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BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION WABASSO CORRIDOR PLAN Within Indian River County, there are both incorporated municipalities and unincorporated communities. While the unincorporated settlements lack the formal government structure and local control of cities and towns, each of the county's unincorporated communities nevertheless has a unique character and identity. One of those unincorporated communities is Wabasso, including "West Wabasso". As one of the oldest communities in the county, Wabasso is historically significant and a history of Wabasso and West Wabasso is provided in Appendix A of this plan. Besides being historically significant, Wabasso is centrally located, proximate to the Indian River Lagoon extending west to Wh Avenue, and situated at the confluence of north/south, east/west, and mainland/island traffic routes including U.S. 1 and C.R. 510. All of these characteristics, as well as general development trends, indicate that Wabasso may experience substantial growth and re -development in the future. Faced with the prospect of increasing growth and development, in 1994/1995 the Wabasso community took the initiative to control development in the Wabasso area. Realizing that development and redevelopment occurring within the Wabasso area in the future would affect the Wabasso community for generations, the residents, property owners, and business owners in Wabasso prepared the Wabasso Corridor Plan which was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in 1995, and revised in 2000. The plan became the model for subsequent corridor plans and special aesthetic regulations throughout the county, including the SR 60 corridor plan and numerous other "corridor" plans along collector and arterial roads within the county. Sixteen years later in 2016, the citizens of Wabasso expressed concerns about certain community and development issues and obtained Board of County Commissioners authorization for County staff and citizens to prepare an update to the plan. The update was prepared through a series of community meetings and on April 4, 2017, the Board of County Commissioners approved the updated plan which is reflected in this document. This corridor plan is a recognition that the county's development policies, regulations, and capital improvement plans, while generally adequate, are insufficient to ensure the quality of development and type. of improvements desired by the Wabasso community. Consequently, this corridor plan incorporates standards applicable for future development in the Wabasso corridor, and proposes specific actions regarding infrastructure, communication, land use/zoning, and community identity. As such, the corridor plan represents a balance of interests and a plan for future development, and improvements consistent with the community's desire. PURPOSE AND VISION The overall purpose of the Wabasso Corridor Plan is to provide a set of standards applicable to development and redevelopment in the corridor area, and provide specific actions to address community needs and concensus. Specifically, the plan's purpose is to: Preserve and enhance the appearance of the Wabasso Corridor INDIAN RIVER COUNTY PAGE P243