The Flagler Beach City Commission tonight approved a special exception for the siting of a hotel in the heart of town, at South 2nd Street and Old Moody Boulevard, on the acreage previously used as a hotel but for a 48-year interregnum, and its use as a farmer’s market for many years since.
As at the planning board earlier this month, The vote was unanimous. The discussion–what there was of it–took all of eight minutes. There was no discussion among commissioners, no controversy, and aside from one public voice opposed, no dissent, clearing yet another hurdle for the planned hotel.
To be sure, Thursday’s action was procedural: “What you’re finding is that this use fits this property. What it looks like comes down the road,” Drew Smith, the city attorney, said. In other words, can a hotel be located on the 1.3-acre lot, vacant since 1972. Commissioners couldn’t very well say no, since the Flagler Beach Hotel stood there from 1925 to 1972, and the zoning allows it, even though it post-dates the hotel’s demolition. Put simply, the hotel is permitted by right.
“It’s highly suspect as to why it’s a special exception, but that’s where we’re at,” Larry Torino, the city’s planner, said.
But city code adds that extra regulatory layer, giving the city commission authority to approve the special exception, as it did Thursday. The next step will be more interesting and possibly more animated. That’s when the site plan will come before the commission, showing the hotel’s architectural drawings and its actual footprint. But when the city’s planning board took up the matter earlier this month, it had the drawings in hand and recommended the special exception also with hardly any controversy.
The plan presented to the planning board on Dec. 1 projects a three-story, 97-room hotel (with a fourth level for a ballroom and vast balcony) and 10 town houses that would be rented to short-term vacationers. Veterans Park would remain, but would see some renovations (the city owns it, but the Forehands own the air rights, preventing any development there and ensuring that the same view that hotel guests enjoyed from the property before the 1970s will be there in perpetuity, for future guests.)
The hotel would be designed by Anjon Resort Homes’s Joseph Pasquale. He did not address the commission, as he had the planning board.
“I’ve been working with the Forehands on this project a little bit,” Dennis Bayer, the Flagler Beach attorney representing the property owners, Zoee and William Forehand, told commissioners. “But I’ve also, looking back at the history of Flagler Beach, have been coming here since 1979, moved into the area in 1985. We all knew sooner or later that that commercial piece of property was going to be developed, and I think the Forehands have gone the extra mile to find the proper proposal for the property. We’re not getting into the site plan itself, but tonight it’s a first step.”
He asked for the commission to approve the special exception, of course, downplaying the significance of that particular step, and added: “One of the big benefits I see of a hotel on that piece of property, it’s finally going to give us that boost for our community redevelopment area. It’s truly been stagnant since the recession. It’s going to really help bring in the money that we can use to help revitalize downtown, provide additional parking, complete the undergrounding of the utilities and all the other things that will make us a vital downtown area that will be a benefit to the community.” He said the project could kick-start other redevelopment projects.
Zoee Forehand added a few words, saying “we’re not reinventing the wheel.”
The lone voice opposed spoke of roads and dunes that “cant handle it,” with plenty of trampling and traffic going on now, but as she spoke, Jane Mealy, who chairs the commission, said she was cutting her off as the issues she was discussion were more suited for the future site plan discussion.
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Keep Flagler Beautiful says
To be clear, the reason there was no public opposition voiced at this meeting is because no comment was allowed — unless it pertained to one very specific point: whether or not it was possible for an exception to be made so a hotel could be built at the planned location. Jane Mealy, who chaired the meeting, made that very clear right after opening the meeting. Plenty of residents showed up to voice their objections about the proposed hotel, but they were not afforded the opportunity. Hopefully that will happen at a future meeting. No one should think the lack of opposition was due to lack of interest. That definitely was not the case.
Willy Boy says
$2 for what. Can’t make out the lettering. What year the autos?
John Stove says
Here we go again…..”Not In My Backyard” folks will come out of the woodwork now.
They seem to forget that a hotel existed there for 47 years. The land is zoned for a hotel, previous use was a hotel and put simply, the hotel is permitted by right.
Building this hotel will not only increase taxable revenue streams for the city, it will add a destination for tourists and revitalize this dying town.
Just like the John Anderson development if the local citizens didn’t want this piece of property to ever be developed, they should had bought it and turned it over to the city for a neighborhood park or plaza…..they had 48 years to do this since the old hotel was removed.
