Community Input

Community Workshop Summary

The guiding principles and planning concepts for the Woodhaven Redevelopment Plan are based on input received from the four community workshops between December 2004 and April 2005. At the first workshop on December 16, 2004, community members broke into small groups and participated in three exercises - SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), Visioning, and Five Bold Steps. The results of these exercises are below and on the following page.

Community workshop notes Community workshop notes; click to enlarge

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

  • Location
  • Green / Landscape / Views / Beauty
  • Access
  • Good leadership - neighborhood,
  • homeowners association, and council member
  • Sense of community and community involvement
  • Golf Course and Country Club
  • Grocery Shopping
  • Active Economic Development Corp.
  • Diversity
  • Quiet neighborhoods
  • Deed restrictions
  • Quality homes
  • Undervalued real estate
  • Desire for change
  • Continued growth and development

Weaknesses

  • Crime
  • Apartment density
  • Perception of crime in single family area
  • Location - no quality retail, must leave to shop
  • No schools/poor quality
  • No quality restaurants
  • Bad press/rumors/reputation
  • Street maintenance
  • No day care
  • Boca Raton Boulevard
  • Vacant storefronts
  • Abuse of city services
  • No public open space or focal points
  • No place to go from apartments
  • Scarcity of jobs
  • More competition - retail and apartments

Opportunities

  • Diverse age - residential opportunity for more home ownership
  • Vacant land and new development
  • Encourage new business into vacant storefronts
  • Now or never
  • Gated community
  • Boca Raton rename
  • Quality shopping
  • Senior housing
  • Diversity
  • Community center
  • Examine Italy Pizza model
  • Location
  • Improved transportation
  • New retail
  • Neighborhood Empowerment Zone (NEZ) - take advantage of city support, increase level of services.

Threats

  • Inaction / complacency
  • Crime / perception of crime
  • Condition of apartments
  • Absentee landlords
  • Violation of code/deed restrictions
  • Decreased property values
  • Low community economy
  • Prostitutes
  • Vacant land in core of neighborhood
  • Mega Stores
  • SEC 8 dumping by City
  • Declining buying power
  • Poor match of residential and
  • commercial
  • Convenience store location
  • High competition / supply of apartments
  • Change in apartment density
32 Woodhaven Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan