2010-252A (17) - Laserfiche WebLink

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GENERAL SETTING Indian River County is located in southeast central Florida, along the Atlantic Ocean coast. The County has a total area of approximately 543 square miles (347,520 acres) of which 41.1 square miles (26,298 acres) are water, and 502 square miles (321,280 acres) are land area. Included in the land area are 5 municipalities containing approximately 76.4 square miles (48,888 acres). Indian River County is about 33 miles wide from east to west and 22 miles long from north to south. In addition to the Atlantic Ocean, the County is bounded by Brevard County on the north, St. Lucie County on the south, Osceola County on the west, and Okeechobee County on the southwest. Nearly two-thirds of the total land area is west of I-95; however, more than 90% of the population resides in the eastern third of the County. The City of Fellsmere is the only community in the western portion of the county. Along the western boundary of the county, the land is primarily rangeland and pastureland with little residential development. To the east of that area is the St. Johns Marsh, a large freshwater wetlands extending the entire length of the County. Included in this significant wetland is the 6,000 acre Blue Cypress Lake. Between the marsh and I-95, the land is devoted primarily to agriculture. Much of this land is drained marshland now used for citrus or pasture. Other than the City of Fellsmere in the north, there is little human settlement in this area. The eastern portion of the county can be divided into two major areas --the mainland and the barrier island. The southern portion of the eastern mainland is the most highly developed area of the County. In addition to the county seat, Vero Beach, this area contains the highest concentration of residential and commercial land uses in the county. This development pattern extends south along US 1 to the St. Lucie County line and west along SR 60 to 100th Avenue. The southwest portion of this area is devoted primarily to citrus production. The central area of the mainland contains a mix of residential and agricultural uses. In the last ten years, significant residential development has occurred in this area. The northern portion of the mainland contains Sebastian, the largest city in the county in terms of population. In this area, agricultural uses are confined to lands south of the city, while commercial uses are concentrated along US Highway 1. The barrier island can be characterized as three distinct areas. The northern third of the island is the least developed. Natural vegetation covers much of the area. This area, however, is the most rapidly developing part of the island. Within this area, Disney's Vero Beach Resort and the Town of Orchid, an incorporated municipality which is being developed as an upscale, low-density resort type community, are located near the intersection of SR AlA and CR 510. Future Land Use Element 3