The Port St. Lucie City Council unanimously approved a permanent ban on gas stations at a 9.4-acre commercial parcel at the southwest corner of Crosstown Parkway and Fairgreen Drive on July 13. The restriction came after months of debate over a request by Winding River Crosstown LLC to convert what had been planned as Phase 3 of the Heritage Oaks at Tradition residential development into commercial property. While council members supported adding commercial uses to the rapidly growing area, several voiced concerns during the initial May 26 hearing that a convenience store with gas pumps would worsen traffic along Crosstown Parkway west of Interstate 95.
The council tabled the request in May after Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo and other council members asked staff to determine whether gas stations could be eliminated as a permitted use on the parcel. When the hearing resumed June 22, several Heritage Oaks residents urged the council to reject the land-use change, citing concerns about increased traffic, noise and neighborhood impacts. The council voted 4-0 to approve the commercial designation on first reading after the developer agreed to permanently relinquish the right to build a gas station.
The updated development plan now specifies that while service stations remain permitted elsewhere within the Tradition mixed-use area, they are prohibited on Parcel 11A. The city also added protections requested by nearby residents. Before any mass grading begins, the developer must install a fence along the southern property line to prevent construction access through Southwest Glenbrook Drive, which connects to Heritage Oaks. An architectural wall and landscape buffering must be completed along the southeastern and southern boundaries before the first building permit is issued for vertical construction.
City planner Bridget Kean confirmed the restriction is now written directly into the Tradition Master Planned Unit Development documents, ensuring no future owner can develop a gas station on the parcel. Councilman Anthony Bonna said he believes expanding commercial development will benefit residents by broadening the city's tax base. Councilman David Pickett said going to commercial is the best possible thing for that corner. The amendment changes the parcel's designation from residential to commercial, paving the way for retail and office development.