Monroe County approves Tavernier development agreement for 86 workforce units and new grocery store with conditions

The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners on April 28 approved a development agreement for two parcels in Tavernier that will allow up to 86 deed-restricted workforce housing units and a 49,340-square-foot nonresidential commercial building, subject to subsequent site-plan approvals and conditions.

The agreement covers land at 92501 Overseas Highway (two parcels aggregated) and permits a mixed-use project with a supermarket, a 2,100-square-foot liquor component inside the nonresidential building, a 350-square-foot institutional office for a local nonprofit, and 86 attached affordable workforce dwellings. No structure in the agreement may exceed 38 feet in height.

Devon, planning staff, described the site and regulatory background: both parcels are in the Suburban Commercial zoning district and designated Mixed Use Commercial on the county future land-use map. The parcels lie within the Tavernier Corridor Overlay District and the Tavernier Commercial Overlay District, which limit nonresidential floor area to 49,900 square feet and the affordable dwelling count to 86 units under the adopted overlay. The project also lies in the Tavernier workforce subarea; code language adopted into the comprehensive plan allows use of up to 86 early evacuation workforce allocations without requiring a 1-for-1 exchange.

Wetland delineation on the site was discussed…