Commission approves conditional use for five‑resident group home at 2021 Sunrise Blvd with conditions

The Fort Pierce City Commission granted conditional‑use approval on Aug. 4, 2025, for a licensed Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) group home proposed for 2021 Sunrise Boulevard. The approval authorizes a maximum of five residents and requires the applicant to complete building, fire and planning reviews and secure a city certificate of use before beginning operations.

Planning staff described the property as a one‑story, approximately 1,650‑square‑foot single‑family structure within a C‑1 (office commercial) zoning district that triggers conditional‑use review. The applicant told the commission the operation would provide life‑skills training, medication management and community integration services; staffing was described as four full‑time employees working rotating 24‑hour coverage and a transport van for appointments and community activities.

Neighbors expressed concerns about the operation’s proximity to nearby schools and the number of vehicles expected to serve residents and staff. Planning staff noted state law generally treats community residential homes with six or fewer residents similarly to single‑family homes for zoning in residential districts; because this property is zoned C‑1, it required conditional‑use approval by the commission.

The commission approved staff’s two recommended conditions and added a third condition requiring completion of the city’s certificate of use process prior to operation. The conditions are:

• Extend the residential driveway to a minimum of 12 feet wide (per City Code section 125.316 for access control).

• Limit the number of vehicles parked on site at any one time to no more than two.

• Complete the city certificate of use process (which will trigger planning, building and fire department reviews) and secure all required local approvals and state licensing prior to occupancy.

The motion to approve passed by roll call.