St. Lucie approves change for land that could become upscale motorsports racing park

Wicker Perlis, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Updated ·3 min read
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ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The county is one step closer to giving final approval for a private motorsport park that developers have long proposed over opposition from some environmental and agricultural groups.

County commissioners gave unanimous approval Tuesday to change the land-use of a citrus grove from agricultural to a special district, which would allow construction of P1 Motor Club, but they stressed that conversations will continue as the project moves through the site plan phase of approval.

Ari Straus and his wife, Molly McCoy Straus, want to build an expensive playground for auto enthusiasts on a citrus grove halfway between Fort Pierce and Okeechobee.
Ari Straus and his wife, Molly McCoy Straus, want to build an expensive playground for auto enthusiasts on a citrus grove halfway between Fort Pierce and Okeechobee.

"Please reach out to them. Have conversations with them. There's still a lot to be done," Commission Chair Cathy Townsend told those who spoke against the project. "You can ... be a part of site plan planning, and hopefully you can feel comfortable with their site plan."

Creating a dialog with the community

Developers Ari and Molly McCoy Straus repeatedly said they want to have those conversations and are willing to make changes to please the community. The couple spoke with some of the project's opponents after the vote.

"We are deeply committed that we are good stewards of the environment," Ari Straus said.

Though the Strauses acknowledge that burning fossil fuels is a key part of their business, they said they hope to encourage drivers of combustion-engine cars to try out electric vehicles. They envision a world were driving gas-powered sportscars is similar to riding horses: something done as recreation only on a track like the one they are proposing.

The developers of the $100 million-plus project stressed that the facility will not be used for spectator events.

They also announced changes to their plans after hearing from the community, including eliminating an aircraft runway over concern for the safety of birds. Instead, a straightaway will still be built for launch control, but aircraft will not use it.

Environmentalist groups like the Audubon Society and Sierra Club remain concerned, however. Representatives of those groups spoke about concerns for wildlife, which would be impacted by construction and noise, and for the potential of oil and gas seeping into the ground. The project may be a good idea, they said, but the location is a poor choice for those reasons.

More: Disneyland for drivers: Plans for a country club for auto enthusiasts in western St. Lucie

More: Is P1 Motor Club's planned lifestyle community in St. Lucie County really 'smart growth'?

Adam Fetterman, an attorney who represents the developers, said they will do everything they can to address environmental concerns, including planting native trees to help offset carbon emissions. Ground contamination should not be a concern, he said.

"The assumption that there will be spills is just simply a faulty one," Fetterman said.

'GarageMahals' would cost upwards of $2 million each

In addition to multiple tracks that would accommodate various types of motorsports, the project would include luxury housing units — referred to as "GarageMahals" — where club members could stay and store vehicles. In a previous interview with TC Palm, Ari Straus said the "autominiums" and homes are expected to be priced from $750,000 to more than $2 million.

The developers plan to construct their own wastewater treatment facility, separate from the county system. It would be built and maintained by the developers but at no cost to the public, Fetterman said. The county eventually would take control of the facility, he said.

Ari Straus indicated earlier this year the "initiation fee" to join P1 would be $150,000, and annual dues for each family member using a club license would be $12,000. The couple is already involved a similar motor club which opened in 2008 in Monticello, New York. The mayor of Monticello wrote to the St. Lucie County Commission, praising the development and encouraging commissioners here to support a new one.

The developers said they intend to live on the property.

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com and 504-331-0516.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Is this the right place to put an expensive sportscar playground?