Fort Pierce clears 49.92‑acre Pulte development: future‑land‑use change and PD rezoning approved with conditions

The Fort Pierce City Commission on Feb. 2 approved two second‑reading ordinances to change the future land use and rezone roughly 49.92 acres at or near 2721 South Jenkins Road from general commercial to medium‑density residential and to Planned Development (PD) for a Pulte single‑family community.

Staff said the change reduces theoretical buildout by 149 dwelling units and about 2.1 million square feet compared with the existing commercial designation. Venice Gilmore, the city’s historic preservation planner, presented the application and noted that technical review departments found the amendment consistent with the comprehensive plan; the planning board had unanimously recommended approval in December 2024.

Commissioners used the hearing to press the applicant on a number of technical and policy questions. A newly seated commissioner sought clarity on what the agenda “fiscal impact” line means for the city’s general fund and services; Kevin Freeman, the city planning director, said the fiscal‑impact line on agenda reports shows direct effects on the city budget (for example, whether the city must pay for road construction or donate right‑of‑way) but does not capture broader, development‑driven service costs such as school, police and utilities. Freeman said staff is developing an analytic methodology to estimate broader service impacts development‑by‑development.

Applicant counsel Lee Dobbins (Dean Mead) and Leslie Olsen of District Planning Group answered technical concerns on behalf of Pulte. They said an existing 2009 easement affecting frontage to Okeechobee Road has been addressed via a negotiated amendment that will be recorded prior to plat; that amendment is held in escrow and is a condition of plat approval. The rezoning includes a multi‑step noise condition: the developer must fund a sound study, compare measured site noise to FDOT criteria, and where required implement mitigation to meet HUD interior noise goals (examples in the conditions include storm windows or double‑glazed glass). Dobbins said those mitigation commitments are written into the ordinance and PD agreement so building permits cannot be obtained without satisfying the condition.

Olsen said the development team holds an ERP from the South Florida Water Management District and described planned bioswales/rain gardens and riprap to improve drainage and nutrient reduction. She provided a permitting timetable the applicant intends to follow: resubmitted PD in the week after the meeting, planning board review in March, a second reading at the commission in March/April for final PD approval, engineering permit submissions in April 2026, clearing/site permits hoped for in July 2026, plat approval targeted in August 2026 and utility permits in September 2026.

Commissioners also raised questions about school access and bus routing, long‑term maintenance responsibility (HOA vs. CDD), traffic mitigation and whether off‑site right‑of‑way work will be bonded and include completion deadlines and remedies. Staff and the applicant said those off‑site improvements and phasing details will be shown on final development plans and in conditions attached to the PD agreement.

After discussion the commission approved the future land use map amendment and the companion rezoning ordinance with the staff‑recommended conditions. The ordinances require the recorded easement amendment and the developer‑funded studies and mitigation described in the PD agreement before final platting and construction.

Next steps: the applicant must record the easement amendment prior to plat application, complete the required noise study and demonstrate any building‑level mitigation when applying for building permits, and submit engineering plans that spell out traffic and off‑site improvements for final plan approval.