Business View Magazine | December 2020

427 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 PALM BAY , FLOR IDA master land use plan – to chart a course for growth and development over the coming decade, and to ensure that Palm Bay doesn’t lose momentum as an economically viable, livable, sustainable city. “It’s long overdue,” admits Joan Junkala-Brown, Director of Community and Economic Development. “We’ve received a lot of rezoning applications and a lot of future land use amendments. That tells us that the current zoning districts don’t serve the needs of the development community.” The Comprehensive Plan amendment process encourages responsible zoning and development within Palm Bay and ensures transparency relating to zoning and land use through community engagement, seeking input from residents, property owners, and key stakeholders. Sherman states that the City is focused on resetting the mission for the City’s future, “We’re only 40% built out in terms of landmass. That’s obviously starting to change as we get all this new development, but we’ve still got ample space. Folks that want to develop would prefer a more streamlined process. That’s critical to the success of most businesses. So we’ve been rebuilding our team internally, adding staff and staffing the right people in the right positions to make sure that businesses feel welcome and that they can join their vision with the City’s.” In November 2018, the residents of Palm Bay approved a road bond referendum to fund a series of repaving projects citywide, known as the GO Roads Bond Program. In May 2019, the City Council approved a preliminary $50 million draw from the $150 million fund for Phase One of the project, which is now complete, and an estimated $44.1 million for Phase Two currently underway. When complete in fall of 2024, Palm Bay will have made over 200 miles in road infrastructure improvements. Palm Bay’s current population sits at around 119,000. All the projections indicate that will rise as the City’s residential real estate market continues to boom and business relocations and