City of Stuart LPA approves Eden Marsh/Stewart land‑use and CPUD amendments over neighborhood objections

The Local Planning Agency of the City of Stuart on a split vote approved two related items for the Eden Marsh/Stewart property: a small‑scale comprehensive plan future land use map amendment (Ordinance No. 2535‑2025) and a major amendment to the Marketplace Commercial Planned Unit Development (Ordinance No. 2536‑2025). The first measure passed 4‑1; the second passed 3‑2 with the board asking the applicant to meet again with the adjacent Willoughby Golf Club and to revise residential elevations to better fit the city’s coastal character.

Why it matters: The actions change the future land use for roughly 22.76 acres of an existing 35.07‑acre CPUD and clear the way for a mixed‑use proposal that includes new dealerships, neighborhood retail and 249 multifamily units. Neighbors and the Willoughby Golf Club said prior commitments limiting building height and requiring a long buffer should control future development. Supporters said the project reduces traffic compared with an earlier big‑box plan, adds pedestrian connections and will bring investment and jobs.

Jody Kugler, the City of Stuart development director, told the agency the petition seeks to amend the future land use for “an approximate 22.76 acre parcel from commercial to the neighborhood special district future land use designation.” She said the applicant submitted required notices and that city consultants, including the city’s traffic reviewer at Kimley‑Horn…