Placement: Second Reading of Ordinances
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Ordinance 24-04, An Ordinance of the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, Amending the Comprehensive Plan of the City Of Port St. Lucie to Provide for a Large-Scale Amendment to the Future Land Use Map for 464.50 Acres of Land to Change the Future Land Use Designations from 90 Acres of Commercial Service/Light Industrial/Heavy Industrial (CS/LI/HI), 311.5 Acres of Commercial Service/Light Industrial, Residential, Office, and Institutional (CS/LI/ROI), and 63 Acres Of General Commercial/ Residential, Office, and Institutional (CG/ROI) to 397.89 Acres of Low Density Residential (RL), 34.25 Acres of General Commercial/Commercial Service/Institutional (CG/CS/I), 13.93 Acres of Open Space Recreation (OSR), and 18.43 Acres of Open Space Conservation (OSC) for a Parcel Legally Described in Exhibit “A”, and generally located between Glades Cut-Off Road and the C-24 Canal Road and to Provide for Text Amendments to the Future Land Use Element to Amend Policies 1.1.4.18 and 1.1.4.19 as Requested by Lulfs Grove, LLLP (P22-336)
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Submitted By: Bridget Kean, AICP, Deputy Director Planning and Zoning
Strategic Plan Link: The City’s Mission to plan for smart and balanced growth.
Executive Summary (General Business): This application is the transmittal hearing for a large scale comprehensive plan amendment to amend the future land use map and Policies 1.1.4.18 and 1.1.4.19 of the Future Land Use Element for a project known as Lulfs Groves. Lulfs Groves is approximately 464.5 acres in size and is located west of Glades Cut-Off Road and immediately south of the City of Port St. Lucie Glades Wastewater Treatment Facility and property within the LTC Ranch DRI. The Lulfs Groves property was annexed into the City in 2008 and is subject to an executed and recorded annexation agreement. A large scale comprehensive plan amendment was approved in 2009 that changed the land use from St. Lucie County Agriculture to the following City of Port St. Lucie future land uses: 90 acres of Commercial Service/Light Industrial/Heavy Industrial (CS/LI/HI), 311.50 acres of Commercial Service/Light Industrial/Residential, Office and Institutional (CS/LI/ROI) and 63 acres of Commercial General/Residential, Office and Institutional (CG/ROI). The amendment included the adoption of sub-area policies that identified Lulfs Groves as a mixed use business park with industrial, commercial, office, institutional, and limited residential entitlements. The Lulfs Groves project is approved for a maximum of 2.4 million square feet of industrial entitlements, 600,000 square feet of office, retail, and institutional entitlements, and up to 500 dwelling units.
The proposed comprehensive plan amendment will convert Lulfs Groves to a primarily single-family residential development consisting of 397.89 acres of Low Density Residential (RL) land use, 34.25 acres of General Commercial/Commercial Service/Institutional (CG/CS/I) land use, 13.93 acres of Open Space Recreation (OSR) land use, and 18.43 acres of Open Space Conservation (OSC) land use. It changes the development entitlements from 2.4 million square feet of industrial use, 600,000 square feet of office, retail, and institutional use, and a maximum of 500 residential dwelling units to 400,000 square feet of office, retail, and institutional use and a maximum of 1,350 residential dwelling units.
Presentation Information: Staff will provide a presentation.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council deny the proposed comprehensive plan amendment as recommend by the Planning and Zoning Board.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and deny the proposed comprehensive plan amendment.
2. Move that the Council not deny the amendment and provide staff direction.
Background: At the January 2, 2024 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, the Planning and Zoning Board recommended denial of the proposed amendment by a vote of five to one with one member abstaining.
The annexation and development agreement approved for Lulfs Groves requires Lulfs Groves to participate in a special assessment district or other similar funding mechanism for the improvement of Midway Road from 1-95 west to Okeechobee Road, pay its fair share or construct two (2) lanes of the extension of McCarty Road between the northern and southern boundaries of the Property, pay its fair share or construct two (2) lanes of the extension of McCarty Road from the northern boundary of the Property north to E/W 5, and construct two (2) lanes of E/W 6 from Glades Cut-Off Road to the western boundary of the Property as well as other infrastructure and development commitments.