I Just Love Flagler Beach says
A fourth level and balcony?????
deb says
Awesome, that’s great news for this sleepy little town. Finally some real progress.
Pogo says
@Wake up – look in a mirror
Human ‘stuff’ now outweighs all life on Earth
By Erik StokstadDec. 9, 2020 , 11:25 AM
“It’s not just your storage unit that’s packed to the gills. According to a new study, the mass of all our stuff—buildings, roads, cars, and everything else we manufacture—now exceeds the weight of all living things on the planet. And the amount of new material added every week equals the total weight of Earth’s nearly 8 billion people…”
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/human-stuff-now-outweighs-all-life-earth
And furthermore
https://www.google.com/search?d&q=man+made+material+equal+to+biomass
John Stove says
So…what’s your point?
All matter that will ever exist has already been created (solid,liquid,gaseous)…humans are not creating new matter, they are just turning in to man made objects.
Taking a tree and turning into lumber is not creating new matter, it is repurposing it.
JimB says
Really? Everything on our Earth is already here. Did someone import more weight from another planet?
Keith says
No doubt.
Ramone says
It may be semantics, but I disagree with the City Attorney. Special exceptions are not permitted by right. The property is entitled to be developed pursuant to the Commercial zoning district’s permitted uses, but Special exceptions are different. In any Special Exception review, the following criteria must be met and the Council should provide findings that each and every one of these are are satisfied:
1.That the use is a permitted special use as set forth in Schedule One hereof.
2.That the use is so designed, located and proposed to be operated that the public health, safety, welfare and convenience will be protected.
3.That the use will not cause substantial injury to the value of other property in the neighborhood where it is to be located.
4.That the use will be compatible with adjoining development and the proposed character of the district where it is to be located.
5.That the adequate landscaping and screening is provided as required herein, or otherwise required.
6.That adequate off-street parking and loading is provided and ingress and egress is so designed as to cause minimum interference with traffic on abutting streets
.7.That the use conforms with all applicable regulations governing the district where located.
As you can see in Mr. Torino’s report, some of these involve subjective opinions… Especially #’s 2,3 & 4. The Council can also impose additional safeguards and conditions prior to approving the Special Exception. In any case, it’s by no means an automatic entitlement. The name alone should tell everyone that.. You’re making a Special Exception to allow a use that normally wouldn’t be allowed unless it’s the right fit and meets all the criteria. Just my humble opinion. I do support the idea of the project though.
Robin says
Well if there’s ANYTHING that the tiny downtown area of Flagler Beach needs, it’s a large hotel and all the great things it will bring: many more people, much more traffic, more environmental degradation, etc. Oh but wait, someone will be making money, and that’s all that really matters. Say goodbye to your sleepy little beach town, Flagler, you’re about to be steamrolled over. The only surprise is that Dennis Bayer is pushing it. What a sad turn of events 🙄
Karen says
I don’t like the idea of a high rise hotel but it would enhance tourism in this area that helps local businesses. In 2020, that is helpful. The design will be of utmost importance.
Brenda McKnight says
Bad idea. Does nothing to benefit people who luv coming to F.B.Anyone ever consider going retro w/the essence of the original motel? That would bring the kinda people F.B is intuned to. Could branch off there w/many festivals & events.ex.old car wk.etc. It would fit the lay of the land & b an attraction in its own right.Also very against 4 stories. Would b the beginning of the end of what makes FB such an awesome place to live & to visit.
Mirri says
Hotel? Sure, why not.
Four stories?
Are you kidding me? This is garbage. Just for the record, Daytona is south of us, and St. Aug is north. Those places have the infrastructure to support dumb decisions like this. We don’t. There is zero need for this, and anyone who professes to want it here is a loon. To put it mildly. Don’t destroy what charms the area possesses. The people who come here are doing so because of what we have to offer. A four-story hotel isn’t one of those things and will never be.
Robert Neill says
Awesome. Great news.
Concerned says
Can anyone say European Village?
This project is exactly like European Village and we see how that turned out. I really feel that the proposal is too much for the building site itself.
Wow says
Curious about the parking. Where will it be located? The parking in the center is horrible now. Add 97 hotel guests, 10 townhouses AND all the necessary employees and where the heck will these people park??? And once they all park where will these “new tourists” park?
Tinbird says
When this happens, and it will. You can forget about going to FB for dinner. Unless you want to wait a few hours to eat.
It will look like Marco Island. See what I mean, go over there sometime.