Port St. Lucie council approves special exception for 150‑foot cell tower near Savannah Preserve

Port St. Lucie’s City Council on Dec. 1 approved Resolution 25‑R78, granting a special‑exception use to allow a 150‑foot monopole wireless communications tower at the FPL Savannah Substation. The council voted to approve the application with the staff‑recommended conditions.

Planning and Zoning official Sophia Veil, who presented the application during the quasi‑judicial hearing, said the proposed tower would sit on a 2.52‑acre developed parcel west of U.S. 1 and just south of the Savannah Preserve State Park. "The proposed tower is intended to improve communication services in this part of the city," Veil said, adding the site would be unmanned, generate approximately one maintenance trip per month and would not require city water or wastewater services.

Veil reviewed code requirements documented in the record, including the requirement for certification from a Florida‑registered engineer that the tower’s collapse radius would be contained on the site and that it can withstand Category‑3 hurricane winds. The council record also specifies a required removal bond or irrevocable letter of credit in the amount of $15,000 to ensure removal of obsolete or unused towers; Veil noted the Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval with conditions at its Nov. 4 meeting.

James Johnston, representing the applicant, said the applicant agreed with the staff report and the recommended conditions and offered to answer questions. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

The council approved the resolution and its conditions by unanimous vote. The approval allows the tower as a special exception in the general‑use zoning district, subject to compliance with the conditions and code sections read into the record.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25‑R78 (FPL Savannah Substation Cell Tower): approved unanimously; condition requires structural certification and a $15,000 removal bond. - Resolution 25‑R90 (FDOT local agency program agreement for sidewalk improvements along SE Green River Parkway): approved unanimously. - Resolution 25‑R91 (amendment replacing an exhibit to a prior project list): tabled to the next regular meeting so staff can provide the previous exhibit and clarify what changed.

Why it matters

The council decision clears the way for an unmanned communications tower intended to add coverage in an area the packet described as having a gap between existing towers. The approval includes safeguards—engineering certification, compliance with code language about interference and public nuisance, and a removal bond—intended to limit long‑term impacts if the site becomes obsolete.

What’s next

Staff and the applicant will proceed with final site development permits and the site‑plan process, subject to the conditions in the resolution and any additional permit requirements. The resolution’s conditions require the city‑issued removal bond or letter of credit before final permits are issued.