Port St. Lucie Council Converts Tradition Residential Land to Commercial Use in 4-1 Vote

The Port St. Lucie City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to strip residential zoning from 9.48 acres in the Tradition master planned community, opening the door to retail shops, restaurants and office development on land that once had 106 townhomes on paper.

For homeowners in the Heritage Oaks neighborhood just south and east of the site — the southwest corner of Cross Town Parkway and Southwest Fair Green Drive — the vote means a commercial project will eventually rise where they once expected to see townhouse rooftops. What that project looks like and who builds it remain unanswered. Any future development will require a separate site plan approval before construction can begin, the council made clear.

Councilman Picket cast the lone dissenting vote. Vice Mayor Carbala voiced concern during debate about the possibility of a gas station appearing on the property, while Mayor Martin questioned a condition that eliminates a planned road connection through Southwest Glenbrook Drive — a link that would have given Heritage Oaks a secondary way in and out of the gated community.

The council wrapped the approval in a set of binding conditions designed to blunt the impact on adjacent residents: a 10-foot enhanced landscape buffer anchored by an architectural wall along the eastern and southern property lines, shielded lighting to prevent glare from spilling into nearby homes and the permanent removal of the Glenbrook Drive connection.

The property owner will pay roughly $32,000 into the city's public art fund or install qualifying artwork valued at $40,000 — a standard requirement under city code. Traffic studies presented by the applicant's engineer showed commercial uses would generate fewer vehicle trips than the townhome development the parcel replaced, with intersection improvements at Cross Town Parkway and Fair Green Drive scheduled for completion by December 2027.

The rezoning was approved as part of a broader amendment to the Tradition development rights agreement.

During public comment, resident Dodie Spence raised concerns about chemical spraying in Thornhill Lake and questioned campaign contribution rules. Richard Voluone, representing Living Faith Church, asked the council for flexibility on the public art requirement for a planned 8,000-square-foot community facility on Tradition Parkway — a request the council did not act on Tuesday.

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