FORT PIERCE – The St. Lucie County Commission majority voted Dec. 2 to transmit a land-use change to the state for the 88-acre Triangle Farms property east of the intersection of Midway Road and State Road 70 while acknowledging that the future plans for the land near the fairgrounds were unknown.
The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval last July of the change from Agricultural 5 to Mixed Use Development, while county commissioners tabled the request on Nov. 4 in search of clarification of the sub-area policies associated with the request. In February of 2023, a prior Board approved a subdivision plat for 58.35 acres of the land, which had previously received a minor site plan approval in the fall of 2021.
The latest discussion on the property at 4823 Shinn Road immediately followed the Board’s refusal to rezone a 10-acre parcel on Keen Road from Agricultural -1 to industrial light because its members worried there weren’t enough restrictions on development there.
Planner Irene Szedimayer reintroduced the agenda item to commissioners that day.
“This is a public hearing on the proposed future land use map amendment from Ag-5 to MXD with specific use activity sub-area policies,” she said. “The purpose of the mixed use development is to provide areas where innovative land use concepts are encouraged, additional flexibility is needed and community input [sought] into the planning decisions. Everyone’s familiar with the location at the confluence of Okeechobee Road, Midway Road and Shinn Road. Midway is a two-lane road, scheduled to become a four-lane road over the next 20 years or so. Shinn Road is scheduled to remain two lanes but expected to go south and connect with Range Line Road. So, the roadway capacity in the area is expected to increase.”
Szedimayer immediately turned to the sub-area policies, pointing out that some remained unchanged while others had been modified in the interim.
“The proposed policies now include a statement that the desired and anticipated uses include the following,” she continued. “A hotel or motel; eating and drinking establishments; a convenience store and gas station; retail sales of tractors; retails sales of heavy equipment and construction equipment as a conditional use; a data center as a conditional use; specialty contractor trades; and manufacturing indoors. Previously, the policies prohibited manufacturing except for local, small-scale agricultural. Now, we’re opening it to potential manufacturing opportunities, recognizing manufacturing as a targeted industry.”
The sub-area policies also include some prohibited uses. Those include outdoor storage as a primary use, including parking or storage of recreational vehicles, automobiles, boats or trucks; the sale of new or used automobiles; and the sale of used boats and recreational vehicles. They do recognize the difference between the outdoor display of tractors or heavy equipment for sale and the storage of the same after being sold, which is not allowed.
Szedimayer also cited the development standards, which require a minimum of 25 percent open space on the property in addition to any stormwater ponds or retention areas.
“All development must be served by centralized water and wastewater,” she explained. “Any outdoor light industrial activity must be screened and buffered from adjacent properties and roadways; the maximum floor area ratio is 0.5; maximum building coverage is 35 percent; the maximum height of buildings is 40 feet or three stories, whichever is lower; and Dark Sky lighting practices will be expected to preserve the rural feel of the area.”
After she recommended approval, the applicant’s contracted Land Planner Zach Ciciera came to the podium to describe what had changed since last summer other than removing manufacturing from the list of prohibited uses.
“We’ve added conditional uses, which is very interesting and unique as part of a future land use application,” he said. “We’re providing more open space than what would typically be provided under this land use. And the building height changed: We’re capping the maximum building height consistent with the MXD District. We do give you the discretion to allow for a taller hotel, something that would be appropriate and architecturally sound.”
When no members of the public came forward to comment, District 5 Commissioner Cathy Townsend immediately made a motion for approval, while District 1 Commissioner James Clasby tapped the brakes slightly before seconding it.
“This project is in stark contrast to the one that we just had that was going to be a blanket approval with tons of permitted uses,” he said of the Keen Road request. “Whereas, this one has specific uses that our staff and we are approving can go there. That’s why I would also be in favor.”
Chairwoman Jamie Fowler then chimed in, admitting she might be the lone dissenter.
“For me, this is no different than what we just saw,” she said. “This is us being asked to make a land-use promise today without knowing what’s going there. We have an idea [and] we have some sub-area policies with some uses. Again we just had a conversation [that] with a new board, those uses can change, and today’s promises can be tomorrow’s problems. Without a concurrent rezoning, we’re effectively opening the door for a future board and future residents to deal with whatever this becomes.”
Chairwoman Fowler proceeded to cite comp plan policies and comments by the Florida Department of Transportation to justify her concerns.
“It does not meet policy 1.1.2.1 – it’s not within a quarter mile of any other MXDs in the area,” she continued. “Even though it is right in the back door, it currently cannot be served by our wastewater. We already know the level of service between Midway and Okeechobee Road is expected to fall with what has already been approved in the City of Port St. Lucie [and] the City of Fort Pierce, and [with] county projects like Oak Ridge Ranches. We have to put the brakes on approving something and not knowing what’s going in here.”
Afterward, Commissioner Townsend looked to County Administrator George Landry for clarification.
“To confirm, our utilities go right by this piece of property,” she said. Will this not be serviced by our utilities?”
“There’s a current 12-inch water line that is actively serving along Midway and connecting in there,” Landry responded. “The wastewater line is under construction and might be in the ground, but it’s still going through a testing phase. It will be probably available sometime in the very real near future.”
The County Commission then voted 4-1 to transmit the request, with Chairman Fowler dissenting.