PORT ST. LUCIE – Frigid temperatures didn’t stop local residents from coming out to meet Port St. Lucie Mayor Shannon Martin to get answers to their questions. The monthly meet and greets are a way for Martin to speak to residents one on one.
“I usually speak to larger groups like HOA’s or business organizations, but I like being able to meet our residents face to face, one-on-one and answer their questions,” Martin said. “Plus, there are so many new coffee shops in town, it’s another way to support our small businesses.”
This event was held at the newly opened Artisan Cafe in the square in downtown Tradition.
Several residents arrived with questions already in mind.
Tradition resident John Hanchor was concerned about a rumor he had recently heard.
“Is it true that the city is going to close the Saints golf course and sell it for more housing or allow it to go private?”
“Absolutely not,” Martin said. “The Saints is owned by the city and is a public golf course and it’s going to stay that. Besides, that land is zoned open space recreation and I don’t see that changing.”
When asked if the city planned on opening another public golf course, perhaps west of town, Martin said that there were no such plans.
One resident had a more environmental question.
“All of our lakes have grass around them and there are a lot of cypress trees. Is there a reason for that,” questioned Alicia Foster, Branch Manager for PNC Bank and a Tradition resident.
Foster said that she moved here from Wellington and the lakes there didn’t have the same appearance. She was concerned if any organization is responsible for maintaining them.
“Those are actually stormwater retention ponds, and that is a requirement of the South Florida Water Management District,” Martin answered.
She explained that the ponds help prevent run-off of pollutants, manage heavy rainfall and prevent flooding.
While many attendees had questions, others just wanted to introduce themselves to the mayor.
One such person was Eric Blomquist, director of the newly formed St. Lucie Disaster Recovery Coalition. “I just wanted to introduce myself and let the mayor know about us,” Blomquist said. “We’re currently trying to get word out about our new organization. We want to be a conduit of getting people together and letting them know we can be a clearinghouse when disaster strikes.”
Jeanpaul Ojeda, a recent graduate of New York University who attended with Blomquist, told the mayor how happy he was about the direction the city is taking.
“I’m so happy to see everything going on in the city, especially Walton and One and the soccer stadium!” Ojeda was talking about the proposed soccer stadium a developer wants to build at Walton Road and U.S. #1 in Port St. Lucie.
To learn more about future meet and greets, visit the Mayor Shannon M. Martin, City of Port St. Lucie Facebook page.