Commissioners approve Jupiter Hills Club employee dormitory in split 3–2 vote

Martin County commissioners approved a PUD amendment Jan. 28 allowing the Jupiter Hills Club to convert Phase 9 of its Jupiter Hills Village Planned Unit Development from a commercial designation to a 32‑bed, single‑story dormitory for seasonal and club employees. The board approved the 22nd PUD amendment by a 3–2 vote after extended public comment and commissioner discussion about conservation and workforce housing needs.

Senior planner John Sennott described the proposal as a one‑story, 32‑bed building on a 4.59‑acre parcel currently zoned as part of the Jupiter Hills Village PUD. The plan includes a 1.15‑acre upland preserve area (25% of the site), a 0.83‑acre landscape buffer that will retain existing native vegetation where feasible, and an additional 0.85 acre of native vegetation to remain. The building would include 30 employee rooms plus a manager’s suite, laundry and shared kitchen facilities; four rooms are accessible. The site sits about a mile from the club’s main facilities and staff said bicycles and club shuttles would be used for employee trips.

Brian Nolan, the applicant’s representative, said the project is intended to provide housing for seasonal employees and reduce vehicle trips by locating staff near the clubhouse. “We are approximately 1 mile from the front door of the facility to the clubhouse, and we do have a direct sidewalk connection,” Nolan said.

Several commissioners and commenters raised environmental concerns. Commissioner Capps said the scrub habitat on the parcel is environmentally sensitive and said she could not support the amendment for that reason. She and others asked whether the environmental assessment had identified listed species; staff said the environmental assessment documented scrub habitat, no listed species were recorded in the report and that a listed-species update survey would be required before construction to check for newly arrived species (for example gopher tortoise).

Other commissioners emphasized workforce housing benefits. Commissioner Campey (Campy) noted the project likely generates fewer trips than many commercial uses that could otherwise locate there and said the club is seeking the smallest practical footprint on the site. The PUD amendment establishes a minimum parking rate of one space per bed; the preliminary site plan shows 49 parking spaces.

The board voted 3–2 to approve the PUD amendment and the phase‑9 final site plan. Commissioners Capps and Commissioner Cap(s) recorded dissent; the approved amendment and site plan include the preserve area and the landscape-buffer commitments described in the staff report. Staff and the applicant said the record and final site plan can be amended to add an explicit bed limit to the PUD narrative on request, and county counsel confirmed the board could add clarifying language in the PUD agreement prior to final recording if it wishes.