On February 21, 2019, the Local Planning Agency unanimously approved the project with conditions including lowering the two northern four story buildings to three story buildings, a lighting plan details being provided, garage entry modifications, traffic adjustments to the project's entry, evidence of coordination with Martin County's engineering department, adjustment to the fence at the projects preserve as well as a necessary modifications to the fencing to allow for a wildlife corridor, provision for a bus stop, adjusting the work force housing (WFH) language to include a lower credit rating score in order to qualify, adjusting the WFH language increasing the number of WFH units located in a single building from three (3) to four (4) units, addition of two bike racks per building, addition of a charging station & car wash spaces, evidence of having met with residential neighbors in Jensen Park Estates, adding crosswalks within the project, and rules regarding garbage collection.

Since then, the applicant has revised their drawings meeting most of the LPA recommendations which will be presented to the commission in more detail at tonight's meeting.  The applicant has spoken to the neighbors bordering on the north side of the preserve in Jensen Park Estates and have agreed to extra planting to shield any view of the buildings.Additionally, staff has revised Ordinance No. 2398-2019 Conditions for Development to reflect these agreed to changes.

The intent of this application is to assign a Residential Planned Unit Development (RPUD)  zoning designation and a multifamily land use to property recently annexed into the city in order to construct 280 multifamily units on 15.2 acres owned by Werner-Bols Revocable Trust.  The proposed project consist of six (6) four-story apartment buildings.  In addition to the apartment buildings, there will be amenities such as a clubhouse, pool, recreation/gym buildings, a playground and an outdoor pavilion. The apartment access will be privately gated, with a portion of the parking located outside of the gated areas. The residents will also have an opportunity to rent a garage for an automobile if desired.

The property is bounded to the east by the current and future addition of the Hope Center for Autism which is in unincorporated Martin County. To the north is Jensen Park estates, a single-family residential community also located in unincorporated Martin County. And, to the west is vacant land with a B-4 Limited business/Manufacturing zoning which is within the City of Stuart.   Access to the property will be from Baker Road, which the applicant plans to make significant improvements to the roadway to allow for better access for the community. The proposed roadway improvements have been coordinated with the City of Stuart Public Works Department as well as with the Martin County Engineering Department.

The property is comprised of both uplands and wetlands. The northern portion of the property contains scrub habitat which transitions down to pine flatwoods in the eastern and lower portion of the property. The wetlands are of poor quality and will be mitigated per the City of Stuart and South Florida Water Management regulations.  The applicant plans to mitigate for the wetlands locally within the Haney Creek watershed as well as purchasing the appropriate number of mitigation credits from the Bluefield Wetland Mitigation Bank.  As part of the stormwater system, the owner will install a floating mat littoral system.  The size of the mat shall be 5% of the surface area of the lake, or approximately 1,437 sf.  The littoral mat system shall be manufactured and installed by Beesmats or City of Stuart approved equal. The littoral mat system shall be “harvested” at least once per year and new planting installed for new nutrient uptake.  The mat system shall be maintained in working order in perpetuity. 

Work Force Housing is as part of this approval requiring the owner to set aside ten (10) units in the Development, five (5) two-bedroom units and five (5) one-bedroom units, with no more than three (3) units allocated to any one building in the Development.  Prospective tenants for WFH shall be required to demonstrate to the Owner that all those parties who will occupy the WFH unit will, collectively, (a) make no more than the 80% category of income limits defined in the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) for Martin County, (b) have a credit score of no less than 650, and (c) have the ability to pay the rent for the WFH unit.  The rent for a WFH unit shall be no greater than the 80% category of rental limits per bedroom as defined in the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) for Martin County.  In the event the number of units occupied as WFH Units falls below ten (10), and in the event the Owner, after using reasonable efforts is unable to find a prospective tenant for WFH for a period of two (2) months after the number of WFG tenants has fallen below ten (1), may lease out vacant units to other than WFH tenants.  Provided, however, the Owner shall not allow the number of WFH units to stay below ten (1) for longer than two (2) months.  On an annual basis starting one (1) year after all certificates of occupancy are obtained, the Owner shall provide to the Development Department of the City, a report setting forth the following:  (a) the number of units in the Development actually occupied as WFH during the preceding year, (b) the length of stay in each WFH unit, (c) the rent actually paid for each WFH unit for the preceding year, and (d) the efforts of the Developer to find prospective tenants eligible for WFH.