master plan update - City of Boca Raton

SUMMARY OF KEYMESSAGES TO DATE»»»»»Many people are excited by theopportunity to strengthen DowntownBoca Raton. They see a needand opportunity for the MasterPlan to connect a series of strong,yet currently disconnected, parts ofDowntown.There is widespread agreementregarding many of the steps thatcan be taken to strengthen theconnections in Downtown. Thisincludes creating and enhancingpedestrian, cycling and transitconnections while still facilitatingsmooth car access and parking.Many people are looking at BocaRaton’s Downtown and comparingit to what’s happening in nearbyareas like Las Olas and DelrayBeach. They are interested in makingBoca Raton a place that hasmore of the activity, life, and feel ofthese places, and also better meetsthe needs of the residents.The Intracoastal Waterway and theAtlantic Ocean are great assets toDowntown Boca Raton. The Citywould benefit from easier accessfrom Downtown to enjoy the water.It is important to take advantageof opportunities to preserve andcelebrate Boca Raton’s heritage.This should be done in a way thatfits with the other elements of thefuture vision many people have forthe City.»»In order to make the Master Plan areality, some critical policy changeswill be required to facilitate publicand private investment as well asdevelopment and design decisions.In response to the ideas testedduring the Charrette, participantsidentified and confirmed that priorityareas for actions include:› Making it easier to cross CentralPalmetto Park Road – this is acritical Downtown connection.› Making it possible to connectsouth from Mizner Park to RoyalPalm Plaza.› Making more of Sanborn Square,how it’s used and how it’s connectedto the surrounding area.› Improving Palmetto Park RoadEast, including dramaticallyimproving the streetscape andexperience for people makingtheir way to the waterfront.GOALS AND PRINCIPLESFrom this input and our analyses, wehave identified a set of Goals which canserve as Planning Principles:» Create a unique identity for DowntownBoca Raton as the cultural,civic, and specialized retail center ofthe region, with a full complementof residential accommodations andrecreational amenities.» Create a comfortable pedestrianscaleenvironment connecting allof the parts of Downtown, whileproviding appropriate accommodationof vehicular movement.»»»»Provide an appropriate mix ofoffice, residential, hotel, retail, cultural,civic, and recreational uses.Provide a coordinated strategy forparking and access.Provide the basis for a diversearchitectural and environmentalcharacter for the various parts ofDowntown that both reflect its historyand current scale.Enhance Downtown’ s connectionto the waterfronts and its quality ofopen space.11