ppna-v2

Meet the Stub Canal: The 1918 Waterway That Could Become Pineapple Park's Greenway

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:42:19 GMT

Most of us walk past it without a second look. But the Stub Canal along the edge of Pineapple Park helped build West Palm Beach, and PPNA has a plan to turn its bank into a shaded neighborhood greenway.

Most of us walk or drive past it without a second look: a straight, quiet canal running beside the FEC rail line on the edge of Pineapple Park. But the Stub Canal is one of the oldest pieces of infrastructure in West Palm Beach, and PPNA has a plan to give it a second life.

A canal that built a city.

In 1911, local businessman George Currie petitioned Governor Albert Gilchrist for a canal linking Lake Okeechobee to Lake Worth. The forty-mile West Palm Beach Canal was authorized in 1913 and completed in 1917. By 1918, an extension, the "stub," brought the canal straight into the city's business district, where the City built shipping facilities and a turning basin . Until 1925, when better rail and road connections took over, the Stub Canal carried passengers, Glades produce and supplies between West Palm Beach and the farm towns around the lake.

The historic Stub Canal Turning Basin is in Howard Park, marked by a Florida historical marker on Parker Ave. south of Okeechobee Blvd. It sits just up the road from us.

What it looks like today

The aerial above shows the stretch between the I-95 overpass and the Howard Park end of the canal. On the neighborhood side, a wide public easement runs between our homes and the water. It is mostly mown turf, with a few mature shade trees, no path, no benches and a steep, bare canal bank. It drains the neighborhood well, but it gives us very little back.

The proposal: a neighborhood greenway

In May 2026, PPNA delivered an 18-page conceptual proposal to the City of West Palm Beach for a Stub Canal Greenway : a shaded multi-use path, native Florida plantings, a vegetated canal bank that filters runoff, and a few small places to sit and gather. It also calls for simple signs telling the canal's story. Read the full draft proposal (PDF) .

The plan has four phases, starting with what neighbors can do right now:

Phase 1: Cleanup (PPNA-led, starting now). Volunteer cleanups through the Solid Waste Authority's Adopt-A-Spot program, with before-and-after photos.
Phase 2: Jurisdiction & survey. The City, the South Florida Water Management District (the canal is part of SFWMD's C-51 system) and PPNA confirm who controls what, and the corridor gets surveyed.
Phase 3: Design with neighbors. A licensed landscape architect develops the design, with community workshops.
Phase 4: Funding & construction. Grants and City capital funds, built in phases.

How you can help?

Follow this series over the next few weeks: we'll cover the cleanup, what the finished greenway could look like, and the trees, trash cans and doggy-bag stations that come with it. If you'd like to be on the cleanup crew, email info@pineapplepark.us with "Stub Canal" in the subject line.

Join now. Community awaits: pineapplepark.us

Missed the September Meeting? Here Are the Slides and the Highlights

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:55:27 GMT

September 29, 2026 - PPNA meeting at The Tasting Room

Thank you, neighbors, for filling The Tasting Room on Tuesday, Sept. 29. If you couldn't make it, the full 30-slide presentation is linked above, and here are the highlights.

1. Meet our District 5 Commissioner

Commissioner Stephen Sylvester, who took office in April 2026, introduced himself, shared city updates and took questions. He walked through the Downtown Master Plan Update : a community meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6 (Flagler Gallery, City Hall), a Planning Board discussion on Oct. 20 , and the City Commission's first reading on Oct. 26 , with a final vote expected in 2027. He also covered West Palm Move , the City's new all-electric transit service that replaced RideWPB in September ($1 fixed-route rides, $2 on-demand, free transfers; details at wpbmove.com .

2. A first look at the new Howard Park Community Center

Lorenzo Rivero, the City's Special Projects Manager, shared new renderings of the center at 1380 Parker Ave. by Alfonso Hernandez Architect, LLC: a single-story building with a welcoming lobby, café, commercial kitchen, multipurpose rooms and an open-air pavilion.

