Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Doctor. This will open the Planning Board Meeting Monday, 08/11/2025. Would you please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of The

United States Of America and to the republic

for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, for liberty and justice for all. Thank you. A friendly reminder to please silence your mobile devices, and we will begin. Let's call the roll.

Ms. Clemens? Mr. Whiting? Here. Mr. Johnson? Here. Ms. Carter? Present. Mr. Collins?

Yes, ma'am.

Mr. Edwards? Chair Kreisel?

Present. Did Mr. Edwards have a reasonable excuse? Mr.

Edwards called in with a reasonable excuse, and Ms. Clemens is entering the meeting now.

Right. Well, speaking of miss Clemens, I wanna thank you for covering the chair seat last month while my my family and I were on vacation. It's good to be back. And on that note, we have item nine item five, approval of the minutes from our July meeting. Is there any discussion?

Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion.

Make a motion to approve the minutes as type.

Second. We have a motion to approve the minutes by Mr. Collins, a second by Ms. Carter. Please call the roll.

Mr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Carter? Yes. Mr. Collins?

Yes, ma'am.

Ms. Clemons?

Yes.

Mr. Whiting? Yes. Chair Kreisel?

Yes. All right. Let's move on to new business. We have item 6A, annexation.

Good evening, chairman, planning board members. Before you, we have an annexation application by m or MRM Ventures for the subject property located at the Northwest Corner Of Cortez Boulevard in South 25th Street. Parcel ID 2421Dash233Dash0002Dash000Dash9. K. The applicant owner is Tim Morley.

The for subject property currently has a future land use, San Luis County future land use of RU, which is residential urban, and a zoning classification is RS four residential single family four dwelling units per acre.

And the approximate taxable value is $839,000. Before you is a city limits location map. As you can see, the parcel is highlighted in the green. It sits in the middle of a huge enclave within the city limits. The existing city and county zonings surrounding the parcel, as you can see, is r two, r 1, and R S 4 by the county and r R M 9 by Saint Lucie County as well.

The surrounding future land uses are RL in the city, which is residential low low density residential, and are you residential urban in the county? This is the maximum build out potential going from the RU residential urban, Saint Lucie County future land use to the RL, low density residential future land use for the city, it would increase a potential increase of 12 units. All affected departments have reviewed the proposed annexation with consistency with the established ordinances and requirements of the city code and comprehensive plan. Staff recommends approval of the annexation. Alternative actions of the planning board or recommend approval with changes or recommend disapproval?

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Gilmore. All right. Any discussion? Comments from the board?

Hearing none, I would only just point out, if you could go back, mister Gilmore, to that zoning map. Yeah. That one right there. I think this is, in my opinion, a very, very, very small step in the right direction. We need more of these. These enclaves are obviously a pretty significant concern. I think this should be a pretty easy decision to make, but we will go through the process anyway. And is the applicant here today? Okay. In the absence of the applicant, I would if there's no other comments or discussion from the board, we can open it up to public comment.

If there's any member of the public that would wish to speak on this application, please come forward. Seeing none, I will send it back to the board for any further discussion. Hearing none.

I'd I'd agree. That's pretty straightforward. Yeah. Seems like what needs to be done.

Thank you, mister Collins. Alright. If there's no further discussion at this time, you can entertain a motion.

I move for approval.

Second.

We have a motion for approval by Ms. Clemens, second by Mr. Collins. Please call the roll.

Ms. Carter? Yes. Mr. Collins?

Yes, ma'am.

Ms. Clemens? Yes. Mr. Whiting?

Yes.

Mr. Johnson? Yes. Chair Kreisel?

Yes. Moving on, item 6b, zoning app zoning atlas map amendment. Good

afternoon, chairman, planning board members. Before you, we have a zoning atlas map amendment to rezone to a master plan development for Pulte Cornerstone located at 2721 South Jenkins Road, Parcel ID 2324 Dash 413 Dash 0000 Dash 000 Dash 9 and 232443100010002. The applicant is Leslie Olsen of the district planning group. Owner, Cassie McCrane, Cornerstone Fort Pierce Development LLC. The applicant is proposing 250 unit fee simple single family residential master plan community with a range of home sizes, designs, amenities such as a linear park connecting recreational area to a park at park, additional buffering for the new neighborhood from 95.

A little history of the subject property. On 11/03/2008, the city commission approved a site plan to construct a 383,605 square foot commercial development consisting of eight buildings by the name of Newberry Fields. The anchor tenant for the proposed development was a Target retail store. On 12/09/2024, planning board reviewed and recommended approval of the concurrent application for a future land use amendment of the subject property. The applicant requested to change the future land use from GC, a general commercial, to RM medium density residential.

It's an aerial view of the property, which is approximately 49.92 acres plus or minus. This is a zoning map, which is c three currently. The applicant is proposing, the planned development in the buds RM medium density residential as well as a PD to the east, two PDs. It's a future land use map of the surrounding future land uses. You have GCRM.

For you is the general site plan, master plan development plan for the subject property. The applicant is proposing two phases. As you can see, phase one highlighted in red, phase two highlighted in blue is 250 single family homes, a variety of home sizes, a linear park, which starts from the recreational area and heads towards the southern end to the park pocket park, a pool, recreational playground area, and a public identity feature, which would be on the Far South Southwestern Corner. This is the site data for this proposed master plan development. The applicant is proposing two lot types.

One is 4,400 square feet minimum and lot b type type b, 3,300 square foot minimum. Maximum density, five units per acre. The applicant has provided two typical sections of 70 foot and 60 foot right of ways for two entrance boulevards with trees, a typical section of 40 feet right of way for residential streets with street trees, and typical section of 40 feet right away for the commercial access roadway tract in the northeast corner of the property. PD benefits, the linear park leverages the creative use of stormwater facilities by transferring the transforming them into bioswales, rain gardens, which a meandering one third of a mile long walking path winds with resting stops overlooking the naturalized and lake vistas at the southwest corner. In the terminus of the linear park lies a pocket park where a sculptural art a sculptural art installation is proposed.

And, also, the site is designed with a grid network of streets, which have been designed to minimize lots directly adjacent to 95. Traffic analysis, it is estimated the total weekday daily would be 2,336 total. And of the AM and peak hours, the highest peak would be the PM entry at 01:47. A signal warrant analysis was prepared at the request of Saint Lucie County Public Works Engineering by traffic and mobility consultants. This analysis was submitted to the county on August 5 for consideration for a traffic signal.

And all the affected departments have reviewed the proposed zoning atlas map amendment, a master plan development with regards to consistency with established ordinances, requirements of city code, and comprehensive plan.

Chair. So let me give you a bit of a summary about what's going on behind the scenes with this application. We have two interested parties here. We have the applicant and the neighboring property owner who has property to the north and proposes a some commercial development on that property in the future. The neighboring property owner to the north, has requested the county to consider a full access access from Jenkins to, both his property and the residential property.

We know that that negotiations have been undertaken between those parties and the county, and we requested input from the county to settle out what they would be allowed to do there. Are not city staff are not traffic consultants. We don't design roadway issues, specifically, when it comes down to county roadways. So we're dependent on the county coming back and either agreeing or not agreeing to this full access for the neighboring property. So what we would like is for the interested parties and the applicant to be speaking about this and where they are.

As I say, we don't have a response yet from the county to present to you to fully analyze this your determination on that. We were expecting that to be forthcoming before the meeting. It has not been. So I think what what our staff would like is to hear from the applicant and the neighboring property owner, and then recommend a an action subsequently to that if the board would allow that.

Are both both the neighboring property and the applicant here today?

Yes. To speak. Okay. I think it would give the board a better perspective about, some of the issues that have been faced by both parties here.

Sure. All right. Well, thank you, Mr. Gilmore and Mr. Freeman. Initial reactions, comments, questions for staff?

I'll wait to hear the presentations.

I agree. I think we can jump right in. Mr. Widing, did you have anything?

No, let's listen.

All right.

So if the applicant would at this time like to come forward. Miss Olsen, good to see you again. Please sign in and see the presentation.

You have one? Mhmm. Oh, sorry.

Okay. Okay. Got it. Okay. Sorry.

Thank you. Alright. Good evening, chair Kreisel, members of the planning board. My name is Leslie Olsen. I'm principal with district planning group, and I am proud today to be representing, Pulte Home Company, their their proposal for cornerstone planned development. And this is our master. So this is our first stage where we come in and get our our rezoning. With me today is a is a big team because it it takes a village, to get a plan development done. So I'd like to quickly introduce them. We have Ami Carlson with Pulte, back here somewhere.

Lee Dobbins with Dean Mead, is directly behind me. And I have to say also the 2025 recipient of the Pete Hegner Leadership Award. I'll probably stop referring to him that way. One day, but not anytime soon. And then we also have Luke Lambert with TMZ Traffic. So we'll definitely have him available for you for questions. Todd Troxell did our awesome site plan and landscape architecture and all the innovation that goes on in there. Let's see who else am I missing and that's mostly it. And we've got some other folks too but I'm gonna I'm gonna try to keep it shorter. Want to just orient you.

