Jupiter Planning Board Recommends Denial of Palmwood Road Annexation, Backs Walmart Fulfillment Warehouse on Park Lane

Jupiter's Planning and Zoning Commission split sharply Tuesday night on a request to bring a small residential property on Palmwood Road into the town. In a separate vote, it unanimously backed a Walmart online-order warehouse in the Park Lane industrial area. Both items now go to the Town Council, which is scheduled to take them up Nov. 17.

Six members voted at the Oct. 13 meeting at Town Hall. Chair Kevin Kirn and commissioners Paul Keenan, Marty Rogol and David Thompson were joined by alternates Cynthia Blum and Edward Sterling.

Palmwood Residential: annexation recommended for denial

Palmwood Real Estate LLC, owned by Andrew and Lisa Wilson, asked the town to annex 1.47 acres at the northwest corner of East Frederick Small Road and Palmwood Road, which are now in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The site has one single-family home on about a third of an acre. The rest, about 1.14 acres, is vacant.

The application had three parts:

• Annexation into the Town of Jupiter (Ordinance 43-26)
• A land use change from the county's Low Residential-2 to the town's Medium Density Residential (Ordinance 44-26)
• A rezoning from county single-family (RS) to the town's single-family R-1 district (Ordinance 45-26)

In April, the county had already approved splitting the southern lot into three homesites, using a county transfer of development rights for the extra unit. Together with the existing house, that allows four homes on the property. The town's Medium Density category would allow about five, but the applicant volunteered a cap of four homes, or 2.72 units per acre. Staff noted that the nearby Jamaica Drive neighborhood has about three units per acre. Staff estimated that a fourth home would add about 10 car trips a day, and found all three requests consistent with the town's Comprehensive Plan and code.

A majority of the commission did not agree:

• Annexation: A motion to recommend approval failed 2-4, and Rogol's motion to continue the hearing died without a second. The board then voted 4-2 to recommend denial, with Keenan and Kirn opposed.
• Land use change: Recommended for denial, 4-2, with Keenan and Kirn opposed.
• Rezoning: A motion to recommend denial failed on a 3-3 tie, so the board sent no recommendation on this item.

The commission's votes are advisory. The Town Council is scheduled to hold the first reading of the three ordinances on Nov. 17 and the second reading on Dec. 15.

Walmart warehouse at 1830 Park Lane S.: approved 6-0

Walmart Inc. is seeking a special exception to use most of an existing building at 1830 Park Lane S. as a merchandise warehouse and online-order fulfillment center. The 1.89-acre site is zoned for light industry. Town code requires a special exception for warehouses larger than 10,000 square feet.

The building is currently approved for 12,000 square feet of office space and 8,000 square feet of warehouse. Under Walmart's plan, it would have 2,700 square feet of office and 17,300 square feet of warehouse. The only exterior changes would be minor ones, handled through a separate administrative site plan.

According to the application:

• Hours would be 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Five to six employees would be on site at a time, and about 15 to 20 would work across all shifts.
• The site could handle up to 1,000 orders a day, with drivers carrying up to three orders per trip.
• It would not be open to the public.

The town's staff report estimates the change would add 47 daily vehicle trips, for a total of 333. The town's traffic engineer found no negative impact on area roads. Staff recommended approval with conditions, and the commission agreed 6-0. The request goes to the Town Council for a quasi-judicial hearing on Nov. 17.

The commission's next meeting is Nov. 10. Video of Tuesday's meeting is available on the town's video portal, and the agenda and staff reports are posted on the town's CivicClerk portal.