The commission’s unanimous approval of the site plan for Sunbelt Rentals was a focal point of the meeting. The proposed equipment rental and leasing facility will be located in the Vero Beach West Business Park. The facility’s site is situated west of 98th Avenue, south of State Road 60, and north of 18th Street. The land is zoned for General Commercial and Light Industrial use, with a Commercial Industrial land use designation. The project, represented by MBV Engineering Incorporated as the agent, includes a one-story building with access via Enterprise Road and several gated driveways for equipment movement. The site plan features an interconnected stormwater management system within the existing business park’s infrastructure, which includes pipes and drains to manage runoff. A 15-foot buffer along the north side and another along Enterprise Road are also part of the plan.

During the presentation, staff, led by Kelly McKinley, recommended approval of the site plan with specific conditions. These included the recording of a unity of title to merge several lots and completion of the landscape and buffer plans. Commissioners raised questions regarding the landscaping, particularly asking if it included a berm, and expressed concerns about traffic flow and congestion near State Road 60. Ryan Sweeney, acting as planning development services director, assured the commission that traffic engineering had reviewed and approved the layout, emphasizing that traffic levels would be low due to the nature of rental traffic.

Hudson confirmed that the landscaping met the required conditions and presented additional visuals, including site renderings and landscaping plans. Following this, the commission approved the site plan based on the staff’s recommendations.

The meeting also addressed two rezoning requests, starting with Glades Bastion’s request to rezone 1.5 acres from an Agricultural district to a Residential Single Family district. The property, located on the north side of 16th Street, is undersized and non-conforming under current A1 zoning, which permits one dwelling unit per five acres. Rezoning to RS6 would allow up to six units per acre, aligning with the area’s transition from agricultural to residential uses. The staff concluded that the proposed zoning conforms with the medium residential future land use designation and the comprehensive plan. A commissioner familiar with the property supported the rezoning, citing it as the highest and best use given the historical zoning transition. The public hearing concluded without any objections, and the commission unanimously approved the rezoning request.

The second rezoning request involved Schwaren 510 LLC’s proposal to change 1.04 acres from a Limited Commercial District to a General Commercial District. The property, located on County Road 510, is within a commercial industrial node. The change aims to establish consistent zoning across the applicant’s parcels, allowing for a broader range of commercial uses. Staff noted that both the current and proposed zoning districts are permitted under the Commercial Industrial future land use designation. The commission discussed the request, examining the property’s proximity to existing developments, including a convenience store and gas station. A representative for the applicant expressed appreciation for the staff report and highlighted the challenges in assembling parcels for larger commercial developments in the area. The public hearing closed without objection, and the commission unanimously approved the rezoning.