Dear City of Port St. Lucie Resident:

Thank you for signing up to stay informed and receive information about future growth plans for unincorporated St. Lucie County on our western border.

As your Mayor, the City Council and I would like to provide updates on three proposed projects that will impact residents of Port St. Lucie if approved. It is the City Council’s strong belief that transparency is important, and we want to ensure you’re informed of new developments and the City’s ongoing efforts.

Upcoming County Commission Meeting to Discuss Projects

On Nov. 12, the St. Lucie County Commission will hold adoption hearings for each of the three projects the City has expressed concerns about: Neill Farms Estates, Palermo Estates and Rainbow Groves.

• When: Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in the County Commission chambers, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, FL 34982.
• Read More: Access the agenda item by clicking this link. The three projects to be heard are items 11B 5, 6 and 7.
• How to Get Involved: Attend the County Commission meeting and let your voice be heard during public comment. You can also email them by clicking this link.

The adoption hearings will be an opportunity for the County to amend its future land use map for the three projects. Neill Farms and Palermo Estates would bring nearly 2,000 new housing units to unincorporated St. Lucie County, while Rainbow Groves would bring 5.3 million square feet of heavy and light industrial, with no residential.

All three would have a direct impact on Port St. Lucie’s residents. The Port St. Lucie City Council and staff have voiced concerns about the effects these projects would have on the City’s infrastructure and traffic. We encourage you to let your voice be heard as well.

I would like to share some positive news. In October, the City of Port St. Lucie signed an agreement with GL Homes, the developer of the Neill Farms Estates project, who agreed to work with the City to address future impacts. 

Despite City staff’s efforts to work with the developer of Palermo Estates, the developer has still not addressed the City’s concerns regarding the most recent traffic study. As a result, a developer agreement has not been completed at this time. We encourage you to specifically request the County Commission postpone any approval for Palermo Estates until the traffic impacts are addressed and a developer agreement is in place with the City. 

Rainbow Groves

City staff continues to work with the County and the developer of Rainbow Groves in an effort to reach consensus on the City’s concerns regarding the most recent traffic study. However, a developer agreement has not been completed at this time. In the event an agreement cannot be reached, we ask that you request the County Commission postpone any approval for Rainbow Groves until the traffic impacts are addressed and a developer agreement is in place with the City. 

The City and County staff continue to work together to resolve these issues. 

Thank you for staying engaged.

Mayor Shannon M. Martin, on behalf of the City Council