Fellsmere's 2,595 acres

Fellsmere to annex 2,595 acres?

By Ed Bierschenk (Contact)
Sunday, November 18, 2007

FELLSMERE — A South Florida billionaire whose company was responsible for developing Broward County's largest business park may be gaining a larger foothold within this rapidly growing community in northwest Indian River County.
The City Council next month will conduct a public hearing and consider giving final approval to annexing 2,595 acres of land east of Interstate 95 partially owned by brothers Edmund and Ronald Ansin.

There are 640 acres in a square mile. The 2,595 acres under consideration are roughly 4 square miles.
The council already has given preliminary approval to the deal, which will pump another $130,000 into its Community Development Department fund.

The Ansin brothers have vast land holdings throughout the state. Edmund Ansin was No. 286 on Forbes Magazine's most recent ranking of the 400 richest Americans, with an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion.
According to the South Florida Business Journal, Ansin's Sunbeam Properties Inc. is known for its development of the 400-acre Miramar Park of Commerce, the largest business park in Broward County.
Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunemaker is hoping a similar commercial development can be built on a portion of the 4,000 acres of Ansin property earlier annexed into the city.
The latest annexation will be a mixed-use development. The agreement calls for 50 percent of the property to be kept as open space, but the requirement can be waived.

In addition, the agreement calls for annexed property to be limited to two homes per acre as calculated over the entire acreage. This would mean if 50 percent or more of the land is kept as open space, then four or more homes per acre could be built on the remaining land.
In the past, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Commission has encouraged this type of clustered housing, or new urbanism. It allows for more open space and recreational opportunities, said Nunemaker.
The agreement states the land shall not be developed for residential development for five years unless approved as part of a Development of Regional Impact or Preliminary Development Agreement, which could give officials from around the region input into how it is developed.
Sebastian Mayor Andrea Coy was surprised Fellsmere had given preliminary approval to the latest annexation. Sebastian and Fellsmere officials are currently in talks discussingthe new annexation, but have not reached an agreement.
Nunemaker said Sebastian's concerns were taken into consideration in the most recent agreement in terms of density and height restrictions and provisions for parks east of I-95. Part of the agreement calls for a greenway, or trails, plan to be developed to complement one currently in development for the North County. Coy, however, said Sebastian officials have yet to determine whether such provisions will be acceptable.
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