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Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Recreational and cultural facilities are also trip attractors. On the barrier island, South Beach Park, Humiston Park, Sexton Plaza, Jaycee Beach Park, Wabasso Beach Park, Golden Sands Park, Treasure Shores Park, Round Island Park, and Sebastian Inlet State Park are recreation areas that attract many visitors. On the mainland, the North County Library in Sebastian and the Main Library in Vero Beach are trip attractors. The Municipal Marina, located on the barrier island north of SR 60, actually produces many trips, since out-of-town boaters dock there and use the transportation system for shopping and other purposes. While employment is somewhat dispersed throughout the county, there are areas with concentrations of employment. The area near downtown Vero Beach, for example, has many city and county government offices, while Piper Aircraft near the Vero Beach Airport has a large number of employees. Near the Sebastian River Medical Center and the Indian River Memorial Hospital, there are a large number of employees resulting from the agglomeration of medical services proximate to those hospitals. Overall, the number of jobs relative to the number of houses in an area greatly influences the number and length of automobile trips within that area. An analysis of 2005 jobs -to -household data for the three major subareas of the county indicates that the North County jobs -to -housing ratio was 0.7714 jobs per household; the Central County ratio was 1.3063 jobs per household; and the South County ratio was 0.6974 jobs per household. In 2006, the population density in the county's urbanized area was 2.36 persons/acre, while the density of unincorporated Indian River County within the urban service area was 0.52 persons/ acre. Several subareas of the urbanized area, however, had higher population densities. For example, the City of Vero Beach had a population density of 2.19 persons / acre in 2006. Based on estimates contained in the Indian River County Community Profile report adopted in December of 2003, the Gifford community had a population density of 2.63 persons/acre. Other communities with high population densities included several retirement communities (Orange Heights: 6.44 persons/acre; Village Green/Lake of the Woods/Indian River Estates: 4.44 persons/acre) and older communities within Vero Beach (North Beach, McAnsh Park). To determine if adequate Commercial and Industrial acreage exists in the county to improve the future jobs/housing balance, the MPO performed a preliminary analysis of the adopted future land use plan map. While most of the county appears to have sufficient quantities of undeveloped commercial and industrial land to achieve a desirable balance, there is evidence that the south county area may lack commercial and industrial land. In the recent past, much of the residential development in the county occurred as self-contained subdivisions that lack local neighborhood connectivity. This preference among homebuyers for privacy and security continues to dominate new residential development patterns, with most of the growth that has occurred since 2000 -the 1990's having taken place in small and medium- sized communities with limited roadway and pedestrian access and little intra- or inter - neighborhood connectivity. Community Development Department Indian River County 61 APPENDIX A - Transportation Amendments