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The Brevard County Land Planning Agency unanimously approved the proposed Development Order for the West Viera Expansion Plan and the Comprehensive Plan Amendments corresponding to the plan at their regularly scheduled meeting last night. The third and final component of the West Viera Plan, the Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning agreement with the County, which allows proper zoning for the development planned in West Viera, will be considered at the LPA’s meeting on Monday, December 7.
“We appreciate the agency’s thoughtful review of the plan and look forward to our next hearing with the LPA to review the PUD for West Viera,” said Steve Johnson, president and chief operating officer of The Viera Company.
The recommendation by the LPA will be taken into consideration by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners. The West Viera Expansion Plan is now scheduled to be considered by the Commission at an upcoming meeting.
Benefits of the West Viera Expansion Plan
The West Viera Expansion Plan is a comprehensive master plan for future development in the new town of Viera. Created with extensive input from the community, the plan gives Brevard County the opportunity to properly accommodate the future growth in this area of the County. The plan uses smart growth principles to be responsive to how area residents wish to see their community grow and develop.
Significant conservation is a key theme of the plan. Over half of the available land in West Viera will remain undeveloped as protected, managed land. This includes the over 5,000-acre Viera Wilderness Park adjacent to the 44,000-acre River Lakes Conservation Area, and preserved wetlands, upland buffers, parks and recreational lakes throughout the community.
Walkable, connected neighborhoods will offer a mix of home styles and prices. Residential areas will be planned around four Villages that centralize residential, civic and commercial areas. At least 50 percent of the homes within each Village neighborhood will be within walking distance of a centrally located park or other public use facility, or neighborhood center. The West Viera Plan reduces the overall number of residential units allowed in the area to 11,000 from the 17,000 projected under the Brevard County Comprehensive Plan. The next phase of development has been reduced further, from 6,600 residential units to 3,000.
The planned development addresses traffic generated by new development in Viera by providing private funding by The Viera Company for new roads and road improvements to roads outside of Viera.
The plan creates a community attractive to new businesses which helps encourage economic diversity and growth in Brevard County. Over 200 businesses have already opened in Viera and thousands of jobs have been created, with more to come with the continued development of Viera Health Park and the Viera Town Center.
In addition to the funding and construction of roads and generation of construction-related jobs, Viera contributes the following economic benefits to Brevard County:
• $133.8 million in impact fees cumulatively paid to Brevard County over the entire project
• $90.7 million in ad valorem tax revenue annually at completion
• $3 million, approximately, in document stamp and intangible tax revenue
• Millions in additional estimated sales tax revenue
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