If nothing else, the presence of County Administrator Heidi Petito and Assistant County Attorney Sean Moylan on the grounds of the disused Country Hearth Inn on Old Dixie Highway this afternoon was a sign that the county is very much intent on ensuring that the new owners of the long-troubling property will live up to their obligations–both to clean it up, make it safe, and restore it as a motel, as they pledged to do in their May agreement with the county.
“We don’t want the public to think we’re easing up on them by any means,” Petito said today, standing in the shade of one of the older oaks on the property as an architect and representatives of the owners huddled over blueprints a few steps away, under what used to be the motel’s covered drive-up. “We understand there’s delays in materials, there’s delays in subcontractors, but as long as we see forward progress, we’re OK.”
The county took extraordinary measures with the previous owners–among them a lawsuit–to compel them to comply with code enforcement rules, pay their fines and ensure the grounds were safe. The county was ready to raze the property. Rather than complying, the owners sold to David Shebeiro and Manny Gomez, whose company, 2251 South Old Dixie, named for the address of the motel, is the official title holder. They are represented by a North Miami law firm. The new owners paid the outstanding fines and pledged in the three-page agreement to abide by certain deadlines. The lawsuit has not been dropped. It remains a bargaining chip.
But both county and residents have been concerned about timelines. The new owners have carried out some of the required work at the property. But other deadlines have passed, worrying county officials.
By August 20, the new owners were supposed to have passed a so-called “rough inspection” of electrical, mechanical, plumbing and framing or pay a cash deposit to the county of $250,000 as security for the abatement of the public health and code enforcement violations on the property. The county would use the cash bond to do the necessary work itself.
On Sept. 8, Hadeed wrote the owners a demand letter about the passed deadline. “Not only are these activities outstanding but you have not filed for a permit that would allow these activities to commence,” Hadeed wrote. “Our preference is not to take formal action under the agreement for a breach of the agreement. Accordingly, please send us a schedule for your completion of the ‘all rough’ inspections as soon as possible, including dates for permit application submittals. ”
Hadeed briefed the County Commission on that letter at Monday’s meeting. By then Jim Albano, the contractor and co-owner of the locally-based Bespoke Group, a design firm the new owners hired to run the project, had responded with what Hadeed described as “50% drawings of the new facility,” in a document that appears to name the new facility as the Henry Hotel. (See the drawings here.) The plans propose enlarging the hotel and adding meeting space.
“However they are still behind the timelines, and so we we’ve done two specific things,” Hadeed said. “One, we’ve asked them to tender that $250,000 cash deposit, but we’ve also told them that we are suspending the extension of wastewater facilities, and water facilities to the motel until they can get back on track.” The county was to use dollars secured through the federal American Rescue Act to build that extension. “So we’re putting a pause on that to make sure that they understand we need to see progress on this project.”
A video produced by the county last year, before the property sold, showed the grounds at their most derelict–the swimming pool in the center of the interior courtyard partly filled with water as fetid as it was brown, the rooms filled with a mixture of disused furniture and garbage, beds–some of them still with their covers on–broken art work, shattered glass everywhere, jagged glas sin the frames of each rooms windows, lamps, tables, TVs, debris around the grounds, and the usual scrolls of graffiti that adorn the walls of abandoned properties like kudzu made of spray paint.
All of that but the graffiti is gone. A walk around the grounds today showed evidence of significant clean-up. Most dramatically, the pool and its white, useless fence are gone, entirely filled in in such a way that the interior courtyard is now one vast plain of leveled dirt and tufts of grass here and there. The rooms have been entirely emptied, all debris and furniture removed, all jagged edges scraped, all glass on the ground removed. The paved circuit around the motel, once strewn with debris, has been cleaned up. Only the graffiti remains.
The August deadline may have been somewhat ambitious, considering the unpredictability of the covid landscape, the Delta variant’s surge in Florida, and supply-chain issues that have plagued many a contractor. The new owners also discovered that the motel’s roof had some issues that had to be addressed. A roofer was among the people at the property today. Those issues interfered with moving forward on such things as electrical work, Kong said. He said a public “reveal” of the owners’ plans is ahead.
Meanwhile, Petito said, the owners have asked for an extension on their permitting deadline. “We want to understand what is the extension for,” she said. “We’re here to listen. We want to see what they have, what they’ve uncovered.” But overall, the county administrator projected confidence in the work ahead. “It is good stuff and it is moving forward. We just want to continue working with them to move the project forward,” Petito said.
