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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final December 3, 2024 <br />open mind and can base their decisions on the evidence presented and the <br />applicable law. Commissioner Moss disclosed that she had received the traffic <br />analyses for Red Tree Cove. The Chairman opened the public hearing, and the <br />Deputy Clerk administered the Oath to all persons who wished to speak at the <br />hearing. <br />Patrick Murphy, Chief of Long Range Planning, presented the Emerson Oaks <br />Planned Development formerly known as Red Tree Cove. He noted that on <br />November 15, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners approved the Red <br />Tree Cove development plan, which allowed for up to 175 detached single-family <br />homes at a density of 2.39 homes per acre. The applicant received waivers for <br />minimum lot size, setbacks, and building coverage in exchange for dedicating road <br />right-of-way (ROW) and contributing to a future bridge on 17th Street SW. He <br />stated that this was back before the Board because the project has since been <br />renamed Emerson Oaks and now included increased building coverage, which <br />would reduce the open space from 69.7% to 60.73%. To mitigate this change, <br />the applicant had agreed to dedicate additional ROW and realign the intersection <br />of 43rd Avenue SW and 13th Street SW, resulting in a decrease of four homes <br />from the total proposed plan. Mr. Murphy presented these details using a <br />PowerPoint presentation and stated that on November 14, 2024, the Planning <br />and Zoning Commission (PZC) recommended approval of the project. <br />Mr. Murphy responded to Commissioner Moss and stated that the open and <br />green spaces would remain as originally approved. The homes would take up <br />more space on each lot, reducing the open space on individual lots while keeping <br />the overall open space for the entire project the same. Jim Vitter, BGE, Inc., the <br />project civil engineer, concurred with Mr. Murphy. <br />Resident Charles Festo raised concerns about the development's impact on the <br />canal at 13th Street Southwest, noting that it was overwhelmed during the 2017 <br />Hurricane, causing backups into the lakes. He also highlighted potential traffic <br />issues on 43rd Avenue, particularly when turning north from 13th Street, suggesting <br />the need for a traffic light at 17th or 13th Avenue Southwest or speed bumps to <br />curb speeding. <br />Mr. Murphy explained that this development's approved traffic study was <br />conducted in 2022, Emerson Oaks featured fewer lots than initially planned, so a <br />revised study was unnecessary. The study concluded that the development did not <br />require a traffic signal at the intersections. However, the Public Works <br />Department reviewed major roads and intersections annually to address traffic <br />concerns, and had lengthened turn lanes to improve traffic flow. <br />Indian River County, Florida Page 14 <br />