CITY GOVERNMENT
NEIGHBORHOOD
MAKEOVERS
BY SUSAN BURGESS
City and residents work together to create
a friendlier community image
Pat Simmons remembers the days when Port St.
Lucie was a top-down city. The city council and
city manager were at the top and many of its residents
were pretty sure they were at the bottom.
But things are changing, she says. The city is reaching
out to residents, fostering a better relationship by making
itself more accessible, issuing invitations to participate in
decisions, expanding its social activities to bring people
together and helping residents create neighborhoods of
which they can be proud.
Turning large areas of the older eastern part of the city
into many small neighborhoods has been underway since
2015. The residents have met with planners to list what is
desirable about an area, describe concerns and discuss the
enhancements they would like to see.
Future meetings will give residents a chance to come >>
40 Port St. Lucie Magazine
CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE PHOTOS
Councilwoman Jolien Caraballo greets a participant during a workshop to discuss a new name for the neighborhood that is temporarily known as
Oakridge. Looking on are Carmen Capezzuto, left, director of Neighborhood Services and Mark Hamel, project manager.