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Jane Gentile-Youd says
There are sanctions which the county has ignored which are unacceptable to those of us who live close to this Asking the to pay what they owed no later than August 20 is absurd, The agreement DEMANDED they put $250,000 BOND money with the Clerk of Court. This is just another delay tactic and a waste of over $10,000 of our tax money Hadeed paid to a former county attorney to file suit. Anyone with half a brain can see that the delays are inexcusable.
The time for ‘discovery is BEFORE purchase not AFTER. This will drag on for at least another year -this meeting was for PR , Heidi will have to enforce the agreement they signed with Jerry Cameron on May 13. Nobody bound and gagged the new owners to agree to post a bond on August 20.
Hadeed makes the rules, sends letters without ever getting approval from the commission and gets away with it because nobody cares. The sanctions include demolishing the dump once and for all .
The new owners will probably try to ‘flip’ the property. Just wait and see… And I doubt Hadeed will ever ENFORCE the May 13 Agreement which is almost 2 months past due. The big metal 20 foot ugly sign frame has never been addressed but we who live in Plantation Bay, the Reserve have to look at it every day.
9holeseven says
Jane, have you ever liked anything ever ? Why is it you alway knock, attack and diminish everything the county tries to accomplish ? I don’t understand something, if this county is so wrong and corrupt why do you stay here ? Is it that you are still upset over your embarrassing loss again for Commissioner in the last election ?
I’m an owner in the Plantation Bay community and have loved residing in Flagler County for the past 8 years. I have seen this county grow and improve. I particularly love the idea of the hotel being sold and renovated by the new owners why wouldn’t anybody who lives in the area ?
Jane,, your reputation is well known throughout the community for your attitude and your “It’s my way or the highway” philosophy. Watching you throw one “fit” after another at the County Commission meetings.
I applaud the county staff for working as hard as they did with the hotel, in my opinion regardless of what typical “malcontents” vomit out whenever they get a chance.
Gina says
There goes that mouth again Jane and you need not to give Heidi Petito advice she is an intelligent competent person which is why she has the job.
Carl Sennica Sr. says
Now that’s what I’m talking about. I myself is sick and tired of reading false claims and personal attacks by Ms. Gentile- Flagler County is one of the most sought after “bedroom” communities in north Florida. This county is BOOMING so Ms Youd if your so angry at progress and feel you don’t receive enough attention Plantation Bay is right next to I-95 with North & South entrances to get you wherever you feel people will cow to your slf entitlement attitude.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Who are you 9 hole seven? Just another nasty person who is not grateful for my hard work in beautifying Old Dixue highway with beautiful trees.. guard rails on bridge recently resurfacing of bridge.. lovely water fountain on west side of north guard house.. Traffic signs on US 1 with name Plantatoon Bay Road instead of Aldenham Lane so everyone knows this is another main entrance into Plantatoon Bay.. and 3 months ago discovering $5.600 late fees being paid to FPL by our negligent HOA management company .. with the help of Della Green we got FPL to credit our association back this money as well as successfully getting approval for the first time in 36 years to pressure clean the original concrete roads built in 1986. Phase 2 will begin in January. What have you done to enhance our quality of life except hide behind a phony bame? I am a voting member and a proud homeowner together with my husband we have done more than any resident in 20 years to improve our quality of life and fight for fairness for all of our neighbors. Cowards who use phony names are excluded of course
bob says
Hope the developers complete the redevelopment. and establish a viable business
Jane Gentile-Youd says
I have posted my sincere happiness that Heidi Petito has been chose to be our County Administrator. Years ago I pushed out the phony who was hired to be in charge of General Services and Heidi got the job! I adore Heidi.
The problem is AL HADEED County Attorney who , if you read my original post, makes decisions without consulting with anyone neither any of the Commissioners nor his counterpart! The Commission lets him do what he wants and their is NO WAY HEIDI would ever step into what should be the decision of the Commissioners to take control.!
HADEED, all by himself negated the former county administrator, Jerry Cameron’s certified agreement with the new hotel owners that they had to get their ‘s…,t… in order by no later August 20 or pay $250,000 BOND money… Heidi is the most competent qualified person we could have and I have sent and spoken my high esteem for her for the 15 years she has been with the county.
The Commissioners are her BOSSES so she cannot tell hem what to do ; it is a shame that the only other direct employee of the Commissioners is the County Attorney and he seems to have all the control, no questions asked – ever. Kinda makes it seem maybe that I was critical of Heidi – not at all – my heart goes out to her because of the ‘unilateral’ actions of Al Hadeed…
One last time .. HEIDI is a blessing to us all….