You've already seen this. We're at the Southeast Intersection of Okeechobee and I 95 across the street from Avalon Crossings. You see all those right behind Wawa and Chipotle. That single family subdivision back there. We're right across the street from that and just to the north of Viva West if you recall that site plan coming through.

And then to the north, as Kev mentioned, is a commercial site. And we are working closely together because their site needs access through our site. And so we have been working very collaboratively with them. And here's an aerial where you can see all the stuff going on around us. I'm going to have Lee Dobbins come up now and talk a little bit about the process.

Good afternoon.

For the record, Lee Dobbins with the Dean Meade Law Firm, here in Fort Pierce. I'd like to thank staff for all of their hard work on this. And I just wanted to take a few minutes to kind of talk about the big picture on it because I think that's always helpful. So this project requires both a future land use map amendment and also a zoning change to plan development. This project was before you at the end of last year for the land use amendment and the board recommended approval unanimously at that hearing.

So now we're coming before you with the plan development which is consistent with that future land use amendment. The plan development is in two steps, so we're before you for the master today. We'll be coming back to you for the final plan development approval hopefully in September. There's also a PD agreement which is part of this. That's part of the city's code for plan developments is that you have an agreement which is approved as part of the process which spells out details with respect to standards and conditions of approval.

And that's required by the code, as I said. That's a part of the package for this. And staffs are recommending approval of the master PD. Ultimately, the the final PD and the site plan with it and the PD agreement will all go before the city commission for final approval. So that that's the process. Any any questions on that? Alright. I'll turn it back over to Leslie. Thank you.

So this site is is interesting because because of its high visibility, when we were in our initial talks, with Kev and his team, we talked about what would make this site special because a planned development should have an aspect it should be more than just your basic subdivision and so what we looked at was what makes this particular site special what how can we make this plan development special and so because it has great access to the state's intermodal system, I 95, the Turnpike, and it's got a lot of visibility from I 95, one of the things that Fort Pierce currently lacks is a great entrance feature into the city of Fort Pierce. And so what, we have decided to do is to incorporate that identity feature at the Southwest corner. Basically, right when you hit the on ramp or off ramp for northbound travelers, This will be a tall sculptural feature. Pulte is currently in conversations with the Saint Lucie Cultural Alliance, to do a call for art and have a local artist design, a piece that would welcome you to the city of Fort Pierce and make this a unique and interesting place.

Also, the creation of additional housing in this particular location is very important. The city of Fort Pierce has identified the Kings Highway corridor as an important jobs attractor. Ashley Capital is in the process of, doing an entitlement to create a class a commerce park on Kings Highway, that will basically fill the need for, our small to midsize businesses that need to expand. And so we're we're looking at a lot of growth happening there and we need places for the people who are going to work out in this Kings Highway jobs corridor to expand to to live and get there quickly. So we think that this is a great site.

At five units per acre we're going to be generating 88% less traffic than the former future land use. And this is a very active designed community, tree lined streets, a really robust nature trail with lots of landscaping make this just a naturally occurring active community. And you can see here what we've done is this site really lends itself to a grid pattern for walkability framed by those tree lined streets all interconnected. Each road is interconnected with the nature trail that buffers the homes from I 95. Each one of those little gray areas there is dry detention that has been turned from just your basic, grass swale into a rain garden that captures nutrients and, adds visual beauty with grasses and, wet loving trees and great for, uptake of nutrients.

You'll also see on this slide the northern entrance closest to Okeechobee. You'll see that little dog leg that comes off of our entrance and goes towards the commercial site. That will be a shared entrance so that we can assist because they are so close to the intersection. As Kev mentioned, it's very very difficult for them to get the kind of access they need for commercial there. So especially because of that, we are advocating for a full access at that northern site and we're still in negotiations with, Saint Lucie County on that.

And our traffic engineer can tell you more about, why we believe we meet the qualifications for full access. In addition, it aligns with Clementine, to just to the east there, and that is the access point for Avalon. And so that really creates it's really important I think for both communities for that to be a full access even once Jenkins Road is widened as the county plans to do. Another thing that we've done to aid the county in their access management desires is to align a secondary entrance. We weren't originally planning on having a second entrance.

And actually, we'll probably build this one first according to our phasing plan. But this southern entrance here aligns with Independence Classical Academy. I don't know if you all recall. That's a new charter school that is expanding. I think now they're up to high school. They started with just elementary and middle. Now they're up to high school. And when they located at that church site, it was it was a little tight for a signal warrant. And so us aligning our site with theirs, our access with theirs, means that you will need a signal there probably. It looks like the signal is warranted and we will be contributing towards that as well.

I said a lot of this so I don't want to go back over it. But rain gardens, this is what you can do with a dry detention area with a little bit more creativity. So thanks to Todd. Also great for nutrient uptake and water quality. Really a really nice design for narrow streets, which is a natural traffic calmer, shaded sidewalks, and also when you have streets that are narrow like this, it makes it easier for kids to play in the street, which is a good thing.

You know, it's in a residential neighborhood. You want them to to be able to play in the street. And so in with narrow streets like this, you end up seeing that happen more. This is a boulevard entrance. As you can see, we're doing a lot of beautiful landscaping in the entrances.

And then you can see here we have a bus stop indicated. So a bus could pull into the commercial site, then swing to the south into our entrance, pick up the kids, and then just do another ride out. So it makes it a very convenient bus stop location for our school children. And you can see here our phasing plan where we're planning on starting from the South and then working north. It's it's the goal of the community to just keep on going.

It's not it's not intended to, be a long drawn out affair. So again for traffic concurrency, far fewer trips than what the future land use provided before. We will be providing for proportionate share for ICA and the signalization, and will provide for both north and southbound turning lanes at both entrances. So this delivers high quality, lower density housing with a mix of home types to meet a lot of different needs in the community. We have a real housing shortage, which is which is seen through our high prices.

So this helps meet that market demand and keeps our housing prices a little bit more reasonable. Creates a resilient and amenity rich neighborhood with great access, with safe shaded sidewalks, supports walkability, and safe school bus areas. Do you have any questions for me before we before I sit down?

I do. My first one is tied to the that school bus stop that's gone through the county. Do they do they like that location?

Yes. We did discuss this with the school board and they wanted something that was easy an easy loop in and out.

And there's there's one stop. The development is fair sized and it looks deep getting you've got multiple blocks going through the property. So there's just one stop in the entire development?

Yes. The school board is not doesn't like multiple stops in They the want the kids to walk there.

Yeah. And that was a

question if they're comfortable with that.

Yeah. Yeah. They have a hard enough time getting all the kids to school on time, they don't want to add on to that time at all.

That location cut in stone? Okay. Well, the 14 conditions we have, does one of them incorporate

So has the we actually, both the applicant and staff spent considerable amount of time discussing the bus stop location, the access, and its provision and incorporating that within the master plan, that there's not essentially a requirement to have that condition in as a condition because that installation is on the master plan and they will not be receiving certificate of occupancy unless that school bus stop is provided.

Now the location of the bus stop, the access, is contingent upon the agreement with your neighbor to the north, correct? So the intention is for the bus to enter through the neighbor's property, drive onto your property to access the bus stop. So if the agreement with the neighbor does not work, do you have some kind of backup plan for

Sure. How do it the There's another way to route the bus through this. As you see on this particular screen that I just pulled up, if a bus came in and went north to the main turning point here and around the block they could do that too. I think they'd prefer to do it the other way but if for some reason that northern parcel doesn't develop there's another way to do it.

Is that the development and everything you discussed as far as the bus stop is concerned is in phase two as opposed to phase one, which is the majority of the residential?

Yeah, I noticed that too. And we are open to adjusting the phasing line to put this portion into phase one.

I think that's something you may want to consider.

Yes ma'am.

Jenkins is getting very busy and we don't want to have those kids, especially at that northern entrance, trying to accommodate them.

Yes. Understood. Thank you.

If the commercial enters through its own property, will it also have semis, box trucks, things like that going through residential neighborhood? And if so, is there gonna be time limits of when they can access?

So we have designed the site, so that no no houses will face that road where the commercial can go back and forth on the property. It's the intent that there will be some access on their property as well. So they can, they could do a write in write out on their own property, including commercial box trucks. I don't think it has been negotiated yet between the contract buyer, which is Pulte, and the owner of the commercial property exactly how that would work yet. But we have tried to design it so that it will have as little impact on the homeowners as possible.

And is there any potential impact with if the bus stop is right there and there's gonna be commercial vehicles going throughout

it? The

the bus stop is is tucked in an like a little pocket parky area there, so there will be no need for children to walk on that road in any way. But that that commercial site is small. And so they're, you know, I I hope that they're very successful but even at their most successful that's not going to create like a mall like kind of commercial traffic. Right? It's it's going to be, probably a restaurant of some sort.

And so, but they have an access easement through our property. And so we have to accommodate that in some way. And this is the way we found that would accommodate it to be the least impactful to the residential community.

I know that you have the buffer, would there potentially be a stipulation for a wall or fencing to separate the two, or would it only be buffers between yourself and the commercial?

