On Wednesday, the Sebastian City Council approved a resolution for preliminary development in a section of Spirit of Sebastian, a new subdivision that was annexed in 2018. The development will have 208 single family units.

Developer Chuck Mechling with Insite Solutions says Spirit of Sebastian will be the first natural gas community in Sebastian.

“We are also the first natural gas community in Sebastian,” Mechling added.

Mechling said the people involved in building the subdivision are all local people.

“We have a group of people doing all the work here, they are all local people, and they all have local people who live in Sebastian,” Mechling said.

There is also a plan to build a community center, which Mechling says will benefit all residents living in Sebastian. The remedies center will have a playground area and a large building to host events.

“We plan to have lots of community events with everybody in Sebastian,” Mechling said.

Before the annexation, the land was used for agricultural purposes over the years. The trees on the land will be moved around and used within the development. All plants brought in will be native to the area.

“When this thing is finished, at the end of the project, it will be something that is a great repurposing of the land that will make everybody very proud,” Mechling added.

Mechling then showed a video presentation during Wednesday’s City Council meeting of what the development will look like once complete.

Mechling and his company have been developing in Indian River County for 30 years. Some of their other subdivisions include Collier Club and SandCrest, both in Sebastian.

Mayor Ed Dodd was happy to hear about the native trees and plants being planned for the community.

Councilman Chris Nunn said it’s a great addition to Sebastian because it’s affordable with remedies that are usually expensive in other larger developments.

Councilman Fred Jones thanked Mechling and his staff for working with Del Monte Road residents during the planning stages.

Sebastian citizen and former Councilwoman Andrea Coy says Mechling will do whatever he promises to do, which says a lot since she doesn’t always have good things to say about developers.

“I have nothing bad to say about Chuck. Mr. Mechling is just a wonderful person to work with, and always has been, and he’s local. We know where he lives. We know where to find him if he doesn’t come through,” Coy jokingly said.

Former Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris said Mechling has been deep-rooted in our community for over 30 years. She called Spirit of Sebastian “smart growth.”

“Everything he has been apart of has been extremely successful. Just look at Collier Club; that place is vibrant and beautiful,” Morris said.

“Sebastian is going to grow no matter what any of us want, but this is exactly what Sebastian needs, and this was a tailored fit for our community,” Morris added.

Spirit of Sebastian will have county water & sewer, underground utilities, closed drainage storm retention, and 12 acres of stormwater lakes. The subdivision is located west of Old Dixie Highway in Sebastian.

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