Issues/Analysis: As noted in the City’s 2020 update to its comprehensive plan, the predominant future land use in the city is Low Density Residential. It makes up approximately 43% of the City’s total land area. Lands with a Commercial or Industrial future land use designation make up approximately 4% and 1%, respectively. The Planning and Zoning Department does not support the transition of 90 acres of CS/LI/HI (Service Commercial/Light Industrial/Heavy Industrial) land use, 311.5 acres of CS/LI/ROI (Service Commercial/Light Industrial/ Residential Office, and Institutional) land use, and 63 acres of CG/ROI (Residential, Office and Institutional) land use to primarily low density residential land use. The City has a sufficient supply of residential land as well as residential entitlements within approved developments of regional impact to accommodate future population growth. The City does not have sufficient commercial, industrial, and institutional land to support economic development and to provide services to current and future residents. Goal 1.1 of the Future Land Use Element addresses the need for the City to provide an appropriate mix of land uses to meet the needs of current and future residents. Goal 8.2 of the Economic Development Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan addresses the need for the City to support the retention and growth of the industrial sector. Policy 8.2.1.1 states that the City should ensure the allocation of an appropriate quantity of lands that are desirable for commercial and industrial purposes to serve future growth needs of the City.
At the January 2, 2024 Planning and Zoning Board hearing, the Director of the Utility Systems Department provided an overview of the day to day operations of the Glades Wastewater Treatment Facility, At the January 2, 2024 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, the Utility Systems Director spoke to the City’s experience in dealing with the complaints about smells, sounds, truck traffic, etc. from residents who purchased property adjacent to or near a wastewater treatment facility due to the General Development and General Development Utilities practice of locating the these facilities near future residential development.
Currently, the 90 acres of land within Lulfs Groves that is immediately south of the Glades Wastewater Treatment Plant is designated for CS/LI/HI (Service Commercial/Light Industrial/Heavy Industrial) uses. At the time of annexation, these were the uses supported by City staff because they were considered the most compatible with a wastewater treatment plant. This land use combination would allow such uses as warehouses, self-storage, open storage, manufacturing, contractor trade shops (roofing, plumbing, electrical, carpentry and the like), whole sale trade, and other similar uses. The majority of the Lulfs Groves property, 311 acres, has a CS/LI/ROI (Service Commercial/Light Industrial/ Residential Office, and Institutional) and 63 acres is designated for CG/ROI (Residential, Office and Institutional) land use. These land use combinations that would allow warehouses, self-storage, trade shops, and other similar uses as well as office uses, medical uses, general retail uses and and multi-family residential development (up to 500 units per acre). The project is required to be zoned PUD (Planned Unit Development). Through the PUD process, the City would have the ability to control the types and location of uses within Lulfs Groves.
In the applicant’s presentation, the applicant has stated that the nearest residential lot will be over 1,000 feet from the existing structures at the Glades Wastewater treatment facility. The applicant is only providing a 250 foot buffer on the applicant’s property. Th additional 700 to 800 feet is on the City’s property. Because the existing structures at the Glades Wastewater Treatment Facility were constructed approximately 700 feet from the rear property line, the applicant is counting this space as an additional buffer. The City is not required to maintain a 700 or 800 foot setback from the rear property line. The Glades parcels are zoned U (Utility Zoning District). The Code only requires a 10 foot wide rear setback and a 10 foot wide perimeter landscape buffer.
Financial Information: N/A
Special Consideration: . If the proposed land use amendment is approved for transmittal to the state land planning agency, city staff will begin the process of negotiating an amendment to the existing Lulfs Groves annexation and development agreement based on the revised development plan.
Additionally, the applicant has stated that this project will include significant public benefits such as the 200-foot-wide open space landscape buffer along the project’s northern property line, an additional 50 foot landscape berm, land for a city park, a fire station, and the acceleration of certain roadway improvements to serve the development. However, the new promised improvements are not included in the proposed text revisions to the Future Land Use Element as recommended by staff. Any proposed improvements should be codified and presented in the form of a proposed policy or policies to be adopted into the Future Land Use Element of the comprehensive plan as part of this amendment.
Location of Project: The Lulfs Groves property is located west of Glades-Cut Off Road, immediately south of the City’s Glades Wasterwater Treatment Plant and property within the LTC Ranch DRI.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance
2. Exhibit “A” Legal Description
3. Exhibit “B” Existing and Proposed Future Land Use Maps
4. Exhibit “C” Proposed Changes to Policies 1.1.4.18 and 1.1.4.19
5. Staff Report
6. Attachment “A” Existing Future Land Use Map
7. Attachment “B” Proposed Future Land Use Map
8. Attachment “C” Proposed Changes to Policies 1.1.4.18 and 1.1.4.19
9. Application and Authorization
10. Applicant’s Justification Statement and Submittal
11. Public Works Traffic Memo
12. City’s 3rd Party Traffic Consultant Kittelson and Associates Traffic Review Memo
13. O’Rourke Engineering Traffic Analysis for Lulfs Groves
14. Reference: Lulfs Groves Annexation Agreement 2008
15. Warranty Deed
16. Staff Presentation
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 23228-05
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Carly Fabien, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, Interim City Attorney.