That's a

good question. I can't remember on our landscape plan if we have a wall.

That that comes into play

Yeah, it's right here landscape at this point. We're just proposing landscape at this point. A heavy landscape buffer, you can see there.

So I I had a question. Yes, ma'am. As far as

the

access and the providing the secondary property and an easement to your property, Does it have to be designed this way in order for that access to occur? Could it be designed differently? Like why did you choose this design and why did you choose it to be commercial access and also the bus stop access?

Because a bus wants to go right in, out. And, this particular location allows them to get into the development, the school bus, to get into the development, pick up the kids quickly, and get out quickly. They don't have to drive through all of our roads to get out. So it provides efficiency for the school district. It's the best location on our site for a bus in terms of efficiency.

I mean, because that can have that anywhere. You don't have to have it at this location. You can have you could adjust it to a different location, could you not? As far as that and you have to adjust your plans, but my point is that it doesn't have to be at this particular point.

Well, has to be close to the commercial because the commercial has to be able to utilize it in a reasonable way to get their their traffic back out. And you also don't want to intermingle your commercial traffic too much, with a single family residential community. And so this is this is because it aligns with Clementine, that entrance aligns with Clementine, it really did dictate where we put our entrance, because both the city and the county would like us to align with, you know, another residential development across the street. And then we also have to provide for the commercial access. So I we looked at a lot of different designs and we felt like this one was was pretty good.

We're pretty happy with it.

I have a question just on the the history of the site. Mhmm. I mean, seventeen years ago, obviously, long time ago, a whole different group.

I remember that one. I remember that site plan approval.

And last year excuse me. I wasn't on the board in December, and it might have been addressed but I'm just wondering if there's any insight into the deviation from commercial to residential.

Mhmm.

Yeah. It was a commercial future land use for a long long time as we know. Strawberry Fields, I think was what it was called. Newberry Fields. Newberry. Newberry. Newberry Fields. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

It used to be Strawberry Fields.

When there were actually strawberries. Yeah. I remember commissioner Coke saying she's getting out her credit card to go shopping at Target. I don't know if you remember that one. Anyway, down memory lane.

So I think it's just the market economy. There is a lot as you may have noticed, from Venice's, really excellent presentation, the future land use and the zoning in this area is almost exclusively like and when I say area, I mean out to Kings Highway, you know, quite a ways. It's almost exclusively commercial. So there's a lot of commercial available and the market just didn't ask for commercial here in all those years.

Can

you show me some on your presentation here back to the overall view, looking at the the buffer that you have that's going to be on I guess that would be the West Side. Right?

Along I 95.

Yeah. Along the the entry ramp there. So is there I see all the the significant landscape buffer. Is there is there berm, a wall planned for that Yes. As

There is a wall. Thanks for asking. There is a wall planned in addition to a lot of landscaping on our side and some landscaping on the other side of the wall. Now, what our client has offered the city is that in addition to this sculptural feature that would be an entrance feature into the city of Fort Pierce, they're also happy to allow the city to utilize the outside of the wall for public art. Should they decide to do that and should they be able to negotiate whatever Florida Department of Transportation would want.

I know that FDOT has concerns about distractibility and those types of things. So, you know, there would be things to negotiate there, but, we have offered that up to, the city's arts board, art and public places board.

Is that what it's called?

Yeah. Interesting. Thank you.

Mhmm.

Alright. Any other questions for Ms. Olsen? I think we're going to want your traffic consultant to come up and speak to the Jenkins Road activities.

Luke Lambert.

Thank you.

I almost took the sign in sheet. Okay.

Good afternoon, Luke Lambert. Chair, do you have any specific questions regarding Jenkins Road you would like answered?

If you could maybe just let us know where you're at with the traffic signalization issue.

Sure. So the Cornerstone Pulte property is looking to have two access points, two major access points on the Jenkins Road. So the Northern driveway, we kinda discussed with the cross access easements to the commercial parcels that we'll call it Driveway 2. Driveway 1 is obviously across from the ICA, Independence Classical Academy. And we have essentially, the Classical Academy, with their application, they have done a signal warrant on their behalf and sent it into the county.

The counties reviewed that and they warranted a traffic signal for like a single hour due to their own impacts. So, you know, think about that. You have all the parents driving in for morning drop off. So what we did on behalf of Pulte is also did an analysis that looked at both uses. So the school, the church, and then the residential component.

So with our proposed use of around two fifty units, the analysis shows that the signal is warranted based on the school's impacts. So when you do a signal warrant, you're looking at the highest of the minor street. So you're looking at the trip generation from the Pulte side and there was a slide that talked about those PM, you know, entering trips and AM exiting trips. So when you compare those trips of the AM exiting from Pulte,

they

are less than the school's trips in and out, both in and out. So the analysis shows that the signal's warranted. It meets more than one hour with both uses combined, but the school is a significant driver of the signal. And therefore, we would contribute to that traffic signal because it would be a benefit to both parties.

Yeah. So so the end result, what I'm hearing, is that that the signal is gonna be warrant is the signalization is gonna go up regardless, but whether or not it's going to be active for just an hour in at specific times a day or active all the time? Has that decision been made?

That decision has not been made yet. We're still talking about that with the county. They're reviewing the signal warrant and as I mentioned before, they previously only met the warrant for like a single hour. They were going to continue to have school crossing guard out there and active police detail directing traffic. The signal would relieve that requirement. And so we're just still kind of talking through that of when does it make sense to signalize the intersection. Mhmm.

Okay. Any other questions related to traffic impact? Thank you very much.

Mr. Lambert, can you please sign in? Thank you.

Are there any other questions, comments from the board for the applicant? Hearing none, at this time we will open open it up to public comment. If there's any members of the public who's

like The other commercial property they had Oh, that's right. Thank you.

You're welcome. So we you had indicated the property owner to the north was present. Would that property owner care to come up and do you have anything to add to this? If so, please come up to the podium and Just state your name and sign in and

Sure. Good afternoon. My name is Ken Simagran. I'll sign in here. Thank you for the opportunity. The only thing I would like to say is I'd like to thank the staff in this at the city, the staff at the county so far so far, and the Pulte team. We've all worked together to make this happen, and it required a cooperative spirit. And it does make sense. A little bit of history. I used to own the 50 acres, the Newberry Fields land, and I sold it to to MassMutual and Pulte as another contract.

The original intent was to make it a master plan development, all retail, if you will, commercial, which is why the cross access easement exists because it was supposed to work together. So now that the county has asked of us, the commercial property owner, to restrict our current access to a write in, out only, everyone worked together to activate the cross access. And entering back to Jenkins, the need to require a full access was critical for customers to reach the commercial parcel to be able to go north or south. So it is critical, and we're hoping the county supports that. And we look and we wanna continue.

We've owned this for a long time, more than twenty years. And the city's the entrance into the city off the I 95, you know, ramp onto Okeechobee has developed beautifully With all national users, you've seen Starbucks, you've seen Chick fil A. I mean, we we wanna continue with that theme. And the full axe the support for that full access is critical to continue to attract those high quality credit users. Without it, we're gonna have a challenge on our hands to get the kind of users you wanna see as a city, I wanna see as a developer. So we're looking for major support to make sure that that full access without restrictions gets supported. Any questions?

So internally between your two groups, do you are there any obstacles to working out the way that this access is gonna work between you?

We don't see any. No. We've just Pulte has worked hard, and the city's worked hard to get us all aligned, if you will. So it's as you can imagine, my existing cut is close to Okeechobee. So we're trying to accommodate the potential dangerous conditions by restricting it to a right in, out.

The cross access and ending in into a full swing access is the remedy Mhmm. To make the commercial parcel be as highest and best use as possible, meaning high quality users. Without it, we have a pending user. I think everyone knows of the Panda Express interest there. They're sitting on the sidelines, quite frankly, watching to see if that full access gets approved, number one.

But number two, if it gets approved with a condition, with the county's rights to change it in the future, it's a real problem. They'll probably walk away if that's how it gets approved, which means it's a challenge for me, which, you know, is a problem, I think, for everybody. We wanna do the, you know, the best job we can do. Alright. Any questions for for me?

Any other questions? Alright. Thank you very much,

sir. Okay.

Appreciate it. Alright. Having heard from the applicant and I'm gonna I'm gonna say mister S. I didn't get the last name.

Semigran. Semigran.

That. Is there any members of the public wishing to speak on this application? If so, please come forward. Seeing none, I'll send it back to the board for any further discussion.

Yeah. Could I just make a closing statement from staff? Please. So what we're what we're actually looking for today outside of the comments that we're likely to get from the county is either a determination of support for a full access driveway for the commercial that's being requested now that we can provide to the county from the planning board as their opinion of how this development should proceed. Ultimately, it is the county's decision whether or not is granted, and we would have to stand by that decision.

But I think you can see from both parties here that an agreement has been reached between them, and it settles out issues both with the parties involved and the school district. We went through a lot of discussion with the school district to ensure that the bus stop was in in the correct location. So it's we would recommend approval based on the conditions attached to this that may be with included in that whether or not the planning board would support a full access at the most northern point between the commercial and residential.

