[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6653873,"mediaKeyId","2477719-b82068ecad10ebadf514946737d1839e","parentId",2477719,"title","Fort Pierce commission approves several second-reading items, sets interim city manager pay; Flood Awareness Week and Arbor Day proclaimed","audioSeconds",511,"startMs",125000,"endMs",636000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477719-b82068ecad10ebadf514946737d1839e&start=125&end=636","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477719-b82068ecad10ebadf514946737d1839e/thumbnail_125000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6653873/Fort-Pierce/St-Lucie-County/Florida/Fort-Pierce-commission-approves-several-second-reading-items-sets-interim-city-manager-pay-Flood-Awareness-Week-and-Arbor-Day-proclaimed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653873-4813cddb0e569597a62f94ffde753b63/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210693&Signature=QdRs~rr6e0thcDCnXUd3Q6CMia9Nj8qXbCjRYiwb5v7nFOR-pmnjaoIWNyPoayw0kS2ESWlFOzA0s36pfJB2xkWRzOZgLVTYYyUuKlcJBqa28bKp0iA6fltq6F6-zDbhZrVjWfWA-cPWlgaLjGsOHK85RDeE4kmxRSY924NsHuDD-dVJ6K4q9CJG1nSJVMOMhGr-Kf7QtWRdAukQx5VuxWmLOilcX6a6vxeSXj5ivuetjn5tw8k88H31~lqJlRX0EOLonSKKCsrx21BXJqyiA5iJjaZApmR-3ZpEhFJ~5VZhu~rVl6M1Lblh85i-MLIIPFGHGNo4QEHdSk~HtMKgDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fort Pierce","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Fort Pierce City Commission took a series of routine and substantive actions on March 3, approving multiple second-reading ordinances and adopting a resolution naming an interim city manager while tabling a separate, heavily debated Port Overlay District.

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 25-006 (Symphony Lakes Community Development District): Approved on second reading by unanimous roll call (Commissioners Gaines, Johnson, Taylor and Mayor Linda Hudson voting yes). The ordinance establishes the Symphony Lakes CDD pursuant to Chapter 190, Florida Statutes and designates initial board members. (Second reading vote: 4–0.)

- Ordinance 25-012 (Territorial limits / annexation near South Market Ave and Oleander Ave): Approved on second reading by unanimous roll call. The ordinance expands Fort Pierce city limits to include the described parcel and directs county property appraiser and tax collector actions. (Second reading vote: 4–0.)

- Ordinance 25-013 (Rezoning ~108.38 acres near Energy Lane to Planned Development): Approved on second reading by unanimous roll call. (Second reading vote: 4–0.)

- Resolution 25-R-18 (Interim city manager compensation): The commission designated Depooshay Johnson as interim city manager and approved a 10% salary increase tied to the interim appointment. The motion passed by unanimous roll call (4–0). The percentage was provided and adopted during the meeting; the resolution text was completed prior to final vote.

- Travel approval (Agenda item 11b): The commission approved travel for Commissioner Johnson to attend the St. Lucie County legislative conference in Tallahassee, April 1–3, at a cost of $1,838.41. Commissioner Gaines spoke in favor of commissioners’ presence at Tallahassee to represent Fort Pierce’s local interests. (Vote: 4–0.)

Consent and minutes
The commission approved minutes from the February 18, 2025 regular meeting and the February 19, 2025 special meeting. The consent agenda was approved with items a and c; item 11b (travel) had been pulled for discussion and was later approved separately.

Proclamations, events and community updates
Mayor Linda Hudson issued two proclamations. March 2025 was proclaimed Flood Awareness Month/Week to align with the Florida Floodplain Managers Association’s Flood Awareness Week and to remind residents of flood insurance and mitigation options. The commission also proclaimed March 3, 2025 as Arbor Day in Fort Pierce and highlighted the city’s Tree City USA designation. Marcia Kamond, special projects coordinator in public works, introduced newly hired public-works staff including Public Works Director Jason Atkinson and described an Arbor Day tree dedication and the Great American Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, March 8 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Manatee Center; Kamond said more than 300 volunteers were registered as of the meeting.

Other business
- The commission received correspondence commending Public Works employee Colin Sibley for work at J.C. Park.
- The commission approved an amended second reading for a municipal boundary update and zoning changes described above.
- Commissioner Gaines announced Northside opening day youth-sports events and encouraged residents to take part in the Great American Cleanup.

