• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2022
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Citing Contractual Failures and Unwarranted Favors, Flagler Kills Hunter’s Ridge Expansion

June 24, 2010 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

Hunter's Ridge was originally proposed in 1989 as a 6,500-home development.

Hunter’s Ridge is a 5,000-acre development that straddles the Volusia–Flagler county line, with 3,800 of those acres in Flagler. It was first proposed in 1989 as a 6,500-home development, and first approved in Volusia and Flagler in 1991. It has gone through numerous changes since, including ownership. Some 982 homes have been built on the Volusia side, in Ormond Beach. None has been built in Flagler yet. The current developer foresees 3,000 housing units in Flagler when the project is done.


Click On:

  • 20 Years On, With $1.17 Million Pay-off, County Approves Hunter’s Ridge Megadevelopment
  • Delinquent on Taxes and Other Dues, Hunter’s Ridge Development Wants More Favors
  • Dogged Duo: Nate McLaughlin and Milissa Holland Take Their County Commission Oath
  • Commission Money Race: Mori Hosseini and Other Developers Bankrolling Abbott’s Bid


In yet another run at amending the plan, the Hunter’s Ridge developer has been seeking to increase housing density within a 977-acre portion of the development on the Flagler side. The change would enable the development to increase the number of homes in that portion from 949 to 1,275. They’d be smaller homes on smaller lots. To do that, Developer Alan Feker had to secure the Flagler County Commission’s approval of a land-use change enabling the higher density.

Wednesday evening, the commission voted 3-2 to reject Feker’s application for the increased density (but not the land-use change: the commission approved the zoning change from timberland to low- and medium density, mixed-use development). Commission Chairman George Hanns joined Commissioners Milissa Holland and Alan Peterson in the unusual split, with Barbara Revels and Bob Abbott in dissent. The vote came down to two issues Holland and Peterson raised: First, the Hunter’s Ridge developers have chronically changed plans and failed to meet contractual obligations, Holland said, especially a $1 million pay-out to the county in exchange for no longer having to build a golf course for the county (that golf course had been part of the original plan.)

Second, Peterson saw no need for increasing the development’s density just to enable the developer to make Hunter’s Ridge more lucrative. “Higher density means yes, a chance for more business or commercial development, but what kind of commercial development are we talking about? I don’t intend to vote for this tonight because the density bothers me, the DRI bothers me,” Petsron said, referring to the acronym for large developments called “Developments of Regional Impact.”  Earlier, Planning Director Adam Mengel had told the commission that the county administration had accepted the developer’s reasoning that higher density would be needed to make the development’s industrial and commercial centers viable. But those justifications weren’t part of the written rationale. “So I’m disappointed with staff that you haven’t justified in my mind or written here why you bought into it,” Peterson said.

The discussion at the commission meeting underscored a notable rift in how commissioners see their role—and the role of government in setting land-use regulation—at least with regard to this particular development. Revels and Abbot were willing to work with the developer’s evolving needs and market limitations. The developer is making clear that it won’t be able to make money developing Hunter’s Ridge, in the current climate, unless it makes its housing units more easily sellable, and its commercial and industrial zones more attractive to commerce. No businesses will be attracted by empty houses. The downside is making the development thicker with buildings than greenery—more sprawl, less air. Several residents in the audience objected on those grounds.

That raised the question of how far the county should go to accommodate a developer’s market pressures. Holland was categorical: it’s not the government’s place to provide such favors to a developer, at other residents’ expense, although Holland’s decision was just as clearly influenced by the developer’s erratic record.

“This has come back and forth to us, since I’ve been on this board I can’t tell you how many times,” Holland said, “It’s been modified I can’t tell you how many times. If you look at the original development order, there’s been things that this developer has not followed through with, including talking about the parts of land under conservation. They had an agreement with Florida Audubon society, you know, they’ve needed to follow through with things that they’ve not followed through with, consistently. That concerns me. So here we are today, discussing the substantial deviation area”—a substantial deviation is government-speak for essentially a big change in zoning rules—“with an entity that has not followed through with anything from the original development order. What makes me sit here and think that we keep entering into these types of agreements and they keep getting modified and modified and pushed back and pushed back until, I don’t know, maybe the market picks up, and things change? But that’s not our role and that’s not our job. We’re here to create growth-management issues and do what’s responsible for the people of Flagler County, and I just don’t feel like we’re doing that. I think we have to stop giving at one point, and they keep coming and asking and not following through with what we agree upon as a board.”

Holland earlier zeroed in on another troubling issue: the developer’s failure to pay the county that $1 million in exchange for the waiver on building a golf course.

“I thought we entered into a contractual agreement with them separate from the development,” Holland said, referring to the arrangement over the golf course.

“That’s right,” Mengel said.

“That’s an issue.”

“It’s certainly out there,” Mengel said.

“That’s quite a few months ago. They’ve not signed the document?”

“That’s my understanding, yes ma’am.”

“That’s a problem,” Holland said. “And the million-dollar installment has not been paid because they’ve not executed the contract.”

“That’s correct.”

“So what was agreed upon previously by this board has not been followed through contