113 square miles master planned development
community located in southern St. Lucie County. Based on the number of dwelling units
and population by sections compiled quarterly, Port St. Lucie has a population of
163,354 at a 70% build-out. Projections for Port St. Lucie indicate a continued high rate
of residential growth. In comparison, in 1970 the city had a population 330 residents.
Population
The City of Port St. Lucie is dominated by residential use. Early on, non-residential
development activity is limited to essentially strip commercial development along the
U.S. Highway 1, Port St. Lucie Boulevard, St. Lucie West Boulevard, Gatlin Boulevard,
and Bayshore Boulevard corridor. Recently, 2008-09 commercial development includes
a new City Center east of Route 1 and high tech research facilities west of I-95 along
with industrial development in the St. Lucie West and Tradition subdivisions. On the
whole, when compared to the County’s Future Land Use Plan, there does not appear to
be any points of significant land use conflict.
St. Lucie Village is a small residential community located along the west
banks of the Indian River, north of Fort Pierce. The Village was incorporated in 1960
and contains about 3 square miles. Until such time as the remaining undeveloped tracts
within the Village are built upon, there is not expected to be any significant increase in
the Village’s population. There are not significant areas of commercial or industrial
development within the jurisdiction of St. Lucie Village. St. Lucie Village also is
dominated by residential use but at a much smaller scale than Port St. Lucie. Non-
residential development activity within the Village generally occurs only along the U.S.
Highway 1 corridor.
The County’s Future Land Use Element establishes a Future Land Use Map to guide
Figure 2.4
future development. illustrates the current adopted Future Land Use Map for
St. Lucie County.
2.5 ECONOMIC RESOURCES
The Chamber of Commerce serves businesses in St. Lucie County from two
locations - Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce a central location in St. Lucie West. In 1990,
the top three occupations in St. Lucie County were sales; precision production, craft, and
repair; and administrative support. In 2000, the top three occupations were sales and
office, management/professional, and service jobs. In 2008, the top three occupations
were office and administrative support occupations, sales and related occupations, and
food preparation and serving occupations. In 1990, the top three industries in the
County were retail trade, construction, and health provision. In 2000, the top three
industries were education, health, and social services; retail trade; and construction. In
2008, the top three industries were retail trade, healthcare and social assistance, and
education services. For comparison, the top three industries in the state of Florida in
2008 were retail trade, healthcare and social assistance, and accommodation and food
services.
According to Enterprise Florida (2009), the top three employers in the County
are Liberty Medical Supply (1,852), Wal-Mart (1,720), and Indian River State College
(1,547). Also, St. Lucie County is known as the Grapefruit Capital of the World. In 1999,
th
the County ranked 11 of 67 counties in farm cash receipts totally totaling $245,000,000.
In 2007, the total market value of production for agricultural products sold in St. Lucie
County totaled $144,283,000. The County currently supports a job growth incentive
program that allows the Commission to issue grants of $1,000 to $2,000 for each new
job created in the County. There must be a minimum of five ten jobs created, with
average earnings above the County’s median wage.
There is one Foreign Trade Zone in the County as well. A Foreign-Trade
Zone is a specially designated area, in or adjacent to a U.S. Customs Port of Entry, that
is considered to be outside the Customs Territory of the U.S. The following is a partial
list of the many benefits that can be attained from using Foreign Trade Zones or Foreign
Trade Subzones:
?No duty is ever paid on re-exported merchandise from a Foreign Trade
Zone.
?If the merchandise is sold domestically, no duty is paid until it leaves the
zone or zones.
?Generally, no duty is paid on waste or yield loss in a Foreign Trade Zone
or Subzone.
?Duty on scrap is eliminated or reduced in a Foreign Trade Zone.
?Generally, if foreign merchandise is manufactured within a Foreign Trade
Zone, into a product with a lower duty rate, then the lower duty rate
applies on the foreign content when duty is paid.
?Merchandise in a Foreign Trade Zone may be stored, repackaged,
manipulated, manufactured, destroyed, or otherwise altered or changed.
