PZCON2025-00010 
Conditional Use
Legacy Future Scholars Academy 
510 Orange Avenue 

Request
In accordance with Sections 125-187 and 125-237 of the City Code, the applicant is requesting the review and approval of a Conditional Use with No New Construction to allow for the operation of a private school serving Pre-Kindergarten through 8^th Grade, with a capacity for up to 200 students. The applicant is seeking to operate the school in 18,428 sq. ft. (the 1^st & 2^nd floor) of the existing 20,195 sq. ft. commercial building. The property is zone C-3, General Commercial Zone with a future land use of GC, General Commercial. The subject property has a total of approximately 0.53 acres.
 
The property is located at the northwest corner of Orange Avenue and North 5^th Street. The subject property is surrounded by institutional and commercial uses to the north, south, east, and west.
 
The proposed facility is approximately 18,428 square feet. The site is adjacent to 18 parking spaces for the use of the employees and visitors. A shared parking agreement allows the school to utilize adjacent parking lot in the rear for parent drop-off and pick-up. The adjacent parking lot has a total of 25 parking spaces. The facility can be accessed by vehicles and pedestrians from two (2) entrances located on Orange Avenue and Avenue A.
 
The proposed building at 510 Orange Avenue is well suited for the Academy’s facility requirements—spanning classrooms, administrative space, a multipurpose room, and a designated play area. In addition to these core spaces, the school has secured strategic community partnerships to ensure safe and effective operations:
 
Shared Playground: First United Methodist Church has agreed to allow shared use of its playground for students, expanding opportunities for physical activity and recreation.
 
Shared Parking: The neighboring property at 500 Orange Avenue has agreed to shared parking access. The United Methodist Church has also agreed to a shared parking agreement, where the school can use their parking lot for both arrival and dismissal, ensuring smooth traffic flow and safe pedestrian pathways during arrival and dismissal.
 
Arrival and Dismissal Plan
To further minimize congestion along Orange Avenue, the school will stagger student start and dismissal times:
 
 
Start Times/Arrival Times:
 -Preschool-8:00 a.m.
-Kindergarten & 1st Grade – 8:30 a.m.
- 2nd through 5th Grade – 8:00 a.m.
- 6th through 8th Grade –8:45 a.m. –
 
Dismissal Times:
-Preschool-12:30 p.m.
-Kindergarten & 1st Grade – 1:50 p.m.
- 2nd through 5th Grade – 3:00 p.m.
- Middle School (6th–8th) – 3:30 p.m.
 
This staggered schedule ensures smooth traffic management, limits overlap between groups and reduces the impact on local roads during peak hours.
 
Operation of the proposed facility will be from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday. There will be a total of 26 staff members. This location will accommodate approximately up to 200 students on average.
 
Zoning: Sec. 125-200. – (C-3) General Commercial Zone
Purpose. The district is intended to provide for a broad variety of business activities including shoppers' goods stores, convenience goods and service establishments, offices and tourist/entertainment facilities. Many public and semi-public uses are also appropriate. Compared to the C-4 zone, this district is more suitable for uses requiring a high degree of accessibility to vehicular traffic, low intensity uses on large tracts of land, most repair services and small warehousing and wholesaling operations. Although this zone should be located along or near arterial or collector streets, it is not the intent of this district to encourage the extension of strip commercial areas. Instead it should promote concentrations of commercial activities.
 
Future Land Use: Comprehensive Plan, 1.1.6 Policy (B) Commercial
General Commercial (GC): The General Commercial designation provides for higher intensity commercial developments or horizontal and vertical mixed-use developments. Uses allowed within this designation include multifamily residential, intensive and general commercial, retail, service, offices, tourist/entertainment facilities, hotels/motels, parks and recreation, along with compatible public, quasi-public, and special uses. This land use designation allows for a maximum density of 15 dwelling units per acre and a maximum FAR of 1.0. Development shall include either commercial or mixed uses fronting major roadway corridors with higher intensity near major intersections. Residential uses may comprise up to 20 percent of the total floor area of the General Commercial future land use designation.
 

Staff Recommendation:
The proposed application meets the standards of the City’s Code Section 125-18, and 125-237. Therefore, Staff recommends that the Planning Board recommend APPROVAL of the Conditional Use with No New Construction subject to the six (6) Conditions as noted.
 
Recommended Conditions of Approval
 

1. A Landscape Maintenance Agreement will be required and approved by the Planning Department prior to Final Certificate of Occupancy.
2. A Landscape Inspection will be required and approved by the Planning Department prior to Final Certificate of Occupancy.
3. Coordinate with the City of Fort Pierce Public Works – Solid Waste Division to ensure that your proposed dumpster enclosure meets the City Standards and is accessible for City Garbage Trucks.
4. Should vehicle staging encroach into Avenue A right-of-way, the operator of the school shall provide an alternative transportation solution to alleviate any roadway impacts.
5. Any impacts to Avenue A, such as signage, crosswalks, temporary lane closures, etc., require a City of Fort Pierce Right-of-Way Permit approved by the City Engineer.
6. This Conditional Use Approval is based on the maximum capacity of 200 students.

Alternative Recommendations:
Recommend APPROVAL – with Amended/Additional Conditions
OR
Recommend DISAPPROVAL/DENIAL
 

Vennis Gilmore, Historic Preservation Officer/Senior Planner

Technical Review Committee