Well, I believe that, you know, at least it's my position, and I think it's the position of the rest of the board as well that it's not only recommended but necessary for, you know, the things that we deem important, like the bus access. I think that the challenge is that, you know, how it gets built. I have a you know, I think the the phasing might pose a challenge for this. And if the bus access is dependent on the development of the property to the north and how that access works, then this could be a challenge depending on the construction timelines of any development on that other property as well. So I'm not really sure how to wrap that up into a condition or recommendation.

I'd like to hear your input on it because, I mean, if we're we we talk very frequently about how important it is that we have these convenient bus loops in these developments. But now we're looking at a convenient bus loop that is dependent on development on another property. So, I mean, phasing aside for this, you know, phasing aside for this master plan development, I think we we need to figure that out.

I I agree. I I believe that that's the challenge for approval of this amendment as far as the bus access. If it's in phase two, To miss Clemens' point, why is it not in phase one? And then how do we approve this with the city with the county has not approved it? How do how do we move forward with the recommendation?

And could it I don't know. It's like, could this have could this bus access have been changed and that plan b been proposed? I don't know what else to say as far as the recommendation.

Yeah. I mean, to mister Freeman's point, I think I think the the support of this board for the, you know, for the com for for the full access is is it's important for us to state that today. But, you know, I think we also need to understand how that's going to, you know, how all of this is going to phase out and work as the construction plan develops. Yes. So, Mr. Freeman, do we have a list of we have a list of conditions, right? 14 conditions?

Doctor. Yes.

We kind of

Doctor. None of them addressed the issue. What's that? Doctor. None of them addressed the issue.

Doctor. Right, right, right. But I was

just

I was bringing it up because, you know, I think Ms. Olson had, you know, conveyed that they were amenable to redrawing the phasing scope to incorporate elements of the roadways, at least for the bus loop, so that it would be incorporated into phase one. But since she's getting up and coming to the podium, I would like to hear possibly an idea or a solution on how we would be able to implement this bus loop.

Yeah. Thank you. Thanks for allowing me to come up and speak. Venice, would you mind pulling up the site plan so that we can point to it? Since I didn't have an illustration of it, it's a little bit hard to show.

Can I just use the mouse? Okay. So, yes, ideally, at the end run, ideally the buses would pull in here, through here, pick up the kids right there, and out here. Right? If for some reason the commercial doesn't move forward at this time, we will we can adjust our phasing line to show that a bus could come in here around and pick up and go back out.

So whether whether the commercial works or it doesn't, or whether it's concurrent or whether it's later, we can make that bus loop work in that location with adjusting the phasing lines and we're happy to have you condition it on that.

So the phase plan could be revised to include essentially the entire entry point?

Yes. We'll work this out before the commission based on your condition of approval.

Has the school board had an opportunity to comment on this optional plan? Did you present that to them at all?

This is the general location that they asked for it. So we'll be happy to show them that plan B would be Y, you know, X or Y.

I would just like to make sure that they see this option and understand Communicate

with them about that.

Give them an opportunity to comment on it.

Is the area that we're talking about phase two, this area, if we go back to the Yes.

It

is. If all these other properties are being developed and the homes are being occupied and we've got kids, what's the game plan before you get to phase two?

We're going to adjust the phasing line before we go to commission.

So you're saying the bus route would be included in phase one?

Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

Is there any concern with, like, students walking through construction near that secondary phase?

Well, if the if the boulevard was included in phase one, all of the roads and sidewalks would be complete on their way to that bus stop.

Yeah. I think that's I think we can add a condition, at a fifteenth condition, that the phasing lines be modified to incorporate the what is it, the north entrance and bus loop, and obviously roadway access from phase one.

With all sidewalks completed for the students, I think, should be stated as well.

I see Alicia's taking notes. All right. Thank you, miss Holson. Any other further discussion?

I wanna say thank you guys for coming together to resolve my issue because I was definitely at a thumbs down.

Are you suggesting that we right now, we we added the the fifteenth?

Yes. So we would have a fifteenth condition to that that before they come back here in September that the final PD incorporated a revision to the phasing plan so that this north access and associated bus loop and roadway connection to the neighborhood be included in phase one?

It's set. And I think the other thing I'll share or remind all of us is we're voting on the master plan, not the final plan.

My only other, I guess, common question concern about, like, all the properties that are being placed here is traffic on a a two lane road. Is there any thought of making it widening the roads in the future to accommodate all the different developments?

Great question. So Jenkins Road is currently in the very early phases of a PD and E study which is one of the very first elements to look at the impacts of widening the roadway. So Jenkins Road is planned to be a four lane roadway. There's a very aspirational project to connect it down to Midway Road and so the project has I think a few challenges and hurdles to go through so they're just starting off that project. DOT held open houses and kind of a kickoff earlier this year And so the answer is yes. Jenkins Road is ultimately going to be a four lane roadway. There's no construction funding for that within the five year work program. So timing of that is kind of the question.

Okay. And then so your plan fits within that plan if it does move forward as far as widening the road whenever that timing is. And are there gonna be sidewalks on the outside of your division? Will that be able to happen as well? And then we talked about sidewalks and connecting different communities in the past. Will will this property accommodate sidewalks even with the widening of the road?

So Jenkins Road is a county facility. You know, they have their own codes with regards to the requirements for sidewalks and payments in lieu of and things like that. Once the project undergoes the PD and E study, they'll go into design phase. And so ultimately many corridors that become four lane facilities have sidewalks on one or both sides. There's the option for multimodal pathways. There's a lot of considerations that go into the PD and E study. And so that will be worked out. And so we've looked at the uses along Jenkins Road. So you have the school site, you have the KOA Campground to the south. So there's a lot of reasons as to why you would add those multimodal facilities.

Okay. Thank you. Can you

state your name for the record?

Luke Lambert.

Thank you.

Let me ask one more question on the sidewalks within the development. Do all the streets have sidewalks?

The streets have sidewalks on one side of the road on some streets and on the boulevards they have sidewalks on both sides of the streets.

Alright. Anything else?

The the only thing, I mean and this is for zoning change as well, right, to commercial. We have fur future land use, but this is for the zoning change

well.

You know, it's just I I look at all the new developments that, you know, Avalon Crossing, Celebration Point to the North, Creekside, you know, several others that are coming up. I I I just worry about what's left for commercial development, especially in that main area where there's been a lot of good commercial development that's that's come up. I mean, all these neighborhoods need shopping. They need jobs. They need, you know, activities, and that's just one thing that I I know the future land use is there. It's just one thing I'd like to state as a concern. I don't know if anybody else shares that as well.

Well, you know, it it's interesting when I look at this because, you know, properties abutting a major roadway like I 95, you would think would make a lot more sense with commercial property just because of the impact of the roadway on residences. But this is a trend that, you know, I see all up and down the state is previously commercial properties along interstates and major highways just becoming more and more developed into residential properties. It doesn't seem to be, you know, driving people from buying those homes. So I think the initial layout, you know, the the probably the initial vision was, you know, yeah, let's put commercial there. It's right next to the interstate, but it's gone undeveloped for so long.

You know, you you have to respect the market to an extent of what it's gonna need and what it doesn't need. Sure. So and I I I personally like the approach that they've taken with all of the landscape buffering, the berm, the retaining wall. And, also, you know, this property isn't right on the interstate proper. It's on the on ramp. So it's I think that I think the way that they've designed it is is very good in how it approaches dealing with that, you know, that major traffic just outside their property line. All right. If there's no further One

more thing. Oh. I'm sorry. It's a problem. Just a question about I didn't see like a dog park or playground. Was that in there in the plan? In the future plan, everything's approved for the final plan? Kind of asking, was that part of the

So, yes, there is a recreational park here for with a tot lot next to the pool. And from there, you have the meandering nature trail. It's a third of a mile long that goes all the way up to the identity feature at the Southwest corner and then connects down and around. We haven't identified any dog parks in particular, but there are a lot of pocket parks as you walk along the nature trail. And if the HOA decides in the future after this is built out that they want to re amenitize this in some way and identify a location for that, that would there are lots of options.

It is helpful to have that included as a dog owner myself Yeah. In the plans. Right.

You're lucky you have a dog that you can take to the dog park. Mine is just so badly behaved, I can't.

Thanks. That's it. Anyway. All right. Thank you.

Okay. All right. Do we think we have it now? Everybody good?

Alright.

Seeing no further discussion from the board at this time, I would entertain a motion to remind you we have 14 stated conditions from staff with the fifteenth condition.

I'll make that that motion, Cornerstone Master Plan Development with the noted 15 conditions. Recommend approval. Recommend approval. Second.

We have a motion for recommendation approval, fourteen fifteen conditions. Motion by Mr. Whiting, second by Ms. Clemens. Please call the roll.

Can you state the fifteenth condition?

Yes. The fifteenth condition regarding adjusting the phasing line before the final PD to include the north access and bus loop option.

With all sidewalks finished. With sidewalks finished completed for

the Sidewalks finished completed and roadway access from the developed part of phase one.

Thank you. Mr. Collins?

Yes, ma'am.