3. Where our traffic-calming requests stand

Kevin Volbrecht, P.E., Director of City Engineering Services, sent an update on our five requests:

Caroline St.: getting ready to go out to bid before the end of 2026.
Crosswalk at Dock St. & Kanuga Dr.: not recommended by the City; it will evaluate a crossing at Flamingo Dr. instead.
Parker Ave. speed study: speeds are moderate between Upland and Sunset (85th percentile 32 mph), but excessive farther north. Between Biscayne and Claremore and north of the Howard Park baseball driveway, the 85th percentile is 44 mph and roughly 72–74% of drivers exceed 35 mph.
Speed-bump painting and markings: in preparation.
Consistent street signs: under evaluation.

4. New for 2026: the Stub Canal Greenway

Our Safety & Improvements subcommittee is leading a cleanup of the Stub Canal edge through the Solid Waste Authority's Adopt-A-Spot program, the first step in our proposal to turn the canal bank into a shaded path for walking, biking and gathering. Volunteers needed!

5. Mark your calendar

Pineapple Trick & Treat, Saturday, Oct. 31: light a pineapple in your yard or on your porch to show trick-or-treaters your home is participating.
Deck the Poles: holiday lights are coming to our refurbished lamp posts. Thank you to the Improvements Committee, led by Giuseppe Colella, and to Ancora Construction for donating the labor on the lamp-post refurbishment.

Your board and four subcommittees

The board now works through four subcommittees (Safety & Improvements; Digital Website & Social Media; Sponsorships & Resource Development; Community Engagement, Volunteers & Social Events), with two board members on each. We also introduced our citywide partner, the West Palm Beach Residents Coalition ( wpbrc.org/join ).

Tip: report it with WPB Key

Streetlight out, pothole, illegal dumping? Use the City's free WPB Key app or wpbkey.wpb.org , or call the City hotline at (561) 822-2222. Share your tracking number with info@pineapplepark.us so our Safety & Improvements team can follow up.

Join now. Community awaits.

Membership is $50 per household per year, and every dollar stays in the neighborhood. Join or renew at pineapplepark.us and pick a subcommittee to help with.

The PPNA thanks The Tasting Room for hosting us!

Thank you, neighbors, for joining us at The Tasting Room on Sept. 29. Here are the full slides plus the five things every Pineapple Park resident should know.

Downtown Master Plan Heads to the City Commission: What Pineapple Park Neighbors Should Know

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:54:56 GMT

The City's 25-year plan for downtown just cleared the Planning Board. Here's what changed, why it matters to our neighborhood, and three dates to put on your calendar.

West Palm Beach is updating its Downtown Master Plan , the rulebook that decides how tall, how dense and how busy downtown can get over the next 25 years. After a summer pause for more resident input, the plan is moving again, and the City Commission is scheduled to take it up on Monday, October 26 .

Where things stand

The update began in February 2025 with consultant Zyscovich Architects.
In July, Mayor James paused committee reviews and launched a resident partnership with the Downtown Neighborhood Association and the West Palm Beach Residents Coalition (WPBRC), which together represent more than 30 community groups.
In September the Downtown Action Committee advanced the plan, and on September 23 the Planning Board unanimously recommended approval of the related comprehensive plan amendments.

What changed from the earlier draft

Waterfront heights came down. A proposal that would have allowed 25-story buildings on the waterfront through incentives was removed. Most of Flagler Drive is now capped at 5 stories, with up to 8 north of Banyan Boulevard. Taller buildings are steered inland.
Growth near transit. The plan concentrates new development near the Brightline and Tri-Rail stations rather than in established neighborhoods, and lowers some parking requirements in those areas.
Fewer car trips. Large new projects would have to reduce their projected vehicle trips by 25%.
Stronger affordable-housing terms. Projects that want extra height or density must provide more affordable housing, and workforce-housing affordability periods grow from 20 to 30 years.
Tighter construction rules. Stricter requirements for traffic plans, truck routes, staging areas and worker parking.

