INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a request Tuesday to change the zoning of a three-acre parcel of land on 45th Street in Gifford from multi-family residential to mixed use.
The proposal being considered is for the construction of an 8,300-square-foot Family Dollar store in the first phase, with adjacent multi-family residences on the same parcel, which is located next to the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
The church now owns the property, but with the developer, Tennessee-based Hutton Growth One LLC, and Family Dollar, sought the zoning change.
Prior to coming before the Board, the request was unanimously recommended by the county’s Planning and Zoning board. In addition to providing another option for local residents to shop, Planning Director Stan Boling said the proposal includes a pedestrian sidewalk and a retention pond as a buffer between the store and neighboring residences.
When the owner of a surrounding senior community asked about activity or lighting around the site that might disturb her residents, Boling said that, as the planned development moves into the next phase of site plan approval and platting, county staff would look at shielding the lights and dumpsters from the surrounding homes.
“There are a lot of rooftops” in the area of the planned development, Boling said.
Gifford community leader Freddie Woolfork approached the podium in support of the project. Other than expressing disappointment that a ditch would not be covered for safety as more young families would be walking the area to get to the new store, Woolfork said the proposed development would serve the area well, especially those residents who do not have cars.
“I want to support staff recommendation and it will be another piece of the puzzle to give that 45th Street a facelift and the pride and dignity it deserves,” Woolfork said.
Commissioner Joe Flescher, whose district includes the Gifford area, said, “I’m excited about the project,” and added that it would bring some jobs and that it’s just the kind of clean industry Gifford has been looking to attract.
Should the project not go forward for some reason within seven years, the zoning would revert back to the current provision of up to 10 multi-family residential units per acre.
