The Palm Coast City Council this morning approved plans for a 264-unit apartment complex on Town Center Boulevard, across from Imagine School at Town Center, and from a 300-unit high-end apartment complex the Planning Board greenlighted last August called The Legacy. The Planning Board unanimously recommended approval of the 264-apartment complex last month.
The 10-building project will be on 67 acres on the east side of Town Center Boulevard, starting just north of the roundabout and stretching along the boulevard for half a mile. A Winter Park, Fla.-based company called HillPointe bought the acreage in December for $5.2 million. The project is ready for building permits, so construction would be visible soon.
HillPointe built the 300-unit apartment complex called Pointe Grand on the west side of Pine Lakes Parkway, between Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway, a complex just completed and now renting out apartments. HillPointe has projects elsewhere in the region, among them the impending development of a 276-unit complex called Big Tree Road Apartments, on 21 acres at Big Tree Road and Nova Road in Daytona Beach. (The company’s technical name for the Town Center Boulevard project, as recorded in property records and the Division of Corporations, is the rather cryptically coded Hp-232090 Palm Coast Qozb LLC.)
With a few other multi-family projects lined up within city boundaries, the new units are expected to help reduce the shortage of apartments and possibly slow the rise in rental costs, which have been hurting working families and retirees who choose to move away from the burdens of home ownership. The HillPointe apartments will consist of two-bedroom units, each at 1,170 square feet.
While the council unanimously approved the project, most of the council members raised concerns about what they see as inevitable congestion along Town Center Boulevard, a two-lane road already daily saddled with the entitled traffic of the school there. The council wants the developers to build additional turn lanes, even though they are not strictly required at the moment. Council member Theresa Pontieri’s motion was worded along those lines.
The new HillPointe apartment complex is part of the Town Center Development of Regional Impact the city approved in 2003–a blueprint for mixed0use developments on the DRI’s 1,600 acres, which extend to Royal Palms Parkway to the north and the Target shopping center to the south. The complex is located on acreage zoned for high-intensity urban development.
Most of the 10 buildings will consist of 24 apartments each, with two of the 10 having 36 apartments. The complex’s buildings will not rise above 41 feet, though it could have risen as high as 80 feet. The developer will provide close to 600 parking spaces spread around the complex. Eight of the 10 three-story buildings will front Town Center Boulevard, with parking in the rear. Some 52 bicycle spaces will be provided. The complex will also have a 10,600 square foot clubhouse.
“A lot of attention was given to providing a pedestrian friendly environment,” Ray Spofford, an engineer with England-Thims and Miller, the planning and engineering company on the project, told the council. He presented the proposal with Nick Everly, senior director of land planning and entitlements at HillPointe. There will be active and passive recreation areas within the complex.
The complex’s acreage includes 21 acres of wetlands, which will not be impacted. No protected species were identified on the site, which previously belonged to Florida Landmark Communities, and before that, to county government.
“This is considered our favorite type of development, which is infill development,” Bill Hoover, the city’s senior planner, told the council, meaning that the development is filling in acreage within broader boundaries that have already been developed, as opposed to developments that sprawl beyond those boundaries–such as those west of U.S. 1.
The traffic study conducted for the complex was based on 244 apartments, which would add 1,768 daily trips onto Town Center Boulevard and surrounding roads–105 of those trips at peak morning hours, and 134 of them at peak evening hours. Those numbers must more than doble to take account of the 300-unit Legacy apartment complex going up across the street.
By one measure, apartments generate less traffic than single-family homes: 6.5 trips per apartment, compared to nine trips per single-family home, Hoover said. While that goes against a general misconception about apartments, it is also true that the trips generated by apartment complexes are more concentrated in a single area, at least at their origin and end points, whereas single family homes spread out that traffic on a broader grid of streets. But in the end, the cars all converge on the same collector streets.
