JUPITER, Fla. — Jupiter Town Council gave initial approval for rezoning a 57-acre development site east of Interstate 95, potentially paving the way for residential construction on land that has sat vacant for two decades.
The Beacon Park property along Island Way has been the subject of numerous development proposals over the past 20 years, including plans for hospitals and a regional mall. On Tuesday night, the council voted to rezone the site from industrial to low-density residential on one side and medium-density residential on the other.
WATCH BELOW: Jupiter approves initial rezoning for Beacon Park site
Preston Ford, who enjoys walking along Island Way, appreciates the area's current character.
"I moved here because it's very tranquil," Ford said.
The developer's representative, Zach Ciciera, argued that residential development would benefit the community by reducing traffic impacts compared to industrial uses.
"Residential mitigates traffic impact on Indiantown Road. Industrial has higher traffic, residential has lower traffic," Ciciera said.
The proposal also calls for removing a special bioscience zoning overlay that was created in the early 2000s to encourage development, similar to the nearby Scripps Research Institute.
"It was a good idea at the start. It just ultimately never came to fruition," Ciciera said.
However, Jupiter Mayor Jim Kuretski defended the bioscience overlay, citing the community's success in attracting research institutions.
"We landed Scripps and Max Planck, and in obligation to the state because they put up so much money, we had to put bioscience protection on there," Kuretski said.
The area already hosts several major research facilities, including Scripps Research, Max Planck Institute and FAU's Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute.
According to data from the Business Development Board, Palm Beach County's life science sector includes 684 companies providing more than 7,700 jobs with an average salary of about $122,000.
Rich Wolle, who lives in the neighboring Rialto community, has watched the property remain undeveloped for years.
"There's always been signs for sale... industrial complex coming soon. We're always wondering what's going to go in there," Wolle said.
Despite some council members expressing concern about losing biotech or industrial zoning in a community that is already 72% residential, the rezoning received initial approval.
Wolle supports the residential direction for the long-vacant property.
"It has that residential feel. Adding more residential in the area that has been vacant for so long feels like a natural transition for the area," Wolle said.
No formal site plan has been submitted for the Beacon Park property, and the council will need to approve the rezoning a second time before any development can proceed.
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