The Fort Pierce Planning Board voted 6–1 on a motion to forward a zoning text amendment creating a Port of Fort Pierce overlay district to the City Commission, adding a condition to list a seaport as a conditional use.

Staff said the overlay is intended to implement elements of the Port of Fort Pierce master plan and to make it easier for waterfront properties to develop by clarifying allowable uses and application procedures. Kevin Freeman, a planning staff member, told the board the overlay would lie atop existing future land use and zoning and would not, at this stage, strip property owners of existing development rights.

The draft ordinance splits the port into a north port and south port and proposes categories of permitted, conditional and minor-site-plan uses. Freeman said the draft grew out of multiple years of outreach, revisions and discussions with property owners and that legal parcel descriptions and some scrivener errors still must be corrected before the ordinance is finalized.

Speakers at the public hearing voiced differing views on how broadly to allow uses in the overlay. Joshua Rehvord, director of Port Inland Beaches for St. Lucie County, said the county — which serves as the Port Authority — was concerned that making many port uses permitted by right would limit the countys ability to coordinate higher-intensity, deepwater port activities. "If everything in there's by right and permitted use, then that limits the ability of the county being the Port Authority to engage on those particular elements," Rehvord said.

Representatives of waterfront businesses said the overlay should allow marine-supporting uses. Ken Prewitt, representing Safe Harbor Marinas and Harbortown, said the north port overlay appeared to strike an appropriate balance and that Harbortown is undergoing a $10,000,000 renovation. Harold Smith of Causeway Cove Marina urged flexibility for lodging and fuel storage, saying crew and guest housing is often needed near mega-yacht facilities. Carmela Bell, president of Destin Beach Inc., said Destin Beach properties in the south port need flexibility to attract marine and related investment and suggested moving some high-capacity fueling allowances into permitted uses.

Board members debated trade-offs between protecting property rights and reserving certain high-impact uses for conditional review. Several board members emphasized that the overlay is intended to provide clearer, faster review paths after years without substantial port development. Others echoed the county's concern that allowing some uses by right could foreclose future port-scale operations.

On a motion by Planning Board member Miss Clemens, seconded by Mr. Whiting, the board voted to recommend approval to the City Commission and add the specific condition that a seaport be listed in the use table as a conditional use. The roll call recorded five votes of "yes" from Mr. Johnson, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Whiting, Miss Clemens and Chairman Kreisel; one "no" from Miss Carter; the motion carried.

The planning boards recommendation will go to the City Commission for final action; staff said legal descriptions and minor ordinance edits remain to be attached before that hearing.