Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Daycare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves conditional use for New Elite Academy daycare at 2210 Orange Ave with traffic and landscaping conditions
Summary
The commission granted a conditional-use approval (no new construction) for New Elite Academy to operate a daycare for up to 52 children at 2210 Orange Avenue, including two conditions tied to permits and a landscape maintenance agreement; commissioners pressed applicant and staff on traffic flow, curb cuts and sight lines.
The Fort Pierce City Commission approved a conditional-use, no-new-construction application to allow New Elite Academy to operate a daycare at 2210 Orange Avenue. The facility is proposed to serve approximately 52 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and is expected to create about 30 full-time jobs.
Planning staff summarized the application, noting the site is zoned C-3 (General Commercial) with a future land-use designation of GC (General Commercial), and that planning staff recommended approval with two conditions: (1) signed building permits must be applied for prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy and (2) a notarized landscape maintenance agreement must be submitted prior to certificate of occupancy. The planning board had unanimously recommended approval at its February 10 meeting.
Planning materials presented to the commission described the site plan changes, interior build-out for eight classrooms, exterior mulch playground, secure access, and proposed landscape and parking modifications. Planning staff reported the existing site had limited landscaping and that the proposal includes new plantings and hardwood trees.
Commissioners and staff focused extensive questioning on traffic flow and curb-cut access. Commissioner Johnson raised safety and sight-line concerns at the Orange Avenue and 20th Street intersections and asked whether the proposed tree and shrub plantings would affect visibility. Public Works Director Jason Atkinson and the city engineer (Mr. Andrews) described prior engineering comments and tradeoffs between directing traffic to the arterial Orange Avenue versus sending more cars into adjacent residential streets (20th Street). The engineer explained a permitting issue with an existing, unpermitted drive on 20th Street and noted staff had previously recommended keeping curb cuts at either end of the property while reviewing stormwater and access comments.
Applicant Lainie (Lainie/Lainie spelled Lainie in the record) Romulus, director and owner of New Elite Academy, said the business operates a similar program on Okeechobee Road and that parents are required to park and sign children in; she said parents do not all arrive at the same time and the facility enforces staggered drop-off practices. “We accept children as early as 5AM. We don't accept them after 9. All the parents don't come at the same time. They have to park and come in, sign their children in to our program,” Romulus said.
Commissioners pressed for clarity on specific access changes shown in the site plan. Planning staff confirmed one existing curb cut on 20 Second Street would be closed and landscaped per engineer comments; commissioners discussed whether removing the Orange Avenue access might be safer and whether permitting could be sought to legitimize the 20 Second access instead.
After public testimony and staff clarifications, Commissioner Broderick moved approval with the two planning conditions on the screen; the motion passed on a roll call vote, with all commissioners voting yes. The approval is recorded as conditional use with the two staff conditions to be satisfied before issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Staff and commissioners recorded that additional site engineering or permitting follow-up could occur and that the applicant should work with city staff to optimize traffic flow and minimize impacts to neighboring residences.
