The Sebastian Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 16 unanimously approved a small‑scale amendment to the city's Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map to change a 3.96‑acre parcel in Sebastian Highlands Unit 17 from institutional (INST) to low‑density residential (LBR, 5 dwelling units per acre) and recommended the City Council rezone the same parcel from PS (Public Service) to RS‑10 (single‑family residential).

The change was proposed by St. Lucie Development Corporation; Wesley Mills of Mills Short and Associates represented the applicant and said the owner intends to develop seven large estate lots for custom single‑family homes if the approvals are granted. "Our client would like to do 7 large estate lots for custom residential houses," Mills said during the applicant presentation.

The commission and staff said the proposed land‑use and rezoning requests align with surrounding residential uses. City staff told the commission the application was reasonable given nearby development and recommended approval. Mills and staff said public utilities are available to the site, noting a 6‑inch water main in front of the property and a county public lift station on the parcel that feeds north.

Neighbors who spoke at the public hearing opposed the change or sought information about timing and traffic. Steve Rice of 128 Day Drive said he opposed converting what he considers open space into housing and that the site provides habitat for gopher tortoises and other wildlife: "I'm firmly against it." Scott Leitgeb of 101 Day Drive, who said he and his wife have lived on Day Drive for more than 30 years, said he preferred single‑family homes to higher‑density units: "At least we're not getting ... high density homes." Michelle (resident at 132 Day Drive) asked: "What's the timeline for the project?" The applicant said there is no definitive timeline but the owner intends to move forward quickly if approvals are secured.

Mills described expected development yield and impacts. While the LBR designation allows up to 5 dwelling units per acre (a theoretical maximum of about 19 units on the roughly 4‑acre site), he said the site constraints and local lot‑size rules make that number unrealistic. "You could probably yield at maximum probably 9 to 10 units. But, we're proposing ... 7 large estate lots," Mills said. He said the applicant plans lots ranging from about 15,000 to 35,000 square feet—exceeding the city's 10,000‑square‑foot minimum lot area for the zoning he sought—and estimated the seven homes would generate roughly 66 daily trips; he noted the city does not require a traffic study until about 400 trips per day.

Commissioners discussed the relative impacts of the proposed single‑family homes versus possible institutional uses allowed by the property's current designation, such as churches, schools, or other community facilities. One commissioner said many institutional uses "would have a significantly more deleterious effect on the neighborhood than 7 homes would," and the panel deliberated that the narrower scale of the proposed residences was compatible with neighboring lots.

The commission first voted to approve the Comprehensive Plan future land use amendment and then voted to recommend to City Council the rezoning from PS to RS‑10. Both actions passed unanimously on roll call with all seven commissioners voting yes (Commissioner Louise Cottonberg; Commissioner Linda Kinchen; Commissioner Battles; Commissioner LaRusso; Commissioner Matthews; Commissioner Carter; Commissioner Christopher Roberts).

Next steps: the commission's recommendation on the rezoning will be forwarded to the Sebastian City Council for final action. The applicant did not provide a construction schedule; Mills said construction could overlap with nearby development and that buildout of surrounding projects may take several years.