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Planning commission backs Blue Origin conditional use permit for Grissom Parkway site
Summary
The commission unanimously recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Blue Origin to operate light manufacturing at 7980 Grissom Parkway, allowing interior renovation of an existing 180,000-square-foot building and conceptual future expansion; commissioners and public asked about noise, air and water regulation.
The Titusville Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 17 unanimously recommended approval of Conditional Use Permit CUP8-2025 to allow Blue Origin LLC to operate a light-manufacturing facility at 7980 Grissom Parkway.
Staff presented the application and recommended approval consistent with the concept plan. Christy Anderson, senior planner, said the 67.33-acre property contains an existing 180,000-square-foot building previously used for warehousing and distribution and that the applicant proposes interior renovations and future buildings shown on the concept plan — a 50,000-square-foot, two-story structure near Grissom Parkway and a 142,000-square-foot building south of the existing building. Anderson said the nearest single-family residence is approximately 1,350 feet from current structures and that the western portion of the site contains conservation-designated land that the conceptual plan does not encroach upon.
During public comment, a nearby homeowner, Megan Englehart, said she was "concerned about noise, light and pollution" from a new manufacturing tenant and asked who enforces environmental and nuisance standards. Carol Hunter, director of construction for Blue Origin, told the commission the company performs aerospace manufacturing of precision metal subassemblies and that production would primarily occur indoors. "This would be manufacturing metal small parts, so subassemblies that go into our rockets," Hunter said, explaining the work will use CNC and milling equipment and that the applicant expects up to about 100 employees working in two shifts (6 a.m. to 11 p.m.) when at full production.
Commissioners asked about buffers, wetlands and regulatory oversight. Staff said the site was rezoned in 2013 and that wetland delineation and buffers were established; any future work near wetlands will require appropriate buffers and permitting through the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Staff also noted that as building modifications move beyond the CUP stage, required site-plan-level reviews will examine parking, stormwater, and other development standards.
Blue Origin representatives said the company has industrial pretreatment and other permitting responsibilities, and that manufacturing equipment is high-precision, often enclosed and subject to workplace noise and environmental regulations. As Carol Hunter noted, the company must comply with applicable air, stormwater and wastewater rules and with any city code enforcement for local nuisances.
Formal action: a motion to recommend approval of CUP8-2025 was made and seconded; the roll call vote recorded unanimous support and the commission forwarded the recommendation to city council.
Next steps: the applicant will proceed with site plan and permitting processes required for any exterior construction or expansion shown on the concept plan, and the city will review parking, impervious surface, stormwater and wetland-buffer compliance during that review.
