Council approves first readings and master plan for Project Zeppelin; development agreement tabled for edits on truck idling, refrigeration and buffer

The City of West Melbourne City Council took multiple actions on Project Zeppelin, a large mixed-use proposal on the east side of St. John's Heritage Parkway and north of U.S. 192. Council approved first readings of ordinances to annex properties, amend the future land use map and rezone roughly 43.7 acres for a mixed-use gateway interchange, approved the project's conceptual master development plan, and tabled the development agreement for further edits requested by council.

Project summary and what council approved: Project Zeppelin—proposed by Aquest Development Group with civil-engineering work by Kimley-Horn—envisions a mixed-use node of warehousing, commercial frontage and open space. Staff described the overall assemblage as roughly 43.7 acres under the current application (part of a larger land assembly the developer controls). The conceptual master plan centers a large warehouse footprint (presented as about 652,000 square feet) well separated from the nearest homes to the north by stormwater ponds, a public trail and landscaping. The commercial frontage along U.S. 192 would be about 20 acres; the plan shows roughly 16.5% of the project held as open space.

Traffic, service and operations: Traffic engineers outlined access and improvements: the plan proposes three driveways to U.S. 192, three to St. John's Heritage Parkway and two to Columbia Lane, with a signal proposed on St. John's Heritage Parkway at…