St. Lucie County on July 1 adopted a staff-drafted text amendment to the Land Development Code that requires community participation meetings for certain development applications and clarifies thresholds for administrative approval of minor site plans.

Planning and Development Services Director Ben Balcer told the board the ordinance was advertised June 19 and is intended to improve early public engagement, legal consistency and development-review efficiency. The requirements apply to planned development rezonings (including PUDs, PNRDs and PMUDs), conditional use permits, future land use map amendments to mixed or special district categories, and development agreements. Standards include holding the community meeting on a weekday evening near the proposed project or at a county facility, and scheduling it between 20 and 120 days prior to the first public hearing.

The draft requires mailed notice to property owners within 1,000 feet when a project is inside the urban service boundary and 1,500 feet when outside; notice must be sent at least 15 days before the community meeting. The amendment also clarifies minor site plan thresholds — permitting administrative approval for permitted uses up to 106,000 square feet or residential projects under 100 dwelling units when planning review is not required — and incorporates state law changes such as the Live Local Act for qualifying affordable housing projects. Balcer said the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval on May 15; the board voted to adopt the ordinance.