INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Residents of Indian River County successfully pushed back against a proposed zoning change last week that they believed would bring unwanted development too close to their homes. WPTV’s Mello Styles has been actively listening to their concerns.
Community members addressed the Board of Commissioners regarding a zoning change sought by the Red Jazmine Land Company.
Residents of Indian River County community express development concerns
The proposed change would have taken place at the intersection of U.S, Highway 1 and 73rd Street and had previously been denied by the county’s Planning and Zoning Department. The applicant was appealing this decision.
Attorney Bruce Barkett, representing Red Jazmine, argued that any development on the property would ultimately benefit local residents.
"You can't deny that this area is in flux; these rezonings are happening all over, and it's not just limited to commercial purposes," he stated.
However, this perspective did not sit well with many attendees at the meeting.
Glenn Martin, a resident of Orchid Landing, expressed his frustrations, saying, “We already have the U.S. Highway 1 corridor and the increasing traffic, plus the FEC tracks with Brightline that we hear every day. Allowing further development will only bring more issues to our neighborhood.”
In response to these concerns, the County Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the rezoning request.
Martin expressed confidence in the commissioners’ decision, emphasizing, “I feel very confident in the decision they made. They upheld their staff’s recommendation, and now we can move forward.”
