Frequently Asked Questions

On the Town of Jupiter website

Under Florida law (Chapter 163, Part III), local governments are able to designate areas as Community Redevelopment Areas when certain conditions exist. Examples include: the presence of substandard or inadequate structures, a shortage of affordable housing, and inadequate infrastructure.

The activities and programs offered within a Community Redevelopment Area are administered by the Community Redevelopment Agency. A five- to seven-member CRA "Board" is created by the local government, which directs the Agency. The Board can be comprised of local government officials and or other individuals appointed by the local government.

The Community Redevelopment Agency is responsible for developing and implementing a Community Redevelopment Plan that addresses the unique needs of each targeted area (CRA). The plan includes the overall goals for redevelopment in the area, as well as identifying the types of programs and projects planned for the area.

After approval of a community redevelopment plan, a redevelopment trust fund is established for the CRA. Revenue deposited to this fund results from the incremental growth in taxable value within the area subsequent to establishment of the CRA. All funds received from a tax increment financing area must be used for specific redevelopment purposes within that area.

The Inlet Village is a redevelopment area generally located north of Jupiter Beach Road, south of the Jupiter Inlet, east of the Intracoastal oxbow and west of Dubois Road (see map on the Inlet Village Project Map page). Inspiration for the character of development has been taken from historical development patterns and buildings similar to other Florida communities, such as Naples, Key West, and Fernandina Beach, and also in the northeast United States and the Caribbean Islands where water-oriented villages have evolved over many years.

During the late 1990’s, a developer submitted a conceptual plan to develop Suni-Sands Mobile Home park with three 8-story condominium buildings. The residents of the Town and the Town Council strongly opposed the project which would have allowed buildings of a height greater than the Jupiter Lighthouse. After the initial proposal for the development of Suni-Sands was turned down, the Town Council worked with a consultant, the concerned residents and property owners to prepare a plan that included desired development patterns, and standards and height criteria which were more in line with a village scale and character. To keep the overall height down to an average of 2.5 stories, but no greater than 3.5 stories, the Town allowed for an expanded use of the ground floor area.

The minimum setbacks are consistent with the development patterns of historic village communities. Buildings are proposed to be oriented towards the street to define the public areas with architecture to create walkable areas for residents and visitors to enjoy. This development pattern also helps to avoid large expanses of parking areas from dominating the pedestrian area.

All properties in the Inlet Village that are proposing large scale development are required to be processed as Planned Unit Developments. This process requires a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town Council, so that public input can be considered prior to any significant development being permitted.

General Commercial allows up to 5 stories maximum or 6 stories if under building parking is included. Inlet Village allows for a maximum of 3 ½ stories.

By allowing for a combination of shared, off-site, on-street and multi-level parking, large, expansive and under-utilized asphalt parking lots can be minimized. With this combination of parking opportunities, additional area can be used for retail shops, galleries and other uses typically found in village districts. This strategy discourages the development of a project that is a single use with an expansive parking lot dominating the most publicly-visible area.

The Town code does not specify a closing time for bars, restaurants or retail. However, alcoholic beverages cannot be sold, served or consumed later than 2:00 am. Specific conditions are placed on site plan approvals to address any potential nuisances, such as noise.