A city staff analysis found that “No offsite roadway improvements are required by this development; however, the intersection of Town Center at Lake Ave will be improved to add a northbound left turn lane by the Legacy development.”
Nevertheless, the project concerned Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin regarding traffic. “We are restricted or congested with some traffic in the current traffic pattern which flows by this proposed site,” Alfin said. “I’m going to ask if the developer can offer some suggestion on how we could mitigate or avoid what surely will become a major area of congestion in the foreseeable future.”
Town Center Boulevard is, in fact, already occasionally congested, but principally because of the onslaught of parents driving their vehicles to drop off or pick up their children at Imagine School, the charter, which has always had dismally engineered traffic patterns around it. “I come through that area quite often, and right now I avoid it because of the traffic congestion,” Council member Cathy Heighter said. “So that would be a major concern of mine also.”
Alfin was looking for additional turn lanes at different points.
“We had a traffic study done that did not identify any required off site improvements,” Spofford said. “However, we understand the issue with a school at the intersection with Lake Avenue and that’s our primary entrance. A right northbound right decel[eration] lane could be accommodated at that intersection.” He asked for those plans to be submitted separately from his project, and that the lane would not be built until the complex is half built. The Legacy apartments developer will be building a northbound left-turn lane on Town Center Boulevard.
Spofford said the two developments will cooperate with each other, and was assured that The Legacy’s timeline will not be held against HillPointe’s.
The cooperation between developers and the city, Alfin said, “I would hope could be a model for many of the things that we may choose to consider in the future. Working together as the infill process continues is incredibly important.”
Kelly says
Seriously, Palm Coast enough with the apartment complexes and huge developments. What needs to be happening now, is work in the infrastructure!! It needs to be able to keep up with the demand and I don’t hear anyone bringing this up.
Gary says
Might as well put housing, strip malls, gas stations and storage buildings on every inch of palm coast ! asap! Then we can sit back and laugh when people leave. and the new Los Angeles look moves in.
Mary Lumas says
Now your worried about traffic. That boat has sailed. Our local government approves any type of building here. Used to be a nice place, not anymore.
Dennis C Rathsam says
TRAFFICS A MESS BY THE SCHOOL NOW!!!! THE ROADS CANT HANDEL ALL THE NEW CARS! THE 3 STOOGES STRIKE AGAIN!
bill says
you got a full Alpine out he’s ruining the city. Where is the traffic going to go and we got some morons that work in the city there’s not going to be or it doesn’t have to be any improvements to the surrounding roads oh really because those idiots in the city Hall don’t live there that area, hidden lakes residence are going to be affected the city going to shit time to get out here long enough
Celia Pugliese says
I do not oppose apartments in Town Center but the Town Center Blvd should be two lanes already all the way past the circle into Royal Palms. A two lane existing by Imagine School won’t sustain the additional condos generated traffic and there will always be a bottle neck underpass I-95 into Old Kings Road. No matter what the traffic study done says. By the way who picks these hard to believe traffic studies contractors,.. the developers? Because is like asking the fox to design the chicken coop!
T says
This needs to stop palm coast was nice they have ruined it….
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Insanity
The Sour Kraut says
This is going to be a traffic mess. I know it, the council knows it, the developer knows it. Yet here we are, letting it happen. Don’t forget about this come election time!
T says
Stop destroying palm coast you all did enough
Bobby says
Build, build, build, why?????????????????????????????????
Look around at the traffic that is already out of control and this incompetent City Council hasn’t planned for the traffic congestion that we already have.
It is time the taxpayers vote these idiots out of office. They are doing a great job of destroying PC.
