PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A controversial rezoning proposal is returning to the Port St. Lucie City Council Monday night after residents raised concerns about plans for new recreational facilities near their homes.
The Riverland-West Sports & Recreation MPUD covers approximately 33 acres south of Southwest Discovery Way and east of Southwest Sundance Vista Boulevard.
The proposal would rezone the property from St. Lucie County Agricultural to a master planned unit development that could allow up to 135,000 square feet of indoor recreation space, commercial uses and outdoor RV and boat storage for Riverland residents.
City staff stressed during a July 27 council meeting that the rezoning does not approve a final site plan. Specific details about what would ultimately be built would come back later in the development process.
Still, several Valencia Grove residents told council members they are concerned about concepts they have seen for recreational amenities, particularly outdoor pickleball courts close to their homes.
“We chose to come here for quality of life. We wanted calm. We wanted relaxation,” resident Harriet Gallas told council members.
Gallas said she and her husband were told when they purchased their home that there would be a park beyond the berm near their property. She fears outdoor recreation could instead bring hours of noise.
“Pickleball noise is at a whole other level because pickleball is repetitive, loud, stabbing, sharp and it goes on for hours every day,” Gallas said.
Other residents raised similar concerns about noise, lighting, security and the potential impact on property values.
Carl Watkins, who lives in Valencia Grove, told council members he supports additional amenities but wants protections for nearby homeowners.
“I strongly urge GL Homes to install noise mitigation fencing of some type to keep the noise down to a minimum,” Watkins said.
A controversial rezoning proposal is returning to the Port St. Lucie City Council Monday night after residents raised concerns about plans for new recreational facilities near their homes. (PSL)
Another resident told council members he believes there is enough undeveloped land within Riverland to put the recreational facilities farther from existing homes.
Residents also questioned why they were originally shown plans describing the property as a city park.
One homeowner told council members he purchased his property believing the land would include a city park and small commercial businesses.
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“I would not have purchased my property in 2021 knowing that’s how the club would be built,” he said.
The developer’s representative told council members the rezoning is required before Riverland can move forward with a detailed site plan.
The representative said Riverland intends to move quickly on plans for recreational amenities once the rezoning process is complete.
City officials also explained that the current hearing is limited to whether the proposed zoning is appropriate. Details such as landscaping, buffers and the placement of indoor and outdoor facilities would be considered later during the site-plan process.
The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of the rezoning at its July 7 meeting.
After hearing residents’ concerns at the July 27 meeting, City Council tabled the rezoning until Aug. 24 and asked the developer to meet with neighbors to explain the plans and answer their questions.
That neighborhood meeting was held Aug. 14.
Harriet Gallas, a Valencia Grove resident who spoke at the July council meeting, told CBS12 News Monday that she feels better about the proposal after that meeting.
“They did hear our concerns. They listened and they have agreed to implement some changes,” Gallas said. “I don’t know if it’s enough, but we want to make certain that they include us in the rest of the planning so our voices are not lost.”
Gallas also stressed that residents aren’t opposed to a new recreation center. Their concern is how it could affect the people who already live nearby.
“I think they misrepresented our concern that we absolutely didn’t want the new recreation center. That’s absolutely not true,” Gallas said. “What we wanted them to do was take into account the current residents.”
Gallas said she is now cautiously optimistic.
“I feel better. I feel that they are trying to do the right thing and I’m hoping that they do,” she said.
It returns for a public hearing Monday at 6 p.m.