Planning panel recommends county approval of Vero Classical K–12 site plan amid traffic and neighbor concerns

The Indian River County Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of a special‑exception use and the phase 1 site plan for the proposed Vero Classical K–12 private school on March 26, forwarding the application to the Board of County Commissioners with staff‑recommended conditions.

Staff told the commission the 53‑acre former citrus grove site, west of 58th Avenue SW and south of Oslo Road, meets the county's special‑exception criteria for educational centers in the A‑1 agricultural district and that the phase 1 plan includes parking, an ancillary gym, library, classrooms, administrative space, and two stormwater ponds. Assistant Planning/Development Director Ryan Sweeney described required off‑site improvements including paving and striping 58th Avenue SW to 13th Street SW, turn‑lane and intersection improvements, internal and external sidewalks, and a 30‑foot dedication of right‑of‑way along 13th Street SW.

Dan Sorrow of Mill Short and Associates, the project agent, presented the three‑phase campus layout and said the applicant will install a continuous 20‑foot Type C landscape buffer around the property and complete required off‑site roadway work as part of phase 1. “All of the stormwater ponds are going to be incorporated in phase 1,” Sorrow said during the presentation.

Michael Kelly and Jameson Kelly, co‑founders of the school, described the school's Christian classical mission and rapid enrollment growth; school leaders said phase 1 is sized to serve about 330 students, and staff recorded a maximum enrollment cap of 1,194 students without additional county approval.

Residents who spoke during the public hearing raised infrastructure and compatibility concerns. William Smith, a nearby homeowner, said 13th Street SW between 58th and 66th is unpaved and “routinely impassable in rain,” and warned that emergency vehicles, mail and delivery services are sometimes unable to pass. Wesley Mills, the project engineer, and county staff responded that the applicant will dedicate 30 feet of right‑of‑way on the project frontage and is required to pave to the project's entrance plus a 170‑foot transition; staff and the county attorney explained the commission can require fair‑share frontage improvements and compatibility conditions but cannot compel the applicant to pave private or water‑district easements beyond its frontage.

Other neighbors voiced worries about increased traffic cutting through private roads, nighttime lighting from future athletic fields, and loss of agricultural character. The applicant said perimeter fencing (including retention‑pond fencing) and a phased plan for an enclosed courtyard with a single point of entry are included in the long‑term design; head of school Scott Simpson said the budget will include space for a future school resource officer.

Staff and the applicant also addressed water and irrigation: applicant representatives said landscape irrigation will be supplied from on‑site stormwater storage ponds rather than new wells, and that irrigation and drainage will be reviewed by Indian River Farms, the St. Johns River Water Management District, and county Public Works.

After questions and discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend approval per staff recommendation. The commission seconded the motion and approved it by voice vote; the commission's recommendation and the staff conditions will be delivered to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.

The commission closed the hearing and noted follow‑up with the BCC remains to be scheduled.