WILDWOOD, Fla. — The City of Wildwood is joining other towns in adopting a new master plan.
A community survey in 2020 showed residents want an investment in downtown revitalization. The city hired a master plan consultant a month ago, and now they’re in the public-input process.
What You Need To Know
- Wildwood is working to develop a master plan
- The city received a strong response to a survey, officials say
- Residents want to slow traffic and make downtown pedestrian-friendly
- Consultants will present proposals at a town hall in about a month
“Usually when we do these public endeavors, we don’t have a lot of public participation. This time, we’ve had an overwhelming response from our citizens and business owners,” Wildwood City Manager Jason McHugh said.
Gilded Matilda’s gift shop and art studio is hard to miss in downtown Wildwood.
“Obviously I invested quite a bit in the storefront so it would stand out,” said Sandy Sweeny-Merkel, owner of Gilded Matilda’s. “When they come in, I think you can tell it’s a happy place.”
But owner Sandy Sweeny-Merkel said she believes the downtown as a whole could use a makeover.
“Old! It needs a fresh look, it needs to be updated,” Sweeny-Merkel said.
Another concern for Sweeny-Merkel is the busy traffic on Main Street.
“There’s not a day that doesn’t go by that my customers don’t mention the traffic, the parking, the sidewalks. It’s a challenge,” Sweeny-Merkel said.
A lot of residents agree, McHugh said.
“With the truck traffic, it makes it a little difficult to be pedestrian- friendly,” McHugh said. “It’s a little intimidating if you’re walking in the streets, being able to walk from shop to shop.”
Many people want a focus on slowing down traffic, making downtown more pedestrian-friendly and beautifying the area, McHugh said. Reaching those goals will take time, he said.
“We need to start somewhere, and as a result of this master plan, we’re going to show residents that the city’s here to respond to your needs,” McHugh said. “We want to work together to provide a place where people want to come to, a place for people to shop in Wildwood.”
Sweeny-Merkel said she sees great potential in the area and also wants to preserve its history.
“I would like to see murals,” she said. “I’d like to see it develop into a cultural and artsy-type of downtown that would cater to both, its history and the art.”
The next step in the Wildwood Master Plan process will be a town hall forum in about a month, when people can hear what the consultants, Ayres Associates, have come up with and engage with them.