Ms. Clemons? Yes. Mr. Whiting? Yes. Mr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Carter? Yes. Chair Kreisel?

Yes. All right. Thank you. Moving on, we have item 6C, conditional use application, Live Oak Detox Center.

Good evening, Chairman, Planning Board members. Before you we have Live Oak Detox Center, a conditional use subject property located at 912 Avenue I, parcel ID 2403 Dash 707 Dash 0009 Dash 000 Dash 6. The applicant and owner is Hailey Neely. The subject property is approximately point five six acres plus or minus. The applicant is seeking to increase the occupancy of an existing detox facility from 14 to 16 clients located in the r four medium density residential zone.

The property was built in 1987 and is surrounded by single family homes as well as vacant parcels. It is a licensed short term residential de detoxification facility offering medically monitored withdrawal services in a structured secure environment. The facility provides medical detoxification and in individualized and group based therapeutic support during the initial stabilization period of the recovery from substance abuse. The facility is licensed under the Florida Department of Children and Family Services, accredited by the Joint Commission, and intends to be compliant with all state city regulations. On February 1636, city commission unanimously approved the conditional use to operate a detox facility with 14 clients at the subject address, with the following conditions.

One, provide required parking to the site or pursue payment in lieu of, restripe existing parking stalls, install landscaping such as trees and shrubs as required per the code, comply with all violations reviewed by the special magistrate and construct a fence around the property which the applicant has such completed. This this is the procedure for the review and approval of conditional uses, except city code section one twenty five dash three two thirty seven. On is an error view of the subject site. K. Is future land use of RM, medium density residential, surrounded by RM, And a zoning of r four medium density residential is pretty much surrounded by r four and r three, which is moderate density zone.

Okay. This is a site plan for this existing detox facility. The applicant would like a max of 16 residents. It would consist of 18 years of age and older, male and female, six full time employees, includes a physician and or nurse practitioner, 20 fourseven rotating shifts. All transportation is provided by staff only, no personal vehicles.

20 fourseven medical monitoring, relapse prevention planning, 12 step facilitation, holistic services, vocational life skills support, case management, and meals. This is the existing floor plan, and this is a front elevation of the subject site. Recommends that the Planning Board move the proposed conditional use to City Commission for approval. Alternative recommendations recommend modified approval or recommend disapproval. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Gilmore. Going back to the previous conditional use application, I believe from 2016. So you stated that all of these conditions were met Right. During the previous application process. I'm curious about condition one. Provide required parking on the site or pursue payment in lieu of program. So when we look at the application from 2016 and the current application, what would be the parking impact requirements?

So the it would require more parking because of the the the the beds that they have. Mhmm. However, because they're they're providing all the transportation and they did pay a payment in lieu of from the last conditional use. They did a payment in lieu from 2016.

So they didn't add any parking back in 2016, they just did a payment in lieu? Right. So what would be how many spaces would need to be added? They would need Two occupancy.

Two What is by staff.

Put it in here.

We'll we'll

we'll we'll have you come up in a minute.

I think all transportation is provided by staff. So if that is the case, then the conditional use would be that transportation would be provided by staff. And if the number of staff are not being

increased, then parking requirement would not necessarily be any more. Right. And to answer the question, 1.5 parking spaces per bed?

1.5 per bed? Mhmm.

Okay. And how many are currently there? 14. And they they are they already have a room.

14 parking spaces. Oh, no. Nine.

Nine

parking spaces. Yeah.

So one I have eight regular parking spaces and one handicap.

The it's curious that there was eight rooms. There was room for 16 initially and and seven rooms for 14 was approved. Was it again, what else was it tied to anything else? I I'm curious why that would be why why they go to that 16? It wasn't approved initially.

I would have to defer that to the applicant. I'm not sure why they didn't apply for 16 initially. Yeah.

We'll we'll we'll get there when the applicant comes up. Are there any other questions for staff at this time? Alright. If you would, sir, please come forward to the podium, state your name, and sign in.

I'm Cody Neely with Live Oak Detox.

So Venice, in 2016, you did a a payment in lieu for instead of adding new parking.

It was not our company that originally did the the the the application for use, but I was under the impression that at the time that the company and this is what I was told through other people that worked in the industry at the time, but it's that they didn't they just didn't ask for those additional residences. They didn't see any reason to have those additional residences at the time. Even though the original obviously, the building itself was built. I mean, you can tell even when you're in there, it has eight bedrooms to house 16 individuals.

Right.

But it just they just didn't apply for it for whatever reason.

Okay. I'm just checking my math here. You said 1.5 parking spaces per bed would be the out of the book requirement. Right?

Yes. Correct. And there

is a I know. I don't there is a half parking spot. I know that sounds crazy, but they actually planted they even concreted it and then planted a tree at the end of it. And so, like, a small car could park there, but we were just trying to be honest about the parking spaces. So we have you know, people park motorcycles there. I've seen, like, a mini park there, but it for whatever reason, it's, like, a couple feet shorter than it probably should have been. You can also park there and be a little bit stuck out, but it it is there. So I don't I don't know what the intention with that is either. Maybe they just didn't wanna remove that tree many years ago when they put in the parking lot. I'm not sure. But Do you have like,

a could you just maybe, like, do a Google Map search for the property?

Yeah. It's not a huge tree either.

So I Yeah. I was looking back through the 2016 application, and I saw some of the old photos. And I I could see that at the time that, you know, the the fence was built. I can see the landscaping that was installed and everything. So I'm just concerned about the parking.

I mean, I I'm gonna be stuck on this issue only because you're in a residential neighborhood where we don't have streets wide enough for street parking. And, you know, it's a, you know, to continual concern. So, I mean, looking at your parking lot now, you have you know, just in this image, you have two vehicles parked in your parking lot, which shouldn't be there. Right. And you've got a vehicle parked on the on the grass essentially in the in the roadway right away, which is you know? Yeah. I know it's Fort Pierce, but it's, you know, technically not

I believe this photo was taken before we occupied the space, but but yes.

I see the car parked in front of the tree that you were talking about. Yeah. The one, like, right in the middle.

Yeah.

Because we we go by the staffing guidelines based on Department of Children and Families. And those staffing guidelines, we are able to more than support the residents there with our staffing without having to add additional staff either. So we do have enough parking, like I said, for our staff.

So what is your what is your maximum staff number when you're

It's not for six full time. It's six people on each shift because it's obviously twelve hour shifts in each individual run. And then even overnight is less than it would be if it was, like, the medical staff, like the doctor or the you know, is there or somebody else that's, you know, seeing them during the day. Like, we would have a twenty four hour nursing, but we have we don't have a twenty four hour MD that would essentially be there. Or, like, the therapist, for instance, she's not there overnight. Right? So she would go home at that point. But none of the residents, like we said, then none of them actually drive in or keep their cars there on property. It's also a safety thing. We just feel more comfortable not having people with their car.

You know? You don't have to worry about their car, what's in their car, are they gonna leave or go in and out. You know? I don't know. It's just easier to to meet them off-site if they do wanna drive in, and then we we drive them to the facility. K.

Any other questions for the applicant?

We also don't have visitation. I don't know if that matters, but it's short term facilities, so there isn't, like

You don't allow visitors.

Families come in there. We don't do anything like that. Yeah. Be different if it was like an outpatient with like a long term extended care where you have like, you know, families come in and you have family day or something, we don't it's not the purpose of this facility. It's more stabilization.

Alright. Thank you very much for your time.

Absolutely.

Alright. If there are any members of the public wishing to speak on this application, please come forward at this time. Seeing none, I will send it back to the board for any further discussion. Any of you have shared my concerns about the parking issue?

I guess guess guess it's not a true concern since they provide transportation into their facility. If their staff is the maximum if there's a maximum of six cars, then it's not truly an issue. I guess the only only thing that would be concerned is if those the staff have visitors since the residents do not have visitation rights. Was there a bus that that I should have asked them if there's a bus that parks in the facility.

Yeah. I think it looks like they have a van that they used to Yeah.

It's like a it's like a midsize SUV, so I apologize. And those staff can't have visit because it's a HIPAA compliance issue. So no

one's visitation whatsoever.

You have

to happen.

Correct. You you we can't have anyone outside coming in. It's for privacy purposes. Because while they're there, they're, you know, a patient essentially, like, in a hospital. You can't, you know, divulge that they're there. Even when people call, you know, it's you know, we cannot confirm or deny if this individual is or is not in our facility at this time.

Right. Okay. Yep. Thank you. Anyone else? So just to clarify, this is a conditional use for, is it occupancy or number of beds? Number

of beds, either way. Okay. Yep. They're increasing it from 14 to 16 individuals. Are you recommending any conditions, Ernest, on that?

I I might request the addition of a condition that restricts parking to staff only.

I was thinking the same thing. I think, you know, I'm I'm not sure how I'm not sure how that would deter people from parking on the street, which I think is really the only thing that I'm concerned with. If if if they park too many vehicles in their own parking lot, it's their property. That's their problem. I just, you know, I just don't want it to become a nuisance for neighbors. But it I mean, it doesn't appear like that's really what's going on here.

