HOBE SOUND, Fla. — The Martin County Commission approved a zoning compromise for land in Hobe Sound, but the 3-2 vote has left some residents and at least one commissioner with lingering concerns about what could be built there.
Commissioners voted to rezone a property along Southeast Powerline Avenue to limited-industrial, stepping back from a general industrial designation that drew pushback from nearby residents. The property has long been slated for some form of industrial use, but the county said the existing zoning was outdated and due for an update.
WATCH: Hobe Sound zoning compromise raises data center concerns
Residents who spoke at the Tuesday commission meeting said their primary concern was protecting the character of the community.
Steve Addison said he has lived in the area since 1969.
"Our biggest concern was preserving our quality of life. We don't have a lot of industry and a lot of noise," Addison said.
Other residents echoed concerns about the scope of the original rezoning proposal.
"I understand that Martin County has to plan for the future but I also believe that growth needs to be compatible with the community that already exists," Kim Call, a resident, said.
"We're concerned about the permanence of a GI classification which we believe is too broad and too open-ended," Patrick McDonough, a Hobe Sound resident and Eaglewood Community HOA president, said.
After hearing from residents, the property owner offered to accept the less-intensive classification.
"To cooperate and show if that's what the neighbors feel is more appropriate and that would be a better use then we are willing to accept the light industrial," Bob Reins, a land-use attorney with Gunster law firm, said.
Despite the compromise, Commissioner Blake Capps voted against the rezoning, citing concerns about the potential for a data center on the site.
"Who knows where this is really going in the future and to approve a zoning for this property that allows a data center. I'm not into that," Capps said.
The county said there are no plans for a data center at the site. Any proposal exceeding 100,000 square feet would require board approval.
In speaking with residents, WPTV'S Cassandra Garcia learned not everyone was happy with the outcome. However, residents like Addison felt it was the right move.
"I don't want to see over development, but I also don't want to be that guy that doesn't understand land-use and doesn't understand property rights," Addison said. "I feel like it was a win win for the both of us."
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