Costco site being cleared, but project remains tied up in legal challenge

Lina Ruiz, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read
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STUART — After being stalled for more than 1½ years by legal challenges, the Costco project is showing the first signs of development.

Site clearing has begun on the 49-acre property on South Kanner Highway, slated for a 162,020-square-foot Costco Wholesale Corp. store, 18-pump gas station, 378 apartments and retail and restaurant space.

Exact timing for each component of the project has yet to be determined, developer Joe Marino said in a statement.

The site work comes against the backdrop of Costco's nearly-decade-long effort to come to Martin County, which began with a 2014 proposal to build in Palm City. Additionally, a challenge has been filed in the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Land is cleared for the mixed-use Costco project on Kanner Highway between Southeast Indian Street and Southeast Monterey Road on Wednesday, May, 9, 2023, in Stuart.
Land is cleared for the mixed-use Costco project on Kanner Highway between Southeast Indian Street and Southeast Monterey Road on Wednesday, May, 9, 2023, in Stuart.

More: Legal battle over key aspect of Stuart Costco project drags on, with appeal filed in court

State commission weighs in: State action might be the green light for Stuart Costco, but will there be another appeal?

City Commission approval: Long-awaited, long-debated, Costco wholesale store gets OK from Stuart City Commission

Marino obtained permits from the city on March 24 for underground infrastructure and tree removal, according to city spokesperson Misti Guertin. The permits were issued 11 days after the state Administration Commission ruled in favor of the city in a challenge to the City Commission's approval of a land-use designation for the project.

That final ruling reversed an initial ruling from Judge Francine Ffolkes, of the state Division of Administrative Hearings, who found that the city’s analysis of the property was “not supported by a professionally acceptable methodology.” The latest legal challenge was filed April 12 in the Fourth District Court of Appeal in connection with the project.

Land is cleared for the mixed-use Costco project on Kanner Highway between Southeast Indian Street and Southeast Monterey Road on Wednesday, May, 9, 2023, in Stuart.
Land is cleared for the mixed-use Costco project on Kanner Highway between Southeast Indian Street and Southeast Monterey Road on Wednesday, May, 9, 2023, in Stuart.

The challenges have "never been about preventing any kind of development on the parcel," resident Robin Cartwright, who has filed both legal challenges, told TCPalm Wednesday. "It's about finding something that is congruent for the area."

“It's devastating ... I don’t think people realize how big 50 acres is until it’s cleared,” Cartwright said of the recent activity on the property.

The site clearing shows the developer exercising his property rights, said Mayor Troy McDonald, who has supported the project from the outset.

Land is cleared for the mixed-use Costco project on Kanner Highway between Southeast Indian Street and Southeast Monterey Road on Wednesday, May, 9, 2023, in Stuart.
Land is cleared for the mixed-use Costco project on Kanner Highway between Southeast Indian Street and Southeast Monterey Road on Wednesday, May, 9, 2023, in Stuart.

"I'm not excited or upset (about the clearing). It's something that's happening, and it's part of what happens with land development," McDonald said.

Marino could not be reached for comment. A Costco spokesperson declined to comment, citing company policy barring comment on any location opening in more than three months.

Lina Ruiz is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for Martin County. You can reach her at lina.ruiz@tcpalm.com, on Twitter @Lina_Ruiz48 or at 321-501-3845.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart Costco project: Site clearing happening at Kanner Highway property