Insert Figure 2.4 (St. Lucie County Future Land Use Map)
2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
St. Lucie County maintains approximately 38 parks totaling 1,450 acres,
19 beach access areas, 14 boat launches, 12 beach-front parks, 22 landscaped
government sites, 23 ball fields, 3 stadiums, and several community centers (St. Lucie
County Board of Commissioners, 2009). There are two three State Parks located in St.
Lucie County: Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, Avalon State Park, and Savannas Preserve
State Park. The Fort Pierce Inlet State Park offers 340 acres of land located on the
southern tip of North Hutchinson Island including wide sandy beaches and 1,500 feet of
frontage on the Fort Pierce Inlet. Avalon State Park offers more than a mile of
undeveloped beachfront. The Savannas Preserve State Park is the last remaining
freshwater marsh with multi-use trails and wildlife viewing.
To date, St. Lucie County has acquired approximately 7,355 acres under the
Environmentally Significant Lands Program (St. Lucie County Environmental Resources
Division Department, 2009). The purpose of the program is to purchase land with the
intent of preserving ecologically unique communities, to protect and restore ecosystems
to their natural state both upland and wetland to preserve endangered and threatened
species, to maintain natural flood protection thereby providing water quality while
providing compatible public use. Areas currently protected under this program include:
Ancient Oaks, Avalon Addition, Blind Creek, Bluefield Ranch, Indrio North Savannas,
South Savanna Buffer Preserve, Kinds Island, North Fork of the St. Lucie River, Ocean
Bay, Paleo Hammock, Spruce Bluff, Queen’s Island, Pinelands, D.J. Wilcox Preserve,
George LeStrange Preserve, Gordy Road Recreation Area, Lakewood Park Preserve,
Sheraton Scrub, St. Lucie Village Heritage Park, Sweetwater Hammock Preserve,
Teague Hammock, Walton Scrub, and Wildcat Cove.
2.7 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
According to the National Register of Historic Places, there are sixteen
designated places in St. Lucie County. In Fort Pierce, designated places include the
Arcade Building, Casa Caprona, Cresthaven, the Old Fort Pierce City Hall, the Fort
Pierce Old Post Office, the Fort Pierce Site, the Jules Frere House, the Zora Neale
Hurston House, St. Lucie High School, Moores Creek Bridge, Old St. Anastasia Catholic
School, the Sunrise Theater, the Urca de Lima Shipwreck and Immokolee. The Captain
Hammond House in White City and the St. Lucie Village Historic District also are listed.
Cultural events and festivals in St. Lucie County include the Fort Pierce
Friday Fest, the Rainbow Festival, Seafood and Fishing Frenzy, and St. Lucie Water
Fest. The City of Fort Pierce currently participates in the Main Street program.
2.8 CRITICAL FACILITIES
Hospitals and medical facilities provide important services during
disasters. The medical service facilities in St. Lucie County include Indian River
Community Mental Health Center, Lawnwood Pavilion, Lawnwood Regional Medical
Center, Savannas Hospital, and St. Lucie Medical Center. St. Lucie County has a total
of 10 nursing homes with 1,032 beds and 45 assisted living facilities with 895 beds.
Lines of communication are critical in providing information to the public
before, during and after a disaster. There are three AM and five FM radio stations
broadcasting in St. Lucie County including WFLM FM 104.7, WIRA AM 1400, WJNX AM
1330, WOSN FM 97.1, WOVV FM 95.5, WPSL AM 1590, WQCS FM 88.3, and WZZR
FM 93. There are seven local television stations including WAR (IND), WPBF (ABC),
WPTV (NBC), WTVX (IND), WPEC (CBS), WFLX (FOX), and WXEL (PBS). Locally
printed newspapers include the Main Street Times, Port St. Lucie News, the Tribune, the
Treasure Coast Business Journal, and The Miami Herald.
Fire stations and FDOF facilities are critical in the event of having to battle
wildland fire.
?Rhode Island Avenue;
?Seaway Drive;
?SW Prima Vista;
?Aviation Way;
?SE Port St. Lucie Boulevard;
?E. Midway Road;
?Fort Pierce Boulevard;
?South Ocean Drive;
?North Ocean Drive;
?SW Dalton Circle;
?Shinn Road;
?SE Village Green;
?SW Becker Road;
?NW California; and
?Avenue D.