Why it matters to Pineapple Park

What gets built downtown shows up on the roads we use every day. Reporting on the plan notes that Okeechobee Boulevard is already running at roughly 98% of capacity, and residents across the city have raised questions about traffic, emergency response and infrastructure. The Neighborhood Partnership Network says it has received answers to only 7 of the 180 questions it submitted. These are fair questions for any neighborhood near downtown, including ours.

Read the proposed plan yourself

City's Downtown Master Plan Update page ( https://www.wpb.org/Departments/Development-Services/Planning-Division/Downtown-Master-Plan ): meeting schedule, videos and every document
Proposed zoning regulations, draft of Sept 9, 2026 (PDF, 9 MB) ( https://www.wpb.org/files/assets/city/v/1/development-services/documents/downtown-master-plan/10.9-dmpu-staff-report.pdf )
Staff report and full packet presented Sept 2026 (PDF, 31 MB) ( https://www.wpb.org/files/assets/city/v/1/development-services/documents/downtown-action-committee/2026-agendas/final-packet-dac-09.09.2026.pdf )
Video of the Sept 15 Planning Board presentation ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3pefmOfQDc&list=PLBStMaSddHhz69qRh0rjqDZTMh7J-RwuP )

The PDFs are large, so they may take a minute to open on a phone.

How to take part

Tue, Oct 6, 5:30 PM - Community meeting, Flagler Gallery, City Hall
Tue, Oct 20, 6:00 PM - Planning Board, Commission Chambers
Mon, Oct 26, 5:00 PM - City Commission (first reading), Commission Chambers

The final vote is expected in early 2027. Questions can be emailed to the planning team at hello@sanelson.co with "Attn: West Palm Beach DMPU" in the subject. WPBRC tracks hearings citywide at wpbrc.org.

PPNA will keep following the plan and share updates here. If this matters to you, the best next step is to show up on October 6, and to join or renew your PPNA membership so our neighborhood's voice carries weight.

Howard Park Community Center

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:30:20 GMT

New renderings presented by Lorenzo Rivero, Special Projects Manager, City of West Palm Beach

The Howard Park Community Center project will provide a new, welcoming community facility designed to meet the growing and changing needs of the community it serves.

FDOT: S.R. 9/I-95 Ramp Improvements Project

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:24:53 GMT

Construction Update

Road: State Road 9

City: West Palm Beach

County: Palm Beach

Financial Number: 453144-1-52-01

Project Length: 2.283

Project Limits: RAMP 1: SOUTHBOUND I-95 OFF-RAMP TO PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT // RAMP 2: SOUTHBOUND I-95 ON-RAMP FROM WESTBOUND S.R. 704/OKEECHOBEE BLVD. // RAMP 3: SOUTHBOUND I-95 ON-RAMP FROM WESTBOUND S.R. 706/INDIANTOWN ROAD

Project Letting: March 2027

Anticipated Start Date: Fall 2027

Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2028

Estimated Construction Cost: 3.5 Million

Click here to learn more!

Make Your Voice Heard!

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:35:00 GMT

FAA / Flight Path Update - Pineapple Park Residents, Your Voice Matters!

The FAA has proposed making the current flight restrictions, and the flight paths routing aircraft over communities like Pineapple Park, permanent.

What began as a temporary security measure could now become a permanent federal rule, with lasting impacts on aircraft noise, quality of life, outdoor activities, sleep, and other concerns residents have experienced since the routes changed.

The deadline to submit an official comment is October 2, 2026.

This is an important opportunity to make sure the FAA hears directly from the people who live beneath these flight paths.

Residents can ask the FAA to:

• Conduct a full environmental and noise impact review before making the rule permanent

• Consider alternative flight paths that provide greater relief to residential communities

• Require regular review rather than making the restriction permanent indefinitely

• Provide transparent noise monitoring and opportunities for ongoing community input

Most importantly, tell the FAA how the increased aircraft traffic and noise have personally affected you, your family, and your home.

Individual experiences matter and should be part of the official record.

Submit your comment and read the proposed regulations here:

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FAA-2026-10827-0001

Please share this with your Pineapple Park neighbors and encourage them to submit their own comments as well.

Pineapple Park is our home, not just a flight path on a map. Now is the time to make sure our community's voice is heard.