STUART — After 2½ years, Robert Sherman came away unable to understand what went wrong at the City Commission meeting here June 22.
Sherman was representing applicant Joseph Castellana, who has been trying to get a Popeye’s fast-food restaurant approved for the corner of Northwest Windemere Drive and Northwest Federal Highway.
“I am completely devastated,” Sherman said following the City Commission’s 2-2 vote, which killed the motion to approve the construction of the restaurant.
Mayor Sean Reed and Commissioner Eula Clarke dissented. Reed declined to say why he voted no. Clarke said the proposed location is close to a large residential neighborhood.
“I’m trying to understand what we did wrong,” Sherman said, pleading with the commissioners for a reason. He got none.
A future vote scheduled
Commissioners then voted 4-0 to schedule another vote for Aug. 24, when the City Commission election is over and five commissioners will be seated. Only four are seated now because former Mayor Christopher Collins quit to run for a seat on the Martin County Commission.
Sherman declined to comment to TCPalm even after commissioners voted to set a hearing for Aug. 24. He was baffled in part because the commission heard no opposition to the project June 22. No one except for him spoke in favor either.
The project involves the construction of a 1,995-square-foot, dual-drive-thru restaurant on 1.6 acres.
“We’re very excited to get this approved,” Sherman said near the outset of the hearing.
He was expecting a groundbreaking to take place in a few months and the restaurant to be open at the beginning of 2027.
Other details discussed
As part of her motion to approve, Commissioner Laura Giobbi initially wanted the Popeye’s to close at 10 p.m. instead of midnight. Later she agreed to 10:30 p.m.
“It does border on a (residential) community,” she said.
Commissioners also planned to require Castellana to improve the landscaping between the restaurant and the adjacent neighborhood The Reserve: Windemere before allowing the restaurant to open. The landscaping has been poorly maintained, Sherman has said.
He had agreed to both requirements before the tie vote.
“I’m trying to understand what was unacceptable,” Sherman said to commissioners.
A Popeye’s at Windemere Drive and Federal Highway would be the last store to be built in the surrounding development which includes a RaceTrac gas station, medical building, a former LA Fitness and other businesses.
“That’s where business belongs,” Rich said, which is in a commercial plaza along one of the busiest stretches of road in the city.
Keith Burbank is a watchdog reporter for TCPalm, usually covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida city leaders devastate developer, leave Popeye’s plan in limbo
Reporting by Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