It it if you can get back to the pictures that actually showed the property, the photos, It it appeared that there was on the other on the inside of the hedge that with the location of at least one of the vehicles, one of the pictures, the picture on the upper left, that vehicle on the other side of the trash cans, that looks like it's on grass to me. That looks like it's way right. But maybe I'm wrong. So my other thought is that, and I'm seeing on the left side, go left, You can go left now. That truck, the other side of that truck, it looks like that dark vehicle is on grass also.

So I don't know if a solution is there's frankly more use of the grass than we realized and I don't know.

Something like this. Something like this. See what I mean? Yeah.

And I think it's on the other side too that there was, by the hedge, if we go to the that satellite view.

I see what you're saying, mister Whiting. I think looking through the application at some of the site plan material they have there, it appears to me that the setbacks would allow for some additional parking. I think it's just a matter of whether or not we feel it's necessary to compel them to do that. Mhmm. You know, I think the the the previous conditional use, the property owner at the time complied with the requirements. They put in fencing. They put in landscaping. They cleaned up the parking lot. It did not look like that before 2016. I saw the old images.

So they cleaned up the parking lot. They restriped. And so I don't know. How do you all feel about Kevin's condition? Do you think that's necessary?

I question it. If you have vendors, supplies, deliveries, all of that, you're putting something that's constraining them from operating.

Mhmm.

Good point.

Yeah. You could amend it to the parking restricted to business and staff use only. Patients shall not have parking spaces. Well, I'm just going on and on.

But this this particular facility does not allow the patients to have cars.

Yes. I think that's what what we're trying to say is, you know, it's parking is restricted to staff and service vehicles.

Yeah. I think that's, you know, obviously kind of baked into their business plan and the regulations they have to conform with. But, I mean, it it it doesn't really seem make a difference. I mean, there's no reason not to Right. Stipulate that in a condition here, Just so that it's stated what we're looking for. Alright. Anyone else?

Yeah. These facilities are doing a great service in the community. So I hate to limit it if they can be, frankly, three sixty five helping a couple more folks. So I'm reluctant not to let them expand.

And and would this conditional I guess, would this exception for the parking be only for this facility? Is Is how would that be stated? I I mean, just in case whenever the future changes

Yeah. Oh, you mean if we yeah. That is a good question. Could additional use would be would be attached to this property moving forward, right, even if they sold?

It would depend if you could put a condition on that that that, you know, the conditional use applies to this applicant only. Does not room with the land.

I think I like that one. How do you feel about that?

I think that's a a smart move. Yes.

Alright. So for the record, we're proposing a condition that the conditional use waiving the requirement for additional parking be attached to this specific property owner or operator and would

That means the business, not to the operator because then they couldn't potentially make a sale of the property

Yeah.

With the business on it.

Yeah. The business. Yeah.

Would not extend if the property was sold or if the business was sold.

Think if if the operation and business remained this is not the condition. If the operation and business was maintained as proposed today, then that would not change the the applicant or the application of a conditional use as we're looking at approving now, what we I think what we're saying here now is that if the use changed, that this would not automatically be transferred to the next use unless it met the operation conditions that we're seeing in front of us here. So one way of doing that is not to permit the commune you know, not to approve the conditional use to run with the land, but to run with the type of business operation that's being carried on. If you see what I'm trying to get to. Yeah.

So it's tied to the use? Tied to the use,

not Not necessarily not necessarily this property. Property. Yeah.

Or the property owner. If the use continues, the waiver continues.

Yes. Exactly.

And the use is also including the transportation

Everything that's yes. Everything that's been proposed here with this application would be approved. Any changes to that in of operation or staff levels or whatever would obviously necessitate a revisit.

I I think we have it there. So the conditional use is essentially tied to maintaining the status of the operational use of the facility as it's been stated today. Yes. Right?

Yes. Okay.

I think we've got it. Anybody wanna try to take a stab at a motion for that one?

I have to lean on you.

A motion for approval with parking structure. There's a conditional use tied to the use within the property as stated today.

Second.

I think we understand what we're talking about here. I think the commission will as well. We have a motion for approval with one condition by Mr. Johnson, second by Ms. Clemens. Please call the roll.

Ms. Clemens? Yes. Mr. Whiting? Yes. Mr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Carter? Yes. Mr. Collins?

Yes, ma'am.

Chair Kreisel?

Yes. All right. Thank you, everyone. I'm moving on to item 6D, major site plan and innovative community development, Sunrise Village Apartments. And Ms. Driver has the presentation.

Alright. Good afternoon, chairman and board members. Today, I bring before you Sunrise Village Apartments, a major site plan with innovative community development at 3000 Okeechobee Road. The applicant was Ariana Hillard of WGI Incorporated, property owners area Arrow Investment Group LLC. Parcel ID, 241750400200016.

In summary, the applicant is requesting the review and approval of a make of a major site plan, innovative community development in Bowness City, to develop 106 apartment units at 3000 Okeechobee Road. The three multilevel multifamily building proposes to offer community amenities, resources, and unique architectural designs, enhanced landscaping, and transient oriented design features. Here is an area view of the site location. The site area is approximately 6.87 acres. The future land use of the property is RM, medium density, surrounded by general commercial to the west, east, and south, residential low to the north.

The zoning is r four, medium density residential. Can't speak today. Again, with general commercial c three to the west, east, south, and r two, single family intermediate to the north. According to Article V, Section 120 five-two 43, innovative community development is achieved through economic sustainability by employing methods of to achieve distinctiveness and excellence in siding, design, pedestrian accessibility, and landscaping. Uses for innovative development would be duplexes, quadruplex, triplex.

In this case, it will be multifamily housing. Policy one point one point seven, the city will allow a density bonus of five dwelling units per acre above the minimum I'm sorry, maximum permitted density for development located within a quarter mile of a rail station, transient center, or transit stop. Here is the site plan of the property, the proposed development. I will go over some of the unique innovative features later. But here, there is an entrance.

I want to highlight the entrance into the property. There would be one entrance, as well as where the proposed property sign would be located. Some of the details of the site plan. Again, the proposed units will be 106 floor plan, three story buildings, one to three bedroom units. The community proposes to offer a acre, a little over an acre with a fountain, two pet waste stations, a 20 by 20 gazebo indoor and outdoor fitness area, tot lot and recreation area, an activity room, a great room, covered bus shelter, three eight space covered bike kiosks, and one bike rack.

And, again, the property is located from a quarter mile of art, which is route through and sits on the corner of Okeechobee and South 33rd Street, as well as the applicant is proposing that the units will be affordable. Elevations with renderings. I think it's important to highlight that this design style of the multifamily buildings is Anglo Caribbean with use of colors white, gray, and light blue. We see some wall fixtures, as well as some of the shingles on the building will be a bronze metal color. Building A will have 46 units.

Of course, this is where the clubhouse and other amenities that are offered to the community will be located in Building A. Both Buildings B And C will have 30 units each. Here is the floor plan of the proposed units. The floor plan on the left is the main building, Building A, with the great room activity, some of the things that I mentioned. And the center floor plan is just highlighting some of the floor plans throughout the other two buildings.

The landscape plan. It is important to highlight what is required according to the code as opposed to what is being proposed. Overall provided excuse me. Overall, the applicant will be providing 76 trees in addition to the 27 variety trees that will be preserved on the property, as well as 59 preserved palm trees on the property. When we bring it all together with the renderings, the landscape plan, this is essentially what the site will look like.

Again, highlighting the lake that's in the back with the fountain. We got over here the tot lot area, a dumpster location. And again, this would be the main building with entrance to the clubhouse. Staff's recommendation is approval for the site plan with the seven following conditions. Number one, prior to the issuance of a final certificate of occupancy, a landscape maintenance agreement shall be approved and shall acknowledge the following.

Number two, a five foot sidewalk along South 31st Street to provide site connectivity to the existing Okeechobee Road sidewalk. Number three, a 12.5 foot right of way donation on South 31st Street. Number four, prior to the certificate of occupancy, a maintenance plan and agreement signed by the owner and or operating entity shall be notarized and submitted to the city engineer. The agreement shall include the operation and maintenance of all stormwater facilities and shall ensure that stormwater management system has a plan for the removal of nuances and invasive exotics or other vegetation to ensure no regrowth of the same. Number five, signed permits shall be filed separately during the permit process.

Six, an updated environmental assessment shall be required prior to land clearing and development. And seven, prior to the issuance of any site clearing permits, the applicant shall provide a tree mitigation survey and coordinate with the city of Fort Pierce, Obris for the required mitigation of the city's regulated trees proposed to be removed as a result of its site development and construction activity. Alternate recommendations will be to, one, recommend approval with additional or modified conditions, or two, recommend disapproval. Thank you.

Doctor. Thank you. Can you go back one page for me? Conditions two and three. Could you walk me through those, maybe just looking at the site map?

Okay. So, I will do my best. I believe the applicant can more expound on it, because these were conditions that the engineering department put in place.

