The Jacksonville Beach Planning Commission on Oct. 27 approved a conditional use permit (PC 11-25) to allow a medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facility at 240 Third Street South, the former Salt Life property, after a 3–2 roll-call vote.

City Attorney David Megitt told the commission the hearing was a rehearing limited by a circuit-court order to the record created at a July 28, 2025 hearing. "This hearing tonight shall be limited to the record from the 07/28/2025 hearing," Megitt said, and warned that "no new public comment that comes out tonight can be considered evidentiary." Planning staff read a report recommending approval, describing the site as an existing structure in the Commercial-Limited (C-1) zoning district with required landscaping and parking, and noting the proposed use would be regulated through state licensing.

Applicant counsel Zach Miller argued the staff report and the prior record constituted "competent substantial evidence" that the application met the code standards and said board members could not "create the evidence in opposition," noting the law shifts the burden once the applicant meets its initial showing. Planning staff reiterated the site was previously a retail use and that the proposed dispensing facility would not substantially increase parking demand; staff advised that additional parking options available under the code (bicycle or golf-cart parking) could be used if needed.

Commissioners debated whether the use would be compatible with surrounding uses and whether it would alter the character of the Commercial-Limited district. Some members said state law requires municipalities to treat medical marijuana dispensing facilities like pharmacies and prohibits regulating concentration or total numbers, while others said the proposed use could "severely change the character of that area" if similar uses clustered. Several commissioners discussed conditioning approval on design or parking, and staff said meeting code parking requirements is mandatory and the applicant could provide additional parking if renovation plans change interior allocations.

Public supporters were logged with the clerk (Nathan Renoux, Jenny Edwards, John Galletto and Michael Fernandez) but did not speak; one member of the public present on an unrelated item, Keith Proctor, was advised to appear on the scheduled date for that matter. The city clerk read that each public speaker would have three minutes but reiterated that comments this evening would not alter the evidentiary record.

A motion to approve the conditional use was made and seconded. The roll-call vote was recorded as: Yes—David Bridal; Yes—Margo Morin; No—Justin Henderson; Yes—Dean Haddock; No—Nicholas Andrews. The motion carried and the commission approved PC 11-25. The planning department said the commission meets in the first or second week of November with one item currently scheduled.

The commission’s decision will be reflected in the agency record and, if appealed, would proceed according to the statutory and code appeal processes that apply to quasi-judicial land-use decisions.