Planning and Zoning Board recommends land-use and zoning changes for 2.14-acre Port Malabar site to allow light-industrial flex space

The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended that the City Council approve a comprehensive-plan future land-use map amendment and a rezoning to allow light-industrial flex space on a 2.14-acre site at the northeast corner of Claremont Street and Franklin Drive in the Port Malabar Industrial Park.

Debbie Flynn, senior planner with the City of Palm Bay, told the board the applicant requested a small-scale future land-use change from commercial to industrial to permit development of what staff described as flex warehouse or industrial-flex units. Flynn said the site's industrial classification permits up to a 5.0 floor-area ratio and that public water and sewer are available; a site plan will be required before development occurs.

Kelly Delmonico, planning consultant for the property owner Eli Pasternak, said the owner purchased the parcel as surplus property from Brevard County and seeks to align the property's land use and zoning with surrounding industrial parcels. Delmonico said proposed uses for the flex units include contractor shops, fabrication and assembly, and small-scale manufacturing or electronic assembly that would support nearby businesses.

Resident Bill Batten told the board he supported the request because it would expand the city's taxable base, though he said he regretted that the city's comprehensive-plan process had required an amendment to proceed.

Board members asked about permitted uses and whether the proposed buildings themselves are allowed under current commercial zoning. Flynn replied that the physical building type could be built but that the light-industrial uses the applicant wants would not be allowed under the existing Community Commercial zoning. The board also discussed that site plans for this type of project are administratively approved and that detailed buffers or site features are typically addressed during site-plan review rather than at the rezoning stage.

After public comment closed, the board moved and seconded recommendations for approval. For the comprehensive-plan amendment (Case CP24-00012) the motion to recommend approval was made by Mister Carafa and seconded by Miss Jordan; the board voted unanimously. For the zoning map amendment (Case CPZ24-00008) the motion to recommend approval was made by Miss Jordan and seconded by Mister Good; the board voted unanimously. The board's recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council for final action.

The applicant was advised that the next procedural step is submission of an administrative site plan application, which staff will review for consistency with conditions and development standards.

No letters in opposition were filed in the public record for either case.