Okay. Are you guys prepared to illustrate those a little bit for me? The the sidewalk on 31st Street and we'll we'll we'll we'll get to in a second. Just wanna make sure that we have have that covered. Because I I just had a question about what that was gonna look like. And then I had one other question for

Chairman, if I may. Oh. Just real quick. Yep. So, again, the applicant can expound more on it. But when we're talking about the sidewalk, discussion so this right here, as my arrow is driving, this would be 31st South 31st Street. So this will where the conversation is as far as the sidewalk connectivity as well as the 12.5 right of way dedication.

Got it. Okay. Yeah. I wasn't I just couldn't visualize where on the site that was. And then is there a is there a secondary access proposed for this?

No, sir. This will be the only access right onto Okeechobee Road. Did the

fire district comment on that at all?

What they wanted was the turnaround, and it satisfied the turnaround. So being able to come inside the property and tend to residents.

Okay.

Mainly, I do believe there is a canal somewhere here, so it's preventing that additional access.

Right. Mhmm. Okay. Any other questions for staff? Alright. Hearing none, I'll invite the applicant to come forward. If you would please come to the podium, state your name, and sign in.

Sure. Good afternoon, chair and board members. Jared Perser with WGI. I'm one of the planners for the project. So if you want to bring up we have some backup slides. We don't need to cover everything. Miss Driver's presentation did a good job of that. So but I can show you on the site plan where that right away dedication and sidewalk Sure. Are located.

Mhmm. Go to the site. Try and get the new site. First one.

Mhmm. Why didn't it do that? Okay. Here we go.

So we've got a few slides here just in case of questions on various items, but I think we can skip ahead to the site plan and just answer the questions related to that item. So here we have the site plan, so we can zoom in a little bit. So the city engineering department requested a 12 and a half foot right away dedication for 31st Street. So you can see that dimension here, it's on this west perimeter. You can see that 12 and a half foot offset here, and it goes up to where Nebraska Street, turns to the the west there.

So the dedication is just 12 and a half feet along that west property line until you get to this point. And then you have a five foot sidewalk connection that connects on the east side of that dedication area all the way down to the sidewalk on Echobee Road.

Okay. So it looks like it would complete the sidewalk connectivity, but also accommodate potential roadway widening.

Exactly. So the future roadway widening and, you know, sidewalk connections to future developments and other directions as well.

And you are proposing a left hand turn lane on Okeechobee?

Yes. We are. So we've got a left turn into the project there.

Miss Clemons, did you have a question about the bus stop?

No, I see a bus shelter there.

The only thing I would point out is that, you know, I mean, we don't see a loop, you know, right at the entry point. So any buses coming in to pick up would have to loop through the community to get back out. I was just curious if the if the school board had commented at all about the length of distance the bus would have to travel.

So I can I can speak to that if the city is okay with that? So we've had a good bit of coordination with the school district on the bus shelter and the circulation for the bus stop. Our preference would be since traffic is de minimis. Sorry, excuse me, de minimis impact that the school bus would stop here on Okeechobee Road, and students could travel to and from the bus shelter here. The school district expressed that they would like the bus to come into the site and circulate down to the bus stop shelter. So we did provide auto turn exhibit. They reviewed that, and they accepted that bus shelter location on Okeechobee Road.

I mean, obviously, the priority is to not have the buses stopping on Okeechobee. And we we we we try to back up the school board and and and help their bus route timing by not having these longer travel routes through the community. But if if they've reviewed this and accepted it, then that's on them. I think the, you know, the priority of that that we express here is that we get the bus stops off of these major thoroughfares, especially Okeechobee. I know there's a few places where the school buses do stop on Okeechobee, and it's not good. So adding any more to that would would would be a step in the wrong direction.

Understood.

Martin, you wanna add that as an eighth item?

What's that?

Add it as an eighth item.

Well, I think if I mean, the the the site plan accommodates the turn radius that the school board needs. If if they don't have if the school board doesn't have any comments, then I don't really see the need to address the issue any further. I don't I mean, we can't we can't force the school board to tell their bus drivers to go into the community. I mean

I was more concerned with loading, unloading on a Okeechobee versus on the site. I'd just like to know that that is in fact gonna happen.

Yeah. I mean, that that's that's what the school district has indicated in your communications with them. Correct?

Yes. Correct. Mhmm.

I guess my only concern would be if down the road, they find that implementing that plan is causing them too much time, they shift to doing the pickup drop off on Okeechobee.

But Again, we can't regulate that. No.

Alright. Any other questions for the applicant?

I guess my my only question or comment is, like, these buildings are just so close to the road. It's just like a building right next to a very busy street. When I think about, like, overall well-being for the people here as the city grows, like, that's, like, one of my concerns as far as noise and traffic and making sure people have a dwelling that is safe and, like, noise is a is is an issue, especially in growing cities. Cities. Why did you choose to have the building so close to the road versus the lake or pond or landscaping, things like that?

So great question. That's something we actually coordinated with the city on in detail. So we wanted to create a streetscape element with the landscaping. I think some of the renderings show the landscaping kind of work with the building facades along the streetscape there. This kind of shows that we had palms and vertical elements where there are more vertical structures along the buildings and we have that existing walkway along Okeechobee.

So we really wanted to create kind of a streetscape atmosphere there where it's not just a huge parking lot between the main road and the buildings. You actually have the buildings up against the main road, and then you have the parking in the middle of the site. Another building back here that's overlooking the pond and the wetland in the back. So that was part of our design and part of the innovative design criteria that we were that we were meeting with that with that design of the buildings.

I I guess I would ask staff then. I'm like, why why I mean, as a person who has lived in apartments, traffic noise is an issue. Why did you decide to have

It's a normal planning urban design criteria that we're trying to implement in the city. We do not want parking lots facing all the main roadway roadway arteries that come in and out of the city. Housing is usually built now with adequate soundproofing to locations. It's this is a normal planning process. And

I guess as long as soundproofing is, you know Yeah. Adequate, not a big issue. But it it's just like I don't know. It's it's a concern for me, personally, I think for for people as well to have the building right there. Understand that it is part of urban planning. Bigger cities, of course, have this. But Okeechobee is a big road. And is that soundproofing sufficient? Well, I think

guessing you're

saying, it is.

People have the option to live here or not.

So in this render, this is Okeechobee in the foreground here at the bottom left that we're seeing?

Yes.

Is there so at this stage in the application process, do we have a landscape plan or is that still coming?

Yes.

Okay. Do you could you

go to that?

I don't believe that's part of the slides here, but I do have that printed out in front of me here that I could

Staff has it.

Staff has it.

I'm I'm just wondering if pollard trees might be a better element to incorporate along of Kichobe. Yeah. I mean, what do you guys think about that? I mean, what what was shown in the assuming what was shown in the rendering was good representation of the landscape plan. It just it seems like it's

not necessarily. That was a conceptual rendering. Excuse me. So the landscape plans, we have a lot of relocated sable palms, excuse me, along that frontage as well as some other trees, sorry, that are taller. So the rendering is not necessarily showing the height of that material.

Got it. Okay. Yeah. I I just I I think compared to the rendering, a little more significant landscaping buffer or, you know, a little more significant landscaping kind of not look having the buildings look so exposed from the street view.

Definitely help. Yeah. Like, for the record, I I think I'm just opposed to having I'm I'm opposed to having buildings. I think, like, the lake or pond could have been there versus the buildings and still not have a parking lot. That's my personal preference and opinion for, like, residential areas where you're having you know, we are growing as a city and just thinking about, yeah, people can choose not not to live there, but we want people to live here and not have reason not to live here.

So, I don't know. I think in the future, definitely, we should maybe reconsider, like, these things because they're not necessarily helping for people to have such noise. I'm not like, this is not gonna European city where we have a brick building, where you have true noise abatement from the construction. This these are the materials are not not the same. You know? So my my opinion.

Understood. In addition to the landscape material, which is more substantial than what's shown on the conceptual rendering, the materials of the building as part of that innovative design are block exterior with some other materials included that are more durable and help provide that sound barrier as well. Well, thank you. So,

Kev, how does this design fall in your kind of overall aesthetic architectural guidelines that you've been working with?

This is what we've been asking for. Yeah. Hello?

Very good. Oh, well, this do you have any phasing proposed for this project?

No. Just one construction.

And you had a playground and dock park as well?

Yes. We do. We have a clubhouse with various amenities inside. We have a top lot, an outdoor fitness area, and gazebo overlooking the lake. Okay. And we also have several bicycle kiosks throughout the project, which include tire pump station and other items for bicycles.

Nice. But a dog park as well. No?

I don't believe we have a dog park at this time.

There's waste stations.

Waste stations. Right. Okay. So it was waste stations.

Not having a second entry exit, is there any concern with not having or with traffic going eastbound coming into Okeechobee on thirty first?

Good afternoon. Adam Schildmeier with WGI, civil engineer. I'll also sign in. Repeat your question again. Sorry.

So not having anything as an entry exit leading out to, say, Nebraska. Mhmm. Is there any issue or concern with eastbound traffic getting on to Okeechobee Road and crossing the the lanes in the median to get out towards the east?

