FORT PIERCE — With its unanimous approval of the major final site plan on June 2, the City Commission here paved the way for the first hotel east of I-95 along the busy Jenkins Road Corridor while simultaneously worrying that the rash of development applications approved over the last several months might be setting the county-maintained road up for failure.
The city’s volunteer Planning Board had previously backed the request on May 12 and only tweaked one condition related to the height of a perimeter fence. Planner Vennis Gilmore provided commissioners an overview of the request that evening.
“Before you we have a major site plan, development and design review application for Woodspring Suites Hotel at the proposed location of 2480 S. Jenkins Road,” he said. “The applicant is requesting to construct a four-story, 122-room hotel, grossing approximately 48,100 square feet with associated site improvements. The subject property is approximately 3.39 acres [and] was approved to be subdivided to create the adjacent property to the south as an out-parcel for a potential additional hotel.”…