Port St. Lucie council approves land‑use fix for Ravella PUD after months of debate

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Port St. Lucie City Council voted Jan. 27 to amend the Ravella planned unit development and the city’s future land‑use map for a 7‑acre parcel at the Morningside/Westmoreland roundabout, changing the parcel’s designation from commercial to institutional and preserving a prior approval for a 150‑unit assisted‑living facility (ALF).

The change, approved unanimously, was presented by city planning staff as a technical correction to resolve an inconsistency created by a 2021 code revision that removed institutional uses from certain commercial land‑use categories. Council members were told refusing the correction could expose the city to litigation and significant costs.

Why it matters: The amendment does not create a new entitlement; planning staff and the applicant said the PUD already included approval for an ALF of up to 150 units. Council members and staff framed the vote as a corrective action so the PUD, the city code and the comp plan align; if the council rejected the correction the city attorney warned it would likely be sued and face damages and legal costs.

Staff presentation and technical findings Mary Savage Dunham of the Planning Department summarized the application and the history of entitlements on the Ravella PUD, noting the city removed institutional uses from the limited mixed‑use (LMD) corridor in 2021. Planning staff reported a South Florida Water Management District jurisdictional determination that identified 0.422 acres of wetland on the parcel and summarized a traffic peer review. Staff cited a traffic analysis saying the maximum 150‑unit campus would generate an estimated 390 average daily trips and about 36 PM‑peak trips; by contrast, a fully commercial intensity shown in prior entitlements would produce substantially more daily and peak trips.

Dunham and other staff emphasized that the comp‑plan amendment and PUD text revision would not substitute for later site‑plan review. They said a major site plan will be required, subject to standard review by SPRC (Site Plan Review Committee), the fire district, public works, and, when appropriate, state or regional permitting authorities for wetlands and environmental permits.

Developer remarks and protections Mike Ryan, representing the owner and the applicant, said the project team has done feasibility, environmental and contamination assessments and that the applicant has executed a supplemental restrictive covenant to limit uses on the parcel to an assisted‑living facility, and to prohibit nursing homes, substance‑abuse facilities, group homes and other uses the community had opposed previously.

Legal and financial risk cited by council and staff City Attorney Berrios told council he did not have confidence the city could prevail if it refused to correct the inconsistency the 2021 code change created. "I'm not confident that we would prevail in defending such claims," he said during the public discussion, and explained denied claims could expose the city to compensatory damages, attorney fees and other litigation costs.

Public comment: traffic, evacuation, environment, community character More than two dozen residents addressed the council during a lengthy public hearing. Speakers from Sandpiper Bay and nearby neighborhoods raised recurring concerns about traffic on Westmoreland and Morningside boulevards, emergency evacuation for residents with limited mobility, the 0.422‑acre wetland on the site and historical contamination associated with a nearby former gas station. Residents also cited neighborhood character and the proximity of a largely single‑family planned community.

Staff and the applicant responded that: the final site plan will require fire‑district review for emergency access; Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) rules require ALFs to have evacuation plans as part of licensure; the environmental assessments will be part of due diligence and permitting with Florida DEP or SFWMD as required; and planning staff will require a detailed traffic analysis with any major site plan submission.

Council action and next steps Council voted to: - Amend the comp plan land‑use designation for the 7‑acre Parcel I from general and limited commercial to institutional; and - Approve the related 10th amendment to the Ravella PUD that aligns the PUD exhibits and text with the institutional designation and removes child daycare as an allowed use on Parcel I.

Council members and staff said the changes do not approve construction. The PUD and comp‑plan changes are preparatory: any major site plan for buildings, parking, stormwater and access must undergo the city’s SPRC review, third‑party traffic review and permitting by SFWMD/DEP as applicable. Council indicated it expects heightened scrutiny of the future site plan and signaled support for a city‑funded, third‑party traffic analysis for emergency‑vehicle routing during site‑plan review.

Ending note Council members who opposed denying the amendment framed their votes around managing legal risk for the city and keeping the multistep site‑plan and permitting process as the venue for resolving design, access and safety concerns. Residents were told there will be additional public hearings and opportunities for comment during the site‑plan and permitting phases.