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ST. LUCIE COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
P & Z Regular Meeting
May 17, 2018 Convened: 6:00 PM
Adjourned: 10:17 PM
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Chairman William O'Dell
A. Pledge of Allegiance
B. Invocation
Mr. Hopkins
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
William O'Dell Chairman Present
Edward Lounds Board Member Present
Craig Mundt Board Member Excused
William Smith Board Member Present
Sean P. Mitchell Board Member Present
James Clasby At-Large Board Member Present
Bobby Hopkins At-Large Board Member Present
Robert Lowe At-Large Board Member Present
James Taylor At-Large Board Member Present
Marty Sanders Ex-Officio Board Member Absent
D. Announcements
None
E. Disclosure(s)
None
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2. MINUTES
A. St. Lucie County Planning & Zoning Commission minutes for the meeting of Thursday, April 19,
2018
RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Robert Lowe, At-Large Board Member
SECONDER: James Taylor, At-Large Board Member
AYES: O'Dell, Lounds, Smith, Mitchell, Clasby, Hopkins, Lowe, Taylor
EXCUSED: Craig Mundt
3. PUBLIC COMMENT
None
4. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Crossing Church aka St. James Christian Academy (Educational Services, Grades K-5 & 9-12) -
Conditional Use Permit
Kori Benton, Senior Planner stated the Crossing, a Network of Community Churches Inc. is
requesting a Conditional Use Permit to allow for educational services (Grades K-5 & 9-12)
within an existing church campus established across a +/-9.55 acre property located at 5200
Oleander Avenue, situated on the east side of Oleander Avenue roughly .2 miles south of
Midway Road. The subject property is zoned I, Institutional and is designated RU (Residential,
Urban) on the Future Land Use Map. St. James Christian Academy began operations in St. Lucie
County with the 2012/2013 school year, occupying a portion of the Orange Blossom Business
Center on Okeechobee Road, in Fort Pierce. St. James Christian Academy was granted
Conditional Use approval by the City of Fort Pierce, to operate a K-12 private school within
approximately 42,256 s.f. of space devoted to 16 classrooms, offices, and a
cafeteria/auditorium without a commercial kitchen or food preparation. In early 2016, St.
James completed an addition of 22 classrooms, offices, a multi-purpose room, a ballet studio,
restrooms, and a breakroom within their previous campus.
The school previously enrolled nearly 600 students from grades pre-school through 12th grade.
The storm event of Hurricane Irma, in September 2017, caused substantial flood damage to
their previous campus, necessitating temporary relocation and consideration for semi-
permanent location of their educational service operations. The damage incurred to the
previous campus, and transition to various sites to maintain school operations, has notably
reduced enrollment within the school. A significant portion of the school’s elementary and
high-school services are proposed for incorporation within the Crossing Church site. The
proposed operational hours are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, independent
from church related activities. Child, before care, would begin at 7:00 am, with school teachers
arriving around 8:00 am. Bus and parent drop-off activities are intended to be staggered
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between 8:20 am and 8:45 am, with dismissal at 3:15, which is presented by the applicant as an
effort to offset peak activities from the adjacent White City Elementary School.
The applicant is guided to review the active, and planned, hours of operation for White City
Elementary and Sun Grove Montessori School in order to incorporate greater offsets than
currently presented, due to the proposed concentration of school related traffic activities along
this segment of Oleander Avenue.
Richard Ladyko of Ladyko Design Group represented the church and answered questions from
the commission. There was a discussion of temporary solutions, looking at other properties,
the square footage, hours of operations with exceptions, septic sewer system, and St. Lucie
River problems. Also discussed was traffic on Oleander Avenue, ROW with swells, utilities,
general traffic; the 3 letters of opposition, and current student body.