The LMS Steering Committee developed and adopted a formal definition for the term
“critical facility.” According to the adopted definition, “critical facilities comprise all public
and private facilities deemed by a community to be essential for the delivery of vital
services, protection of special populations and the provision of other services of
importance for that community.” Critical facilities include, “hospitals; emergency
operation centers; medical facilities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities; key grocery
stores; fuel dispensing stations; newspaper facilities; radio broadcasting facilities; Florida
Division of Forestry offices; fire stations; law enforcement offices; schools; shelters;
government offices; funeral homes; power generating plants; water treatment plants;
waste water treatment plants; major water, stormwater, flood, and water control
structures; airports; railways; port facilities; roads classified as evacuation routes; and
others as identified by the LMS Steering Committee.”
For the purpose of prioritizing proposed mitigation projects, the LMS Steering
Committee decided to differentiate between primary and secondary critical facilities.
Primary critical facilities are defined as, “facilities that are critical to the immediate
support of life and public safety”. Some examples of primary critical facilities include
emergency operation centers (EOCs); emergency shelters; fire-rescue and police
facilities; hospitals; and major utilities facilities (power generation plants, wastewater
treatment plants, etc). Secondary critical facilities are defined as, “facilities that will be
critical for community recovery and the restoration of services”. Some examples of
secondary critical facilities include government offices, key grocery stores, newspaper
facilities, and non-shelter schools. A complete listing of primary and secondary critical
facilities can be found in Appendix G.
Figure 2.5
displays the locations of all critical facilities within St. Lucie County
as maintained by the St. Lucie County GIS Department. St. Lucie County and the two of
the three represented jurisdictions (Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie) have designated
Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) within St. Lucie County. The St. Lucie County
EOC is a new, 12.7 million dollar state of the art facility that was opened in June of 2009.
The Town of St. Lucie Village does not have an EOC as it is comprised of only 600
residents and many of the residents evacuate the area due to its proximate location to
the Indian River Lagoon. The St. Lucie County Fire District is comprised of 17 fire
stations and an administrative complex. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office has a
department complex, an aviation unit and several sub-stations. The Fort Pierce Police
Department is comprised of a main location, one substation and a neighborhood patrol
station. The Port St. Lucie Police Department has a main location and two sub-stations.
The Florida Highway Patrol’s Troop L has a main office location in Fort Pierce. The St.
Lucie County School Board is comprised of an administrative complex, 41 schools and
various maintenance and support facilities.
St. Lucie County is home to two major hospitals, Lawnwood Regional Medical
Center in Fort Pierce and the St. Lucie County Medical Center in Port St. Lucie. Other
major medical facilities within St. Lucie County include Lawnwood Pavilion, Savannas
Hospital and New Horizons of the Treasure Coast. As of 2009, St. Lucie County had a
total of 49 assisted living facilities with a total of 1,021 beds and 9 nursing homes with
1,050 beds.
Lines of communication are critical in providing information to the public
before, during and after a disaster. There are three (3) AM and nine (9) FM radio
stations broadcasting in St. Lucie County including WJNX AM 1290, WIRA AM 1400,
WPSL AM 1590, WQCS FM 88.9, WAVW FM 92.7, WGYL FM 93.7, WILD WF 95.5,
WKGR FM 98.7, WHGL FM 101.3, WPBZ FM 103.1, WQOL FM 103.7 and WIRK FM
107.9. There are four local television stations including WPTV (NBC), WPEC (CBS),
WPBF (ABC) and WFLX (FOX). Locally printed newspapers include the Main Street
Times, The St. Lucie News Tribune (TCPalm), Hometown News, the Treasure Coast
Business Journal, and The Miami Herald.
Major evacuation routes include the following roads:
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Interstate 95;
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Florida’s Turnpike;
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US Highway 1;
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South Highway A1A;
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Indian River Drive;
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Kings Highway
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Indrio Road
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North Causeway Drive;
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South Causeway Drive;
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St. Lucie Boulevard;
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SR 68 (Orange Avenue);
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SR 70 (Okeechobee Road);
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Midway Road;
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Prima Vista / St. Lucie West Boulevard;
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West Virginia Drive / Crosstown Parkway;
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Walton Road;
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Midport Road;
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Port St. Lucie Boulevard; and
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Gatlin Boulevard