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Vero Beach council pauses decision on charter-protected Old Nursery Site after wide public debate
Summary
Councilors and dozens of public speakers debated whether the 14-acre, charter-protected Old Nursery Site should remain a city debris-storage asset or be repurposed for workforce/affordable housing; the council agreed to revisit the matter during an upcoming goals meeting and asked staff to gather additional information, including an attorney general opinion on the Live Local Act.
The City Council held an extended, often heated discussion on Dec. 9 about the 14-acre Old Nursery Site, a parcel currently protected under the city charter that staff has historically used for hurricane debris storage. The matter drew testimonies from developers, architects, nonprofit leaders and residents and exposed competing priorities: emergency-management resiliency versus potential infill housing to address local affordability pressures.
Proponents of pursuing housing — including Council member Moore and developers who responded to an earlier RFI — argued the site's proximity to downtown and the bus transit center makes it a prime candidate…
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