Joseph Barand says
The City continues to create slums in Town Center. 600 apartment units without regards for current traffic problems. The current road has so much traffic that the City cannot even keep pavement in place. At least every two weeks they are patching the road and the patches don’t last two weeks. Traffic for the school closes the road for thru traffic morning and afternoon. With the 2 lane underpass of I-95 the City is trying to push 25 pounds of shit into a 5 pound bag. Next, the City is planning on a new Data Center that will compound the problems. Three other developments, The Gables, The Retreat and Via “Something” will just add to the problems without and foresight or consideration of the impacts they are imposing on current residents. Did I mention these are all stick built construction that will not stand up to a significant storm and will burn like a bon firemen the crack heads move in, Section 9 housing for sure. Every City Planner should be fire for incompetence and lying to the people who provide their pay checks.
Deez Nutz says
It’s just unbelievable what this Mayor and Council have done to this once great town! They must all be voted out come November or else we will soon be just like Orlando and Jacksonville. Our roads can’t handle the amount of traffic we have now and he keeps adding more apartments and homes without any regard to the wildlife or the towns residents objections. Please stop this insanity by getting out to vote this November!
jeffery cortland seib says
The Town Center was, at one time, thought of as an educational, professional offices, medical, arts and entertainment center. The meeting place for palm Coast. Now we see it’s morphed into Apartment World. Throw in another giant complex with no thought of the effect on, really, anything. Reading the city planning staff review one would think one duplex is going in. No effect on roads, no effect on schools, no effect on the environment, no effect at all. The staff prepares the review, the Planning and Land Development Review Board shoves it through, and the city council votes their approval. It shouldn’t be this easy.
Billy says
As republicans, our whole street will be voting differently! This town council and mayor are nothing but gangsters! I didn’t move here to have it look like Jacksonville in 2 years!
Crystal Lang says
When I moved here I was a little annoyed with myself for not living in the area of sr100 instead of where I live now. It took 10 mins to get to the beach and it takes me 20 mins to get to the beach. Guess what! that 10 min drive to the beach will soon be 30 min drive to the beach and I will still be only 20 mins to the beach. I’m glad I didn’t make another real estate mistake here in Palm Coast, however, I’m pretty sure in no time at all it will be taking me 30 mins to get to the beach.
And now David is worried about the traffic at Town Center and didn’t I read that Cathy H is concerned about the traffic seriously LMAO. You avoid that area? Well I decided to shop for a month at a time, I spend way too much money on gas just to get away from the congestion. If I’m understanding what I’m reading some of these projects were on the back burner for YEARS, which brings the question of why are all the back burner projects being approved now all at the same time which is seven months from November???????
blondee says
Our entire council has lost their collective minds.
Paradise Lost says
I agree with everyone of the comments above. There needs to be lawsuits. That could slow down the destruction. Sad to see what’s become of a sleepy beach community. Other communities in Florida have instituted moratorium. But it’s probably too late, the horses are out of the barn.
My Two Cents says
It does not matter if the mayor is a republican or a democrat it’s the fact that he is a realtor. Whoever becomes mayor should not be a realtor.
Hammock Huck says
And the elected morons keep approving more development. One day, people will reflect and ask, “What happened?”
OG PC'er says
Time to clean hose
titfortat says
WHY are there not PARKS being built for the KIDS to play on – Town Center has PLENTY of room for a park with soccer and baseball and football fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, etc. There is no real PLANNING in this county at all. It’s quite disgusting and a waste of taxpayer money, which they have blown annexing thousands of acres of land over the years into the city. It never should have happened. It’s the developer/builder/real estate agent dream though and makes THEM lots of money while stealing from us taxpayers. Thousands of acres of new homes and apartments! More carbon dioxide released into our atmosphere by the killing off of hundreds of thousands of trees. These politicians came from other states and couldn’t care less about what makes Florida so special, especially Palm Coast. They came to conquer and burn.
Vincent Maccherone says
I picked up kids from imagine for my business in the afternoons and it’s already a straight up fire hazard. 1 lane each way and the cars block the roads so no one can pass through. What happens if there’s a bad accident or an emergency where someone needs to get to the hospital that way? Very concerning. The school should be held accountable for dealing with the traffic they cause!