ACTION REQUIRED: The battle for Merritt Island isn't over.

Hi everyone,

Back in May, our community showed up in droves and secured a unanimous 4-0 denial from the Brevard County Commission to protect North Courtenay Parkway from a high-density, 222-unit apartment complex. It was a massive victory, but the developer is already trying to bypass that decision.

They are bringing the case back for an appeal, and they are attempting to use the states Live Local Act to force this high-density project onto land that is explicitly zoned Agricultural (AU).

The facts of the law are on our side. The Live Local Act allows for administrative approval of high-density housing only on lands legally zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed-use development. This property is strictly agricultural. The developer is trying to argue that a 40-year-old, long-abandoned Conditional Use Permit from 1983 somehow transforms the underlying agricultural zoning into commercial land. That is simply not how land-use law works.

Our neighborhood infrastructure - our roads, evacuation routes, and flooding realities - physically cannot handle this development. Furthermore, because the Live Local Act bases rent limits on our Area Median Income, these units would start A LOT higher than most people would think.  Which does not solve our local need for truly affordable housing.

The legal fight is in motion. Our retained attorney is closely tracking every update on this case, and we are fully prepared to take the necessary legal steps if it becomes required.

The Meeting Details

When: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM
Where: Brevard County Commission Chambers (Viera)
Original Case: 25Z00054
New Appeal Case: 26Z00029
How to Fight Back From Work

Because this meeting is at 9:00 AM on a Tuesday, we know many of you cannot physically be in the room due to work commitments. Flooding the commissioners' inboxes and phone lines right now is just as important as showing up in person.

Please take 5 minutes today to email and call the commissioners. Let them know you expect them to uphold their unanimous May denial, stand by our local zoning, and protect the safety and infrastructure of Merritt Island.

Email Blast List (Copy & Paste): D1.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov

D2.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov

D3.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov

D4.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov

D5.Commissioner@brevardfl.gov

Morris.richardson@brevardfl.gov

Phone Numbers to Call:

District 1: (321) 607-3701
District 2: (321) 454-6601
District 3: (321) 633-2075
District 4: (321) 633-2044
District 5: (321) 253-6383

When you call or write, be sure to reference Case 26Z00029. “Tell them that agricultural land is not commercial land, and the county must protect its local authority over our community's infrastructure and safety.”

Let's make our voices heard, whether from the chambers or from your desk.

Thank you for staying in this fight,

Rebecca Hauser 

Read all about the case - https://brevardfl.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8138634&GUID=BF37B2CE-E117-447E-AE6A-865EF6E696F4&Options=&Search=