Fort Pierce OKs Legacy Future Scholars Academy at 510 Orange Avenue after debate over parking and shared-use lease

The Fort Pierce City Commission voted unanimously Monday to approve a conditional use allowing Legacy Future Scholars Academy to operate a private pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school with capacity for up to 200 students at 510 Orange Avenue.

Planning staff recommended denial because the applicant had not fully addressed two planning-board conditions: (1) a revised lease/addendum that clearly defines the location and time windows for shared parking with First United Methodist Church and (2) a functional backup plan for pickup and drop-off should the lease be dissolved. Planning Director Kevin Freeman told commissioners staff's review found the application did not meet code standards "based on the concerns" and outlined ten specific questions about staging, bus storage, and pedestrian safety.

The applicant and architect presented parking calculations, a staggered arrival/dismissal schedule and a signed addendum to the shared-playground/parking agreement. Architect Mike Menard said the school's parking requirement (two spaces per classroom) yields 16 required spaces for eight classrooms, which he said the project satisfies; he also presented an inventory of on-site, shared and nearby on-street spaces and a backup bus plan. "Based on the square footage...schools and educationals require 2 spaces per classroom. We have 8 classrooms. We have 16 required spaces," Menard said.

Adjacency matters: the applicant secured an addendum that delineates the east parking area and permits shared, nonexclusive use for arrival and dismissal during specified times. Property owner Stan Sinkoski and nearby property owner Jim Gertler spoke in favor, calling the plan a constructive reuse of a long-vacant building and confirming the shared parking arrangement.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about traffic routing, whether semi-trucks could use Orange Avenue, off-site queuing, bus storage and pedestrian safety at crossings on Avenue A (a city street) and Orange Avenue (a state route). The commission emphasized enforceable arrival/dismissal procedures, visible signage, trained crossing guards and coordination with public works and the police department.

Outcome and conditions: The commission approved the conditional use by roll call vote (5-0), incorporating the planning-board conditions and requiring a landscape maintenance agreement, landscape inspection, public works coordination on dumpster/enclosure, alternatives if vehicle staging encroaches on the right-of-way, right-of-way permits for any impacts, and a maximum capacity of 200 students; planning had also recommended two additional conditions (revising the lease to define boundaries/times and providing a backup plan) that staff later confirmed were addressed by the submitted addendum and backup plan.

Why it matters: The decision allows reuse and investment in a 0.53-acre, long-vacant downtown property while requiring specific operational safeguards to limit traffic impacts and protect students. The commission's conditions aim to balance downtown redevelopment with pedestrian safety in an urban corridor that was not originally designed for school traffic.

What happens next: The applicant must finalize the required agreements and meet planning and public works conditions before certificate of occupancy; the school proponents said they are pursuing construction and safety measures to open for a future school year.