Development proposed for western Martin County met with opposition

It’s a controversy many across South Florida and the Treasure Coast can relate to — whether to develop or preserve open space.

In Martin County, the issue is back before commissioners.

The county's Local Planning Agency met Thursday to decide whether to recommend what used to be known as the Calusa Creek Ranch Development, now known simply as "The Ranch."

In December, dozens descended on the Martin County Board of Commissioners Building, calling on commissioners to shoot down the proposed country club community and a text amendment to the county's Comprehensive Plan that would pave the way for it.

“Another lovely change for our town,” said Deana Peterson, one of many residents who told WFLX they’re opposed to both the development and the text amendment.

Currently, the county's Comprehensive Plan protects its western land from development. It's been in place for decades.

In September 2022, the county adopted the rural lifestyle land-use designation, a type of development requiring a minimum of 1,000 acres, 70% of which is required to be open space. Its density is also limited to one unit per 20 acres or less, and it must be adjacent to already developed areas, called Urban Services Districts, to prevent overdevelopment.

Developer Ken Bakst submitted an application to the county to amend the Comprehensive Plan to allow Rural Lifestyle communities a minimum of 3,000 acres to be built 6,000 feet from an Urban Services District.

In December, commissioners gave preliminary approval for that text amendment, allowing development more than a mile into existing farmland.

"I just don't see why, why are we changing what's always been special about Martin County?" asked Peterson. "I don't talk to anyone who's like, yeah, let's develop more, let's put more in, but that's what we're doing."

That amendment also paves the way for The Ranch community, proposed by Bakst himself, for what's currently a cattle ranch at the corner of Kanner Highway and Bridge Road, west of Interstate 95. It's a nearly 4,000-acre parcel.

The proposed community consists of 175 homes, two golf courses, cottages and more. The county also gave preliminary approval for the project despite opposition from residents.

"This is just a metastasized cancer," Martin County resident Jim Moyer said.

"We moved here because it's a small coastal town, and we'd like it to stay that way," added resident Walter Lloyd.

"It's golf courses. That's one of the most toxic things we could do to our land," Peterson said.

Toby Overdorf, the project's environmental consultant, countered those concerns.

"The calculations associated with that golf course and the various things we use on that golf course are actually a lot lower," Overdorf said. "The cattle ranch that exists there now is putting more into the environment that we're proposing."

Overdorf also said the project has gone beyond just meeting the requirements.

The report completed by Martin County staff shows the project is compliant with all county land development regulations and received positive evaluations for water, sewer, stormwater management facilities and roads.

South Florida Water Management told WFLX they haven’t officially reviewed the project, but Overdorf said the agency’s overall impression of the project seemed positive.

"In fact, they did not realize some things that were said in a certain letter and they're retracting that and in support," said Overdorf, who also pointed out the developer is keeping 91% of the property open space and a third of the land cattle ranch. "Not only are we going around the wetlands but number two, we're enhancing the wetlands as they are."

Yet with traffic, parking and health care already burdened amid the growth on the Treasure Coast, we addressed those concerns with Overdorf.

"With another development of 175 homes, how do you accommodate for the already taxed infrastructure?" asked WPTV reporter Kate Hussey.

"We're well below what we could have built there," Overdorf said. "There were 600 homes previously approved, we're well below that."

WFLX also reached out to Martin County, who told Hussey they take and vet all concerns seriously, but emphasized the studies for all areas of concern were completed and deemed satisfactory.

Following Thursday's meeting, commissioners will hold another public hearing on April 30 to discuss and vote on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment.

If the amendment is officially approved, The Ranch development could get official approval.

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