INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The County Commission Tuesday approved a conceptual plan for a 175-home development in south county. 

Red Tree Cove, the 78-acre, single-family development, would be built at 43rd Avenue and 13th Street Southwest — former citrus and tree farm land, according to county planning documents.

The commission approved the preliminary plans unanimously.

Commissioner Laura Moss raised some concern about potential traffic impact on 43rd Avenue and 13th Street Southwest, both two-lane roads.

“This is very tight, this development,” Moss said. “The traffic study for this indicated there would be almost 1,800 daily trips generated by the number of homes.”

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But the developer, Kolter Group Acquisitions LLC, in its plan agreed to add traffic, infrastructure and right-of-way improvements. 

Those would include turn lanes on 43rd Avenue, 13th Street Southwest and 17th Street Southwest, a dirt road that would be paved for the length of the development, according to the plan.

The plan also includes street lights and sidewalks on 43rd Avenue and 17th Street.

“And that’s at no cost to the county,” said Current Development Chief Ryan Sweeney. “So those will be straight donations.”

Kolter Group Acquisitions also agreed to help pay for a bridge on 17th Street Southwest to cross a canal east of 43rd Avenue to open up traffic to residents of the neighborhood heading east.

In return for providing the improvements, the developer requested waivers in minimum lot size and size of accessory structures such as pools or sheds. 

Moss, along with the rest of the commission, still approved the preliminary plan. She hoped the developer’s traffic and right-of-way improvements would be enough, she said.

To address stormwater runoff, the development would have four retention ponds, according to the plan. In regards to other environmental concerns, such as wetlands or protected trees, the site has none, according to county planning documents.

Next, the developer will need to obtain a land-development permit and then return to the County Commission for final approval.