Martin County planning agency approves land-use change and rezoning for county-owned site near Sailfish Splash Waterpark

The Martin County Local Planning Agency on May 21 voted unanimously to change the future land use designation and rezone a 2.66-acre county-owned parcel east of Southeast Runkie Street and Southeast Willoughby Boulevard, staff said.

Senior planner Jenna Nobby told the panel that the Board of County Commissioners initiated the application on Oct. 21, 2025, and that the subject site — adjacent to Sailfish Splash Waterpark and just south of the Martin County Public Safety Complex — is part of a roughly 9-acre property the county has owned since about 1990. "And so with that, staff recommends approval of the future land use map amendment from institutional general to commercial office residential for the 2.66 acre subject property," Nobby said.

Nobby said staff reviewed the change against the county comprehensive plan criteria and the state sprawl statute and concluded the application met the applicable tests: staff reported compliance with three of four comprehensive-plan criteria identified in section 1.11 and told the board the proposal satisfied the applicable criteria under Florida Statute section 163.3177, including their internal 13- and 8-criterion sprawl analyses.

Clyde Doolin, the county's comprehensive planning administrator, explained the practical difference between the designations: "The institutional land use designation is intended for public facilities," he said, adding that "if this is to have any private component for profit, it can't be on institutional." Doolin said the commercial office residential designation permits private medical and office uses and can be implemented through zoning districts that allow combinations of office and, in some variants, residential development at specified densities.

Paul Schilling, Growth Management Director, told the board the proposed CO (Commercial Office) zoning district would implement the requested future land use designation while permitting fewer and less intense uses than some other 'core' districts. Staff noted the proposed CO district specifically excludes residential uses in this variant and lists a maximum building height of 30 feet in the development standards presented to the board.

Board members asked whether conceptual plans exist to locate a clinic or a private provider on the site; Schilling said conceptual plans have been discussed for a clinic available to county employees and that any private-sector component would be conceptual and is not part of the application. A member cautioned the board to avoid discussing specific uses during the land-use and rezoning hearings; the chair confirmed that the hearing's role at this stage was to evaluate the map amendment and zoning standards.

Following staff presentation and discussion, a member moved to approve the future land use map amendment and the motion passed unanimously. The board then opened a quasi-judicial rezoning hearing for the same parcel; witnesses were sworn and staff presented the rezoning request to change the zoning atlas from PS-2 (Public Service) to CO (Commercial Office). After discussion, a motion to approve the rezoning also passed unanimously.

Both approvals were by recorded motion and voice vote; the planning agency did not state individual roll-call votes during the hearing. Staff and members noted that approval would allow county ownership of the parcel to remain while permitting private, for-profit medical-office uses under the CO district. The agency also confirmed public notice had been provided for both hearings.

The planning agency listed June 18 as the next meeting date. The meeting was adjourned after the announcements.