No. There's not. We did as part of the the application and the submitted documents to the city, we did the full traffic study and with a signal at 25th Street and also a signal just up the road at 31st. It breaks up traffic fairly well. Even in the PM and AM peak hours, the the traffic works just fine as far as people being able to get out there.

It's a protected median. Also, that segment of Okeechobee, if you recall, you've got medians with landscaping on front that should also help with some of the road noise that was also expressed. But that will allow people to get out into that meeting opening and make that eastbound left and out into Okeechobee.

You said a signal at 31st or

at 35th? 33rd. I think was 30

33rd. It's just yeah. Sorry. Not thirty first. Okay. My apologies.

Alright. Any other questions for the applicant? Hearing none. Thank you very much. Appreciate your presentation.

Thank you.

Alright. If there are any members of the public wishing to speak on this application, please come forward at this time. Seeing none, I will send it back to the board for any further discussion. Well, I'll just say I I do share your concern, miss Carter. I think it's it's an aesthetic choice.

It's also kind of a I'm gonna say cultural choice. That's not the right word, though. But it's it's kind of like an urban versus suburban feel. And I think, you know, Fort Pierce has kind of an interesting intersection of those two things in certain parts. Certainly, downtown has a very, you know, city, small sidewalk, front facing kind of feel, whereas some of our other larger expanded areas, much more green space. And and so there is a lot of that variety. I was actually curious. I was just gonna ask staff about this.

Mhmm.

Just the history on this parcel because we do see all of the frontage properties on Okeechobee in the surrounding areas, all as commercial zoned. And I'm curious if this was, at some point, commercial and was rezoned to residential?

I

do not know that answer. I do know that there was some previous site plans that were approved, but it was still residential, and we're talking about in the early twenty twenty. So, as far as the history before that, I can probably pull up GIS to see if some rezoning took place.

You would have to do research?

No. Genderization? Have to get into it. I was just curious if there was any recent history on it that you were aware of. Other than that, I'm I'm ready to entertain a motion unless there's any further discussion.

To your comment. So I I I do understand the urban feel. I I love Fort because it has that urban downtown. It has a true downtown compared to other cities surrounding Gustafs. It's a really great city to be in, so I love living and being here.

But I think about Fort Pierce downtown, it's mostly brick and brick and stone or at a facade of it that provides that urban feel where this construction for apartments is not is not that. So I think that I'm asking staff to consider that in the future as far as, like, when you if you wanted a true urban feel, then usually it is more of that brick and stone versus the suburban look. And those materials, brick and stone, provide better noise, deterrence in isolation, I believe, than these materials here.

Well, these materials are block.

They're block? Yes. Okay. That does help.

Yeah. And if I could also address, which I find really frustrating, that it's not a European thing. And just because of my accent, I'm not trying to, you know, push European ideas. Yeah, I get it. These are ideas that have come from the American Planning Association. Many different, the campaign for new urbanism. Just general good planning concepts. So I find that frustrating and I get that thrown at me all the time and it's not I don't think that's justified.

Well, I think it's there there's a there's a subjective nature to it that's always going to be there. Some people will see it and some won't. So did you have something to add to the conversation?

My name is Ash Leva. I'm vice president of Blue Sky Communities. We're the developer for Sunrise Village. I just wanted to for to give you an additional peace of mind on the noise factor. As part of our funding process, we have to do an environmental impact study, and one of the aspects of it is noise.

So it's called a strat strat cat analysis. So the architect and the reviewer get together and analyze the building, the materials, and the these buildings passed below the I think it's 70 decibels that is considered noise or something to that effect. So it's, we we keep that in into consideration. And I also wanted to add that we're very excited to to be part of, a development here. Again, we just completed, 2023, Blue Sky Communities I'm sorry.

Blue Sky Communities completed Blue Sky Landings. So we're very happy to be back and and bring true affordable housing to to the community and help out as much as we can. And we thank staff for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to create a nice home for a 106 families. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Thank you. Alright. Anything else from the board?

Probably the same subject, but we went through the site plan so fast. But I I don't know that aesthetically from from the street, it'd be nice to have, quote, a pond in the front. But maybe it becomes a functional area, a gathering place in the back to for the residents. So I I don't know if you have plans with that or not, but it could be a very nice, place for residents to enjoy also.

But we I forgot to say. Sorry. We wanted things to be pushed to the street with this so we could retain as much open space in the rear of this development. And if we have a overview of the whole site plan, you will see there's a significant area where we do have all the amenities and the wetlands and everything else preserved.

Yeah.

So that's the choice that we're trying to give amenities to people who come into the city that are quieter and more out of the busyness. The buildings are designed to Florida Building Code and have to comply with that. So I know these buildings are blocked, but any other building, whatever material, would still have to comply with the the building code.

Alright. Anything else? Hearing none. Just

just to add a little more information, the environmental impact statement that the applicant spoke of that has been uploaded with the applicant files. So if you just want to read more up on it to understand, to verify, I guess, what the applicant stated, that information is provided in the applicant file.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, miss Dre. Alright. At this time,

I would

entertain a motion. I believe we have Seven. Seven conditions

Second.

For this application.

I move for approval with the seven conditions listed.

Second.

Do you have a motion for approval with the seven conditions by Ms. Clemens, second by Mr. Whiting? Please call the roll.

Mr. Whiting? Yes. Mr. Johnson? Yes. Ms. Carter? Yes. Mr. Collins?

Yes, ma'am.

Ms. Clemons? Yes. Chair Kreisel?

Yes. All right. Thank you very much. We'll move on to item seven, comments from the public. Any general comments related to planning from the public, please come forward at this time. Seeing none, we will move on to item number eight, the director's report.

We held the first comprehensive plan outreach event at the Riverwalk Center last week. And there will be a second outreach on October 9, which is discussing the update to the comprehensive plan. Within all that time range, there is a survey online that people can access through our website to make comments and answer questions on various aspects of the city. It's being run by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, and there's an opportunity there for residents residents and businesses in the city to make a comment on what they would like to see the future for PS look like. I will be preparing a memo to both the planning board and the city commission relating to state bill one zero eight.

Now that's a very, I would say, unusual bill that was initially dealing with a hurricane and rebuilding hurricane, damage, and to allow that process to go through quicker. But within that bill, there is a an element that if city or a county are within a certain radius of a hurricane that's hit Florida, and there are provisions that restrict any changes to the comprehensive plan or zoning regulations, which are more restrictive than those which are already in place. We are affected. We've been in proximity to a hurricane, and I think that time period lasts two years. But I when are we not within the radius of this hurricane or emergency declaration?

So we've got to be very careful in terms of what we propose for code amendments. And a lot of the work that we've been doing behind the scenes, specifically looking at landscape provision. We have to note that any proposal by staff or the city to increase landscape provision within the site plan within code. I mean, applicants can do this off their own. They can increase their own landscape provision if they wanted to, but to enforce that, we're being put in a corner.

And it's not gonna be just landscaping. It's gonna be other design things. It's gonna be any code changes or any changes to the comprehensive plan, which can be perceived to be more restrictive than what we already have. And what I've heard from other agencies that have made they're just going through ordinary comprehensive plan reviews right now. They're having them thrown back because within them, they've incorporated things that may be considered to be more restrictive.

So it's another it's another aspect where I think, you know, the state regulated the amount of things that the city are able to do. But I'll be doing I'm doing a full analysis of that. And it's only one or two lines that really make that point. That it it's such a significant impact to what the direction we would like the city to be moving, I think.

So is this based on wherever our current local codes were at the time that this legislation passed?

Yeah. Whatever date that is, I'll I'll figure that out. It may be the date the enacting bill, or it may be a date that is specified in the enacting bill. But, essentially, I think we're we're stuck with what we have in terms of demanding things that are not already in the code. And it allows us to go the other way to make the process simpler or to take out obligations or whatever.

But, you know, we we don't have a significant code in that direction. We were looking at how do we get, you know, a good standard of development coming in. So we, you know, we're fortunate we did adopt the architectural standards. And we've done some of the code changes which do help. But we there was a lot there was a lot we were working on that we now have to revisit to say, you know, is this making it more difficult for an applicant? Could they challenge that?

Mhmm.

Hello? Yep. I'm also doing a a full analysis of the well, staff will be coming forward with another memo or presentation based on the some of the contents of the Live Local Act have been changed recently, which involve church property. And I think from what I'm reading, that process for dealing with Live Local applications on church property is more is more a determination by city commission of whether they want staff to deal with that or another process to deal with that, which could be the same process that we have already. So I'm gonna be I'll do an I think I'll I do that as an item for discussion because we'll have to take it to the city commission for their determination of whether or not they want to keep the normal technical review, planning board, city commission route for development on church properties.

So, yeah, we're dealing with a number of legislative directives. We did have an update from our lobbyist representatives this morning. I think that's online. You could probably see that to city commission about potential for upcoming bills and direction from the state, and there may be an another raft of legislation that comes through and affects, you know, what we do. But we'll wait on that.

All right. Well, thank you, Mr. Freeman. Thank you. Any comments from the Board?

Thank you for the discussion. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Alright. Well, hearing nothing else, we can adjourn for the day. Thank you all, everyone.