The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board on Oct. 21 recommended approval of the Eco Resiliency Special Area Plan (SAP) for the former Jungle Island site on Watson Island, including a 13.235‑acre public waterfront park and a rezoning that would permit two residential towers capped at 48 stories and 600 dwelling units on roughly 5.4 acres of the larger 18.61‑acre site.

The SAP — presented by Richard Brown of the Planning Department as a staff‑recommended amendment to the existing Jungle Island SAP — would rezone portions of the island from T6‑12 to T6‑36 and adopt a new regulating plan and concept book that set development parameters, public benefits and design standards for the park and the future residential portion of the site. “My name is Richard Brown. I'm with the special projects planning group of the planning department,” Brown said during the staff presentation.

Why it matters: the application stems from a 2024 ballot measure and follow‑up real estate transaction that returned roughly 13 acres of the former amusement park to the city for public waterfront park use and allowed sale of a smaller parcel for private residential development. The city’s sale agreement includes a package of public benefits valued in the staff report at approximately $40 million and, separately, $15 million in proffers for affordable housing and other community programs.

Applicant presentation and park concept: the development team, represented by Iris Escara and others, noted the SAP establishes regulatory parameters rather than approving a specific building; Escara said the team accepts staff conditions. Landscape architect Daniel Vassini (West 8/West State Landscape Architects) described the park concept as a “living shoreline” and a nature‑driven, resilience demonstration project that would retain existing dense planting, add a mile‑plus walking loop, a boardwalk with varying shore conditions, a nature play area and an event lawn aimed at low‑impact, “passive” park uses.

Public comment and neighborhood response: Venetain Way neighborhood resident Ken Gordon told the board the applicant had reached out to nearby condo owners and that his group supported the project, saying, “we support them in this project.” Board members pressed the applicant and staff on details including traffic and parking capacity to and on the island, timing and coordination with the signature bridge project, and how the park will be activated and maintained.

Traffic, park access and parking: the board heard that the SAP removes a previously approved higher‑impact hotel/amusement program and replaces it with residential uses plus a public park. John McWilliams of Kimley Horn, the traffic consultant retained by the applicant, presented an analysis comparing the previously approved SAP to the proposed amendments and reported a net reduction in expected trips in the weekday AM and PM peaks compared with the earlier approvals. Staff explained that concurrency and detailed driveway/access analysis occur later in the development process (SAP permitting and permitting‑level traffic studies). Board members repeatedly questioned how visitors and residents would access the park, and staff and the applicant described multiple elements intended to address access: MPA surface parking nearby, 50 new parking spaces along the park frontage proffered by the applicant, a proposed trolley extension to the site, and potential water taxi access.

Public benefits, timing and guarantees: staff described the sale agreement and the purchase‑and‑sale valuation and said the park funding and maintenance provisions include a recorded obligation and an annual maintenance contribution from the developer (referenced at $2 million per year in the sale documentation). The applicant said construction of park improvements is tied to permitting for the residential project and indicated an intention to begin construction after SAP permitting, with park improvements scheduled to be constructed concurrently with the applicant’s first tower.

Board action and conditions: the board voted to recommend approval of the SAP with conditions. The board’s motion included an explicit direction to add a condition requiring a parking/study analysis for the park as part of the record and requested that the regulating plan and concept book be attached as exhibits so the record clearly reflects what the board reviewed. The board reported the motion passed by recorded vote (board announcement: “This passes by a vote of 9 to 2”).

What’s next: the SAP recommendation is advisory to the City Commission; the item will proceed to two required City Commission public hearings for final zoning action and adoption of the SAP and the related development agreement. As staff emphasized, detailed traffic mitigation, driveway access and final park design still require subsequent permitting and additional public engagement steps.

Ending: the board’s approval advances a plan that the applicant and several board members characterized as a significant opportunity to create a publicly accessible, nature‑focused waterfront park on Watson Island while creating a discrete private residential parcel governed by the new regulating plan and development agreement. The precise scale and timing of construction and final park elements will be determined in the remaining permitting and parks master‑planning steps required after the SAP approval.