Below are the most frequently asked questions from residents looking to purchase/build or care for property located in Martin County. This general information is provided for reference purposes only; your site-specific conditions may vary and will be evaluated and confirmed by staff upon review of required permits or authorizations.
If your property is located in one of the municipalities, please contact the local municipality for the rules that apply to development in that location.
In addition, If your community has deed restrictions or has Homeowner Association (HOA) or Property Owners Association (POA) by-laws, you may be subject to other rules that apply to your specific community. Please contact your HOA or POA for more information. Martin County does not enforce private deed restrictions or HOA or POA bylaws.
The Urban Service District is a growth boundary that was established in 1982 in the County's Comprehensive Plan. It defines the area of the County that is designated suitable for urban development and included in the county's planning for public facilities and services. In 1990 the County's Urban Service district became the Primary Urban Service District.
The Secondary Urban Service district was created in 1990 as well to recognize lands that provide a transition between the primary urban service district and the rural lands. The Primary USD covers approximately 58,270 (unincorporated only) acres. The urban service districts are depicted on Figure 4-2 of the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan. View the Comprehensive Plan (CGMP) Figures.
The Future Land Use Map Series is an exhibit of the Martin County Comprehensive Growth Management Plan and represents the future development plan for the County. A future land use designation has been applied to all properties in unincorporated Martin County. Land use designations are the broad general use categories such as residential, commercial, and industrial. The future land use designation on a property determines the type of use, and the density and intensity of use that is allowed. The Future Land Use Designation on a piece of property can only be changed through a Comp Plan Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendment.
Zoning districts are depicted on the Zoning Atlas an exhibit to the Land Development Regulations. Zoning implements the FLUM designations of the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan. Multiple zoning districts may exist for each future land use designation to give specific detail. Zoning regulations are a more specific set of regulations that control how development is placed on a site, i.e., specific uses, setbacks from property lines, height limitations, etc. If there is any conflict between the zoning designation (on the Zoning Atlas) and the future land use designation (on the Future Land Use Map) the future land use designation supersedes and controls the use of the land. Amendments to the Zoning Atlas are frequently required to make the zoning district on a parcel consistent with the future land use designation.
Please see the following link to full-county copies of the two maps.
There are two avenues available. Any property owner can apply for a land use change. Comprehensive Plan amendment applications are available from the Growth Management Department offices or on the County website.
However, if you feel the land use designation was erroneously applied to the property, you could apply for a scrivener's error determination. Staff then researches the records to determine if indeed the land use shown for the property was the one assigned by the BOCC. Both of these avenues require a fee.
Setbacks are dependent upon the Zoning District that applies to the property. There may be environmental buffers and setbacks required on properties in addition to the Zoning district setback. View Environmental Division Frequently Asked Questions.
Please contact the Zoning Desk at (772) 288-5495. Please provide your name, telephone number and address or parcel control number for the parcel. You may also wish to provide your email address or the Parcel Control Number. A zoning technician will contact you after looking up the zoning district.
If you wish to identify the zoning district yourself, view the Future Land Use and Zoning Map.
To look up the setbacks after identifying the zoning district, refer to: Land Development Regulations, Article 3, Zoning Districts
Allowable uses are determined by the Future Land Use Map and policies in the County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan and by the Zoning District that is assigned to a property. Please contact the Zoning Desk at 772-288-5495. Please provide your name, telephone number and address or parcel control number for
the parcel. You may also wish to provide your email address. A zoning technician will contact you after looking up the zoning district.
If you wish to identify the future land use designation and zoning district yourself, view the Future Land Use and Zoning Map.
To research the permitted uses after identifying the zoning district, refer to: Land Development Regulations, Article 3, Zoning Districts
Please be aware the zoning district and the future land use designation may not be consistent. For further information please contact a zoning technician by submitting a Request for Help or Information.
Signs are placed on properties that are under review for a development application, a rezoning application or a Future Land Use map amendment application. The County signs are yellow and the City of Stuart signs are blue. The County signs provide a call number to the Growth Management Department where additional information is available about an application. Additional information can also be obtained from our Development Review Staff Report web page or search the Proposed Development map to see projects under review or that have been approved
Each development application is reviewed by a multi-departmental team of County staff. Major development applications go to the County Commission for approval; minor applications are approved by the County Administrator’s delegee and is either approved or denied. Once an application is approved, a development order is created, signed and recorded in the public records. The applicant then has 60 days to submit all required documents to complete the process.
For more information please see our Development Review web page.