Ocean Breeze, Florida

Ocean Breeze, formerly Ocean Breeze Park, is a town on the Indian River in Martin County, Florida, United States. Ocean Breeze and Briny Breezes in Palm Beach County are the only two towns in Florida in which all residents live in a mobile home park bearing the name of the town. The population was 355 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 377. The population figures do not include the many part-time winter residents from other places. The town is an enclave within the census-designated place of Jensen Beach.

Town of Ocean Breeze, Florida
Town
Welcome marker now reflects new name of town
Location in Martin County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°14′26″N 80°13′28″W
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Martin
Founded	1938
Incorporated	1960
Government
• Type	Town
• Mayor	Karen M. Ostrand[1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.21 sq mi (0.54 km^2)
• Land	0.17 sq mi (0.43 km^2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km^2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	355
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	381
• Density	2,309.09/sq mi (891.08/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	12-50900[4]
GNIS feature ID	0288033[5]
Website	townofoceanbreeze.org

The Town of Ocean Breeze is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Martin and St. Lucie counties.

History

Welcome marker on northern town limits on Indian River Drive

A mobile home in the northern area of Ocean Breeze Park

The riverside portion of the town from the north

Ocean Breeze Trailer Park was established in 1938 in Stuart, Florida by Harry Hoke.[6]

The Ocean Breeze Park town government was formed in 1960 when 142 property owners in Ocean Breeze Trailer Park voted to incorporate. Harry Hoke was elected as the town's first mayor. Gene Hoke, Jeri Hoke, Jack McNab, Leo Williams, John Corliss, and Luther Weeks were elected to the Board of Aldermen. Alice Hoke was named town clerk, Dick Hoke was named first Marshall, and Evans Crary, Sr., who guided the town through the legal procedure of incorporation, was appointed town attorney. At the time of its incorporation, the 65-acre park was said to be the largest privately owned trailer park in the United States.[6] By referendum held December 18, 2012, the town dropped the 'Park' and is known simply as Ocean Breeze.[7]

Dorothy Geeben, was mayor from 2001 to 2010. When she was re-elected in 2004 at age 96, the national media dubbed her the nation's oldest living mayor.[8] Mayor Geeben died on January 11, 2010 at the age of 101 just short of her 102nd birthday.[9]

Mayors

• Harry Hoke (1960–1972)
• Gene Hoke (1973–1989)
• Ruth Hoke (1989–2001)
• Dorothy Geeben (2001–2010)
• David W. Myers (2010–2016)
• Karen M. Ostrand (2016–present)

Main areas in town

Entrance being built into Seawalk, the new residential area west of the railroad tracks

The town consists of three sections:

• 1.A large RV resort called "Ocean Breeze RV Resort"(Sun Communities), where all of the town's residents live. It is located east of the FEC tracks, a block or so south of Jensen Beach Boulevard and west of the Indian River. The resort consists of two major areas:
• A.The small waterfront area lying east of Indian River Drive;
• B.The main area lying west of Indian River Drive;
• 2.A large shopping center called Ocean Breeze Plaza, which is anchored by a Publix super market and is located on the south side of Jensen Beach Boulevard just west of the FEC tracks; and
• 3.A large undeveloped area of high sugar sand dunes lying west of the FEC tracks and south of the shopping center.

All roads within the town are private. CR 707, which runs north-south. The town is served by the Jensen Beach post office (ZIP 34957).

Geography

Ocean Breeze is located at 27°14′26″N 80°13′28″W.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²), of which 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (19.05%) is water.

The Town of Ocean Breeze is bounded on the east by the Indian River and on the south, west and north by the unincorporated community of Jensen Beach. Its mailing address is Ocean Breeze, Florida.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1970	714		—
1980	466		−34.7%
1990	519		11.4%
2000	463		−10.8%
2010	355		−23.3%
Est. 2019	381	[3]	7.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 463 people, 335 households, and 107 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,706.5 people per square mile (1,051.6/km²). There were 579 housing units at an average density of 3,384.6 per square mile (1,315.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.49% White, 1.08% African American, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 335 households, out of which 0.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.9% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 67.8% were non-families. 63.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 43.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.38 and the average family size was 2.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 0.2% under the age of 18, 0.4% from 18 to 24, 5.4% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 66.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 70 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $15,709, and the median income for a family was $27,813. Males had a median income of $17,083 versus $25,208 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,802, which ranks it 418 out of 887 towns in Florida.[12] About 14.6% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "Town of Ocean Breeze". Florida League of Cities, Inc. Florida League of Cities, Inc. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. "Trailer Park Becomes Town, Hoke Is Mayor". The Palm Beach Post. November 17, 1960. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
7. Martin County, Florida Clerk and Comptroller, Official Records, Instrument No. 2396242, recorded May 22, 2013.
8. 96-year-old is likely nation's oldest mayor - U.S. news - nbcnews.com
9. http://www.wptv.com/content/news/martin/story/Dorothy-geeben-oldest-active-mayor-dies-wptv/18LOhVTyCUqVYprO5gvaMQ.cspx%5B%5D
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
12. Florida locations by per capita income