What’s next
Staff said the Port Overlay District (Ordinance 25-003) was tabled to permit further outreach and drafting; that item will return for additional public notice and hearings after staff has worked with property owners and St. Lucie County. Several second-reading approvals and the interim manager resolution were finalized during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fort Pierce - City Commission Regular Meeting - Mar 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the March 3 meeting the Fort Pierce City Commission approved second readings for three ordinances and a resolution naming an interim city manager, approved travel for a commissioner, and issued proclamations for flood awareness and Arbor Day. The Port Overlay District was tabled for more work.","taxTitle","Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida","taxId",55008,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6653878,"Fort Pierce commissioners table zoning overlay for Port of Fort Pierce after broad public comment",7859,1513000,9372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477719-b82068ecad10ebadf514946737d1839e&start=1513&end=9372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477719-b82068ecad10ebadf514946737d1839e/thumbnail_1513000.jpg","/articles/6653878/Fort-Pierce/St-Lucie-County/Florida/Fort-Pierce-commissioners-table-zoning-overlay-for-Port-of-Fort-Pierce-after-broad-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653878-0f7cfe5300954a1e00cadafc16b494ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210693&Signature=l3q3lQHkButWCqAhsdmmZ1TFTuk0svl6SgjeQ38Kmr9Wt8SweV3c0lRVAAKEZNu0GhtEotC3SkdafC-zlKZLp7Hc7s5q4Z0oP~HcE6~FalvgfjGWA3syzzmXgEh~30PjrkgbQNPpcJ~VLQPMwb18gLBm~c7K7LL815MLkSFbC44Agfi3y63fWk2vhMTqbrOaDFKFzsTmZ8vdMsed4ml1WW4LNwZ4gP8DAiknhf2ko-R9oyaiR9NaG4SMXxVL1NeY-ZFesbxbcMfEj0A70dkd1b8vrNg629MAK1a0k3coYJF9qlnKBkZZLFM8ze0QfeKrDy7QPs4V-2cW~N-INyirzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fort Pierce City Commission on March 3 tabled Ordinance 25-003, a first-reading text amendment that would create a Port Overlay District (POD) intended to guide redevelopment in the Port of Fort Pierce.

Kevin Freeman, city planning director, told the commission the overlay stems from the Port of Fort Pierce Master Plan (adopted December 2020) and is intended to align zoning with the port master plan’s goals — including a megayacht facility, marine services, stormwater improvements and a working waterfront — while protecting existing property rights. Freeman said the draft overlay covers more than 40 parcels and “probably 12 or 13” distinct property owners and that staff tried to balance fast-tracking certain ‘‘permitted’’ uses through a minor site-plan path and sending other uses to the conditional-use review that comes before the commission.

The commission and members of the public pressed staff for more clarity on what would be allowed administratively versus what would require a conditional review. Freeman said the city’s ordinary minor-site-plan threshold (10,000 square feet) would not map cleanly to the port and acknowledged county processes allow larger fast-track thresholds (the county’s minor-site-plan allowance was characterized in the presentation as 100,000 square feet and a higher threshold for targeted industries). Freeman told commissioners the overlay was drafted to preserve property rights and avoid Bert Harris claims but said staff had received additional property-owner suggestions over the weekend that could change the permitted/conditional split.

Commissioners cited recurring concerns: a need to define and limit cargo-type operations and heavy industrial uses; how lodging/crew housing should be handled alongside a megayacht facility; environmental protection for the Indian River Lagoon; and coordination with St. Lucie County, which has its own port-related plans. Commissioner Taylor and others said they favored moving some broadly worded uses (for example, unspecified cargo/import/export or broad “lodging” entries) into conditional review so each application could be vetted; Freeman said more precise definitions could also allow some lodging tied to megayacht operations to be treated as part of a holistic site plan.

Public commenters were split. Christina Bell, principal of Destin Beach Inc., representing a major Southport landowner, urged approval and said the draft “strikes a balance” with the master plan and would create jobs. Joshua Reboard, identified as the county’s port director, told the commission the county supports the master plan’s priorities and asked that items that could affect federal channel and turning-basin uses be moved to conditional review so the county and other stakeholders can “flesh out” impacts. Environmental and waterfront advocates, including Dolores Hogan Johnson of the St. Lucie Waterfront Council and other speakers, urged caution and said expanded cargo operations would threaten sensitive estuarine habitat.

After extended discussion commissioners voted 4–0 to table the ordinance to allow staff to gather additional input from property owners and county officials, refine permitted-versus-conditional lists and re-advertise the amendment. City attorney staff said substantial changes would require restarting public notice and the ordinance would likely return as a first reading after a new advertisement period (staff noted re-advertising would require at least a 30-day notice window).","After lengthy presentations and public testimony, the Fort Pierce City Commission voted to table Ordinance 25-003, a proposed Port Overlay District for the Port of Fort Pierce, to allow staff to revise permitted/conditional use lists and to consult property owners and St. Lucie County before a new first reading.","actionData","errors"]

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Fort Pierce commission approves several second-reading items, sets interim city manager pay; Flood Awareness Week and Arbor Day proclaimed

Fort Pierce commissioners table zoning overlay for Port of Fort Pierce after broad public comment