Martin gives initial nod to agricultural/industrial complex in Palm City

 

STUART -- A controversial initiative to establish a unique agricultural and industrial complex on a 1,717-acre citrus grove near Interstate 95 in Palm City received initial approval Tuesday from the Martin County Commission.

 

Consolidated Citrus, a division of King Ranch, has proposed developing about 900 acres into corporate campuses and setting aside the rest of the Sunrise Groves property for conservation, agriculture or environmental services.

The commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the new AgTEC land use category. The proposal also faces review by the state Department of Community Affairs before coming back to the commission on Aug. 10.

“This is a great opportunity for us something that’s worth exploring,” said Commission Chairman Doug Smith.

Commissioner Patrick Hayes agreed and said the initiative could do for Martin County what Silicon Valley did for California and the Route 128 high-tech corridor did for metropolitan Boston.

“I feel that there is a tremendous opportunity here,” said Commissioner Patrick Hayes.

But Commissioner Sarah Heard, who dissented along with Commissioner Susan Valliere, excoriated the initiative as “the most audacious proposal we’ve ever seen and the most harmful.”

“This is the worst kind of urban sprawl,” Heard said. “There is no need, no justification.”

Heard argued the project would not attract lucrative industries or high paying jobs, as supporters claim.

But Tammy Simoneau, executive director of the Economic Council of Martin County, said the project would help the county diversify its economy and set the stage for job creation when the economy improves.

The Ag-TEC initiative was among 12 proposed changes to the county’s growth plan reviewed Tuesday by the commissioners. They are set to review four more proposed growth plan amendments on Wednesday and transmit the whole set to the state Department of Community Affairs.

The final commission vote on the growth plan changes is set for Aug. 10.

Earlier Tuesday, the owners of a 492-acre agricultural tract on the Okeechobee Waterway who want to convert the property to commercial and industrial uses agreed Tuesday to cut their proposal in half.

The new proposal by James and Richard Neill of Fort Pierce calls for 75 acres of waterfront commercial land on the waterway and 171 acres of industrial land on Kanner Highway.

The Martin County Commissioners are set to review the new land use proposal on Wednesday.

The commissioners are also expected to decide whether to expand the primary urban service district to include the 246 acres of land so that the property can receive county water and sewer service.

Commissioner Ed Ciampi suggested cutting the original proposal in half to address concerns raised by several business leaders from Indiantown and neighborhood homeowners.

“We have to find some kind of common ground,” Ciampi said.

Despite the abundance of vacant and foreclosed houses, the commissioners also approved a request to quadruple the number of houses allowed on a 93.7-acre tract on Cove Road.

If the proposal passes on on Aug. 10, a total of 187 homes would be allowed on land where 46 houses are currently permitted.

Commissioner Patrick Hayes said the neighborhood surrounding Cove Road and Willoughby Boulevard has seen a lot of growth so it makes sense to change the land use to accommodate suburban development.

“This is not rural Martin County,” Hayes said.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

The County Commission also took the following action:

Approved the conversion of 15.68 acres of rural land at Willoughby Boulevard and Salerno Road to general institutional use to set the stage for the development of new church facilities by the Abundant Life Ministries of Stuart.

Approved the conversion of 93.7 acres of rural land, which allows one house per two acres, to estate property, which allows two houses per acre, for a property at Cove Road and Willoughby Boulevard.

Approved changes to the county growth plan to allow the extension of water and sewer lines to 34 lots in the Canopy Creek subdivision.

Approved the conversion of a .65-acre lot on U.S. 1 and Baker Road to Commercial Limited from Commercial Office Residential.

Approved the conversion of 2.73 acres of General Commercial land in Indiantown near Osceola Street, north of Warfield Boulevard, to Commercial Office Residential.

Postponed action until Wednesday on a proposal to convert 4.79 acres of Limited Commercial land on Indian River Drive near Bailey Terrace to Waterfront Commercial land.

Postponed action until September on a proposal to convert 445 acres of agricultural land south of Bridge Road and west of Florida’s Turnpike to General Industrial and allow the property to be served by a package water and wastewater facility.

Postponed action until September on a proposal to convert the 215-acre Bridgewater Preserve subdivision from 36 five-acre ranchettes to up to 107 two-acre rural lots and include the subdivision in the secondary urban service district where water and sewer lines are allowed.

The County Commissioners are meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday to review another four growth plan amendments and transmit as many as 16 growth plan amendments to the state Department of Community Affairs. The final commission vote is set for Aug. 10.