Public Hearing open
No one spoke
Public Hearing closed
Note: Mr. Clasby was excused after this agenda item from the rest of the meeting.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Bobby Hopkins, At-Large Board Member
SECONDER: William Smith, Board Member
AYES: O'Dell, Lounds, Smith, Mitchell, Clasby, Hopkins, Lowe, Taylor
EXCUSED: Craig Mundt
B. Harbour Ridge Gilson Tower Conditional Use Permit for a 100-foot monopole
telecommunication tower
Linda Pendarvis, Development Review Coordinator stated Vertex Development, LLC submitted
the application for a Conditional Use Permit to allow the construction and operation of a 100-
foot monopole telecommunication tower and wireless communication equipment compound in
the PUD (Harbor Ridge Planned Unit Development) zoning district. Vertex Development, LLC is
leasing 7,225 square feet of land area of a 3.48-acre parcel for a wireless communication tower
and equipment compound. The tower compound within the leased area will encompass a
50’x50’ (2,500 SF) area which is proposed to be fenced with an eight (8) foot tall PVC fence
finished side out and surrounded by a fifteen (15) foot native vegetation restoration area. The
subject site is located at 13500 Gilson Road, Palm City within the Harbour Ridge Planned Unit
Development (PUD) Zoning District.
Vertex Development, LLC are the developers and operators for wireless towers and are not
wireless monopole telecommunication providers. Vertex Development, LLC original submittal
proposed 124’ monopole telecommunication tower to accommodate four regional wireless
monopole telecommunication providers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint). On June 20,
2017 the applicant resubmitted a modified application from a 124’ monopole
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telecommunication tower to a 100’ monopole telecommunication tower, a decrease in 24 feet.
The 100’monopole telecommunication tower will be designed to accommodate two wireless
carriers. On March 7, 2018, Vertex Development, LLC submitted 310 petitions signed by
Harbour Ridge property owners in support of the proposed monopole telecommunication tower
project. Several property owners within close proximity of the proposed monopole
telecommunication tower site have expressed their concerns through the review process.
Staff recommends to forward this petition to the Board of County Commissioners with a
recommendation for denial of the proposed Conditional Use Permit for a monopole
telecommunication tower, because the proposed tower will not comply with Section 7.10.23(M)
Setbacks, Section 7.10.23(N) Separation/Height requirements and proposal is incompatible with
the goals and purpose of the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to preserve,
protect, and improve the public health, safety, comfort, good order, appearance, convenience,
and general welfare; and encourage the most appropriate use of land.
Mary Solik of Doty Solik Law represented Vertex Development and gave a power point
presentation. Representatives from ATT and Verizon spoke within the presentation. Brian Good
from Kimley Horn stated he has no objections except the setback on the western property line.
The commission had a detailed discussion regarding the difference between a monopole and
unipole; breakpoints; visual impact; coverage of service; setback requirements; wetlands,
state/federal law; radius of usage; DRI statutes, dead zones; construction time frame; cell
service; safety issues, base failure and Gilson Road being one way in and one way out.
Public Hearing Open
Brian Clark of Riverbend gave a power point presentation opposing...need a better site than
Gilson Road. He stated Gilson Road United is a recently formed group of the vast majority of the
homeowners in Riverbend, Wide Water and Lakeridge in addition to some supporters from
Harbour Ridge itself. Gilson Road United does not support the proposed cell tower in its
currently proposed location because it excessively degrades three things-safety & security,
aesthetics and fairness.
Kathleen O'Rourke resident of the Lakeridge community stated her opposition of the location.
Gilson Road United agrees Harbour Ridge needs additional cell phone coverage and agrees it
should not be an eyesore to the community and request that it be moved to another location.
Steve Lochner, Wide Waters resident stated his opposition also
Several residents spoke that were not in favor
Several residents spoke that were in favor
Public Hearing Closed
Mr. Smith went on record for alternate C
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RESULT: DENY [5 TO 2]
MOVER: Edward Lounds, Board Member
SECONDER: Robert Lowe, At-Large Board Member
AYES: O'Dell, Lounds, Smith, Mitchell, Lowe
NAYS: Bobby Hopkins, James Taylor
EXCUSED: Craig Mundt
AWAY: James Clasby
5. WORKSHOPS
A. There are no items scheduled.
6. OTHER BUSINESS
A. There are no scheduled items.
7. ADJOURN
There being no further business to be brought before the Board, the meeting was adjourned.
Please Note: Final minutes are recorded in the official minute books that are filed with the Clerk of the
Circuit Court and available for inspection upon request.