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Commission approves 122‑room WoodSpring Suites at South Jenkins with conditions on fencing, landscaping and dumpster
Summary
The commission unanimously approved a major site plan for a four‑story, 122‑room WoodSpring Suites hotel at 2480 South Jenkins Road with seven conditions including an eight‑foot masonry/wood/vinyl opaque fence to buffer residential neighbors and an updated dumpster enclosure per solid‑waste standards.
The City of Fort Pierce Commission voted unanimously on June 2 to approve a major site plan and design review for a four‑story, 122‑room WoodSpring Suites hotel to be built at 2480 South Jenkins Road.
Planning staff presented the proposal as project number 24‑07000006: a 48,100‑square‑foot building on roughly 3.39 acres at the northeast corner of South Jenkins and Okeechobee roads. The hotel will operate as extended‑stay suites; staff said each suite is under 500 square feet and the project proposes 35 parking spaces, six of them accessible. Staff advised that the parking count meets the city’s requirements for this type of suite unit.
Staff described the final architectural design as contemporary with horizontal articulation, aluminum framing, vinyl siding, cultured stone accents and varied roof lines. The landscaping plan calls for dozens of native plantings; staff said the site meets city requirements for regulated tree mitigation. The planning board unanimously recommended approval at its May 12 meeting with an amendment to specify a minimum fence height of 8 feet.
The commission’s approval includes seven conditions of final approval: a landscape maintenance agreement and inspection before final certificate of occupancy; a tree‑mitigation survey coordinated with the city arborist; a landscaped base around the monument sign; an updated dumpster enclosure meeting solid‑waste standards (including a pedestrian entrance); installation of a masonry, wood or vinyl fence at a minimum height of 8 feet to buffer residential uses to the north and east; and streetscape improvements around the stormwater pond or an outdoor recreation area.
Applicant Nelson Mojarena, the civil engineer on the project, confirmed the applicant will comply with the fence requirement; staff clarified the approved materials are masonry, wood or vinyl (not chain link) and commissioners requested the fence be opaque.
Commissioners also discussed traffic on South Jenkins Road and asked staff to provide sequencing information on planned road improvements and the many development applications in the corridor so the city can coordinate with the Transportation Planning Organization. Planning staff said the evaluation committee and project review processes are underway and that county road improvements remain on a separate schedule.
Action: Motion to approve the major site plan with the seven conditions passed 5‑0. Vote: Commissioner Broderick — Yes; Commissioner Gaines — Yes; Commissioner Johnson — Yes; Commissioner Taylor — Yes; Mayor Linda Hudson — Yes.
Why it matters: The approval advances a sizeable hotel development on a major commercial corridor that planners said will change the streetscape; commissioners called for coordination with county transportation plans given significant concurrent development along South Jenkins.
