JUPITER, Fla. — A 10-acre waterfront property in Jupiter that has been at the center of a development dispute for years may finally see resolution as the Town Council prepares to vote on a mediation settlement with developer Charles Modica.
The property, formerly the Suni Sands mobile home park off A1A, was purchased by Modica for approximately $16 million in 2016. Development plans stalled after the discovery of Native American archaeological sites, including a 4-acre shell midden dating back 5,000 years.
WATCH BELOW: Waterfront development dispute nears resolution after 10 years
Under the proposed settlement agreement, development would be allowed on about 4.5 acres of the 10-acre site. The town would take ownership of the 4-acre shell midden in the middle of the property, which served as both housing and sacred space for Native Americans thousands of years ago.
"The larger middens were not only used for housing but as a sacred area," said Robert Rosa with the American Indian Movement of Central Florida.
As part of the agreement, the town plans to purchase one acre of waterfront land from the developer for $10.5 million.
The settlement comes after years of back-and-forth decisions. In 2023, the Town's Historic Resources Board determined that no digging should be allowed at all on the property. However, the Town Council later overruled that decision.
Rosa expressed disappointment with the compromise.
"It breaks our hearts that we fight so hard and we're just given the crumbs at the table," Rosa said.
Longtime neighbor Will Grabkowski, who has lived next to the vacant property for decades, hopes any future development will fit the character of the area.
"And I'd hate to see anything go above two stories," Grabkowski said.
Initial development plans for Suni Sands included a hotel, 72 residences and 12,000 square feet of retail space.
Any future development plans would need to go through the regular approval process.
Below is a statement from Town of Jupiter attorney Thomas J. Baird regarding the property:
"After a lengthy and complex mediation, administered by a Special Magistrate, he entered an order recommending that the Town Council approve a settlement agreement which, if implemented, will result in 5.48 acres, or more than half of the 10.4 acres Suni Sands property, being in public ownership. The recommendation of the Special Magistrate would result in the preservation of the Suni Sands Shell Midden and the Celestial Railway Right-of-Way, two archaeological sites registered with the Florida Division of Historic Resources. It would also result in the purchase by the Town of 1.41 acres on the Jupiter Inlet, the site of the northern terminus of the Celestial Railway, which is historically significant as Jupiter’s first commercial center and downtown. The implementation of the settlement agreement is contingent upon the property owner processing and receiving approvals from the Town Council of all applications necessary to develop his remaining 4.92 acres, following a transparent public hearing process as would be the case for any other development proposal in the town."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.