🚧 Palm Bay Road Projects Overhaul Follows Lotis Development Pause
Palm Bay road projects and a major development dominated a contentious Council meeting, resulting in the Lotis mega-project's 120-day pause due to concurrency and public safety concerns.
Palm Bay Road Projects and Development Clash
Palm Bay, FL – The November 6, 2025, City Council meeting featured stark debate on the future of development and infrastructure, ultimately ending with a complete denial of a proposed self-storage facility and a four-month pause on the massive Lotis project. Critical questions about concurrency and public safety remain unresolved for the southeastern quadrant’s major development proposals. Meanwhile, staff presented a new, data-driven strategy to salvage the troubled Palm Bay road projects program.
Lotis Project Halted Amid Infrastructure Concerns
The Lotis Palm Bay development, consisting of multiple items before the Council, was unanimously continued to March 19, 2026. This decision followed a request for a continuance from the developer, Jim Gilda, who cited staff changeovers and delays in document review.
City Manager Morton pushed back, stating the core issue was unresolved “significant challenges” and concurrency matters. Morton emphasized the urgent need to ensure resources are available not just for existing citizens, but also to guarantee that “concurrency will allow the infrastructure to be online when new development does come”.
The most pointed example involved the fire services in the Southeast Quadrant:
The city is operating a temporary fire station (Station 9) on a two-year lease, which is estimated to cost the city $2 million.
Impact fees from new development in the area “won’t even cover that temporary fire station cost to go vertical, let alone staff it”.
The city will be left “at least 20 firefighters short on the day it opens”.
The developer claimed this was the “first time” he had heard these specific concerns from the City Manager. Morton added, “We’re fiscally constrained as a city, and we need to ensure that the resources... are present.”
Storage Facility Denied and Zoning Scrutinized
The Council unanimously denied the Preliminary Development Plan for Cogan Plaza at Bayside Lakes, a proposal that included a self-storage facility. The applicant did not appear to present their case, preventing them from meeting the burden of proof in the quasi-judicial hearing.
Residents provided strong testimony against the self-storage facility:
The Planning and Zoning Board had already unanimously denied the proposal.
Residents cited two existing facilities in the immediate area, with one speaker asking, “How many storage locations do you need?”.
Concerns focused on increased traffic, loss of community value, and the fact that storage units do not generate needed jobs.
In a direct response to this ongoing issue, Council gave a consensus directive to staff to draft an ordinance that would proactively identify areas where storage units are appropriate and create restrictions in all other areas, particularly near residential neighborhoods. Self-storage is currently a conditional use in multiple zoning categories, including Community Commercial (CC) and Highway Commercial (HC).
Rebuilding the GO Road Projects Strategy
Public Works Director Kevin Brinkley presented a strategic overhaul for the GO Roads program, which has faced inflation and delays.
The new plan shifts focus from completing work unit-by-unit to a data-driven approach based on need and traffic volume:
New Data Focus: The city will procure an update to the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), analyzing all 790 miles of roadway. The PCI is a measure of road condition; based on PCI, severely damaged roads require Full Depth Reclamation (FDR), a full and costly rebuild.
Cost Reality: The annual investment required to get roads into good condition has inflated from a 2017 estimate of $27 million to over **$35 million** today.
Prioritization: Remaining bond funds will target roads with the highest Average Daily Traffic (ADT), many of which fall within the incomplete Phases 4 and 5 (the city core).
Cost Control: Staff is investigating technologies, including AI, to reduce the cost of future PCI updates and exploring bringing local asphalt production to Palm Bay to cut trucking costs from Orlando.
An item to approve funding for the updated PCI study is expected on the November 20th agenda.
Key Community Issues and VSO Success
The meeting featured a presentation on the Veterans Service Officer (VSO) program, highlighting a vital community investment with a powerful economic return. The VSO position provides a critical, professional service to the city’s large veteran population, underscoring its immense community value.
VSOs are trained advocates who help veterans, their families, and survivors navigate benefits, including:
Assisting with disability compensation, pension, and appeals filings.
Coordinating applications for education assistance, vocational rehabilitation, and VA home loans.
Providing support for medical, death, and burial benefits.
The financial case for the VSO is undeniable: studies show that every $1 spent on veterans’ services generates $2.13 in local economic activity. This compelling return on investment is proven by the VSO team, led by Jeremy Van Cleave, whose tireless efforts helping veterans secure earned compensation and services resulted in $3.65 million in 2024 and over $2.1 million so far in 2025 being added to the Palm Bay economy.
Additional community issues addressed included:
No Sunday Construction: Council reached consensus to draft an ordinance banning all construction activities on Sundays city-wide to give residents a day of rest.
Public Safety Complaints: Two speakers, Charles Allen, Jr. and Laresha Parker, alleged neglect and misdiagnosis by Palm Bay Hospital and indifference from the Palm Bay Police Department in separate, long-running issues. The Mayor directed staff to help the individuals arrange a meeting with hospital management.
Hurricane Relief: Members of the BCASCA (Brevard Caribbean American Sports and Cultural Association) thanked the community and city leaders for the “overwhelming” support and donations for hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean following Hurricane Melissa.
The key fact is that Palm Bay’s impact fees are set at the highest level permitted under Florida law.
The city is not holding back or giving developers an easy ride. Instead, Palm Bay is charging the maximum fees allowed and is following the state’s strict schedules for any increases. Local governments in Florida have no authority to go beyond these limits, and every adjustment to impact fees, including how they are spent, is tightly regulated.
This means Palm Bay is doing everything possible, within the law, to ensure developers pay their share related to new growth and infrastructure needs.
So the developer requested a pause to address internal issues then a council member jumps up and dresses down the developer making it seem like our council has demanded and received a continuation on this project for the safety of us. That’s rich. I’m sure council cares about our safety. That’s a fact, but it appears they care more about that $15,000 a home they get that is built here in Palm Bay. Saying hey, you got five minutes to stop that only means they have five more minutes to do that. It’s not just here. It’s national,regional and local. All politics are just kind of messed up right now and they were with the last guy too, so let’s not kid ourselves. There’s my two cents.