Martin County commissioners agree to rehear Meadow Run back-gate site-plan after residents, HOA press safety case

Martin County commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to allow a rehearing on an amended master site plan for Meadow Run, a residential development along Southwest Citrus Boulevard, after residents, the neighborhood HOA and affected neighbors asked the board to revisit a conditional approval they say left out key facts.

The board’s decision follows more than two hours of public comment from Meadow Run homeowners, the HOA president and the applicant’s representatives. Supporters of keeping the back gate closed said opening it would create a traffic and safety risk for existing neighbors; proponents said a second entrance is needed for emergency access and practical long-term access as the community builds out.

The board’s motion, made and seconded during the public comment period, passed without opposition. Commissioners directed staff to schedule a properly noticed, quasi‑judicial hearing so both sides — homeowners and the applicant — can present evidence and testimony.

Why this matters: The issue affects neighborhood circulation, safety and a previously approved site plan. Residents said the gate has been used historically but that a prior magistrate had imposed conditions; developers and some homeowners argue the paved road and existing infrastructure support a secondary entrance that could reduce emergency response times.

What speakers told the board - Christopher Corey, speaking as a representative of a nonprofit at Layton Farm, thanked the board for a prior decision to limit gate use and said the road is a dead end that can be dangerous if truck traffic finds an unprotected opening. "We've never had an incident with a kid... but it will," he warned (public comment, Oct. 21). - Justin Andre Lamoreaux, who said he represents Jacob Community Center LLC, raised a procedural objection and asked commissioners to deny rehearing requests. He told commissioners the item had not been properly noticed and that unresolved legal questions made the current forum inappropriate for reconsideration. - Meadow Run residents including Matthew Hite, Anne Marie Hite (HOA president), John Moran, Vincent De Aquino and others described safety concerns at the main entrance on Citrus Boulevard, said they average roughly three homes completed a year in the community, and asked for a chance to present design and traffic-safety information that had not been considered at the earlier meeting. - Jeff Cable, who identified himself as the original applicant for the amended master site plan and a resident and HOA board member, apologized for a prior misunderstanding of procedure and asked the board to allow the community to return and present evidence to support the amendment.

Details from the record and clarifying points - Meadow Run currently includes about 32 occupied homes, with 9 additional houses under construction, and a total of 91 lots discussed by speakers. Multiple residents said new build‑out will proceed slowly (about three homes per year) and that current traffic patterns — especially near the Citrus Boulevard overpass — pose visibility and speed hazards. - Commissioners and staff said the original approval included conditional language from a magistrate; the board’s action on Oct. 21 is procedural: it authorizes a new, properly noticed hearing rather than deciding the gate’s status at today’s meeting. - Commissioner Campey said he visited the site and did not consider the north driveway a practical alternative; he urged a fully noticed agenda so both sides can prepare.

Next steps and what the rehearing will cover - Staff will schedule a quasi‑judicial hearing with full notice; the board asked that both sides be given an opportunity to present traffic and safety studies, site plans, and legal briefs where needed. - Commissioners invited community members on both sides of the dispute to return and present evidence; several commissioners emphasized fairness and transparency after some residents said the earlier item felt like a "formality." The board did not set a date at the Oct. 21 meeting.

Ending: The rehearing decision preserves the board’s ability to review technical traffic, emergency‑access and site‑plan modifications in a formal, noticed setting. The board’s direction aims to create a record that includes testimony and any engineering analysis offered by the HOA, residents or the applicant.