Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Lucie County commissioners vote to amend Research & Education Park overlay to allow Ashley Capital purchase
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a land-development code amendment to remove roughly 113 acres from the Treasure Coast Research and Education Park overlay, clearing the way for Ashley Capital to proceed under an option agreement. Commissioners scheduled a second reading for final adoption.
The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners on the evening of Feb. 4 voted to schedule a second reading to amend the Treasure Coast Research and Education Park overlay zone map, removing property identified for purchase by Ashley Capital under an existing option agreement.
The amendment would exclude roughly 113 acres of county‑owned land from the Research and Education Park overlay so Ashley Capital may proceed toward closing under the option agreement the board approved Oct. 15, 2024. Ben Balcer, director of Planning and Development Services, told commissioners the county has 180 days under the option agreement to amend the overlay boundary to exclude property Ashley intends to buy.
The change stems from a long-running effort to attract research and education uses to the park that began in 2005 and grew from roughly 1,600 acres assembled with state partners. Balcer said the original, restrictive allowed‑use list and building design rules limited market interest; county and TCERTA board actions in 2018–2020 expanded allowable uses and eased design standards. Ashley Capital was the sole respondent to a county request for proposals and proposed a "Class A" light industrial and office park to create jobs, Balcer said.
An Ashley Capital representative told the board the option agreement and related documents remove layers of overlay restrictions and that Ashley will submit future land‑use and zoning applications (a PNRD) and a site plan before closing so both parties know development expectations before transfer.
County staff said the TCERTA board recommended approval at its Jan. 29 meeting and recommended the Board of County Commissioners schedule second‑reading adoption at the Feb. 18 meeting.
Commissioners voted in favor by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.
The board’s action was procedural: it sets the amendment for a required second reading rather than enacting the final map change immediately. Staff said subsequent applications from Ashley Capital — including future land‑use amendment, rezoning to a planned nonresidential development (PNRD) and a master site plan — will return to the county for review and public hearings before any sale closes.
