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Martin County approves future land use change, rezoning for Coral Gardens vacuum sewer station
Summary
The Board unanimously approved a comprehensive plan amendment and concurrent rezoning to allow construction of a vacuum sewer station for Coral Gardens; staff estimated the project cost at about $18 million with an $8 million grant and an assessment-and-SRF loan financing plan for homeowners.
Martin County commissioners on April 8 unanimously approved a future land use map amendment and a companion rezoning to allow a county-owned site to host a vacuum sewer station serving Coral Gardens and planned service for Coral Lakes.
Amy Offenbach, planner with the Martin County Growth Management Department, told the board the request is CPA 24-25 and would change 4.2 acres from "institutional recreational" to "institutional general." Offenbach said staff recommended approval after the Local Planning Agency voted 4–0 to forward the item.
Leo Repetti of Martin County Utilities described project financing and timing. "We estimate the cost of construction right now about $18,000,000. We have a grant currently for $8,000,000 towards this project," Repetti said, and added that the balance would be recovered through a homeowner assessment backed by SRF (State Revolving Fund) loan financing. He told commissioners the project design is complete and permitted for Coral Gardens and that the station would later provide service to Coral Lakes if that community petitions first for water.
Commissioners and staff discussed why Coral Gardens/topology is a priority for septic-to-sewer conversion, project sequencing and homeowner outreach. Repetti said the county's broader program aims to connect roughly 9,000 septic tanks over about 9–10 years; Coral Gardens was prioritized in past analyses because of proximity to the water, age of the systems and drainage patterns.
On technical choices, Repetti explained differences between vacuum and grinder collection systems: vacuum systems carry higher upfront capital costs but have lower long‑term operational staffing needs and centralized backup power, while grinder systems have lower initial cost but typically higher ongoing maintenance and more dispersed service requirements.
Commissioner Heatherington moved and commissioners approved staff recommendation for the comprehensive plan change, and later moved approval of the corresponding zoning atlas amendment rezoning the parcel from PR (public recreation) to PS‑1 (public service, lower‑intensity public service district). Both motions passed unanimously.
Next steps: with the land‑use and zoning approvals in hand, Utilities will proceed to site plan and then bid and construction phases; Repetti said he expects the county to put Coral Gardens and other prioritized projects into construction over the next 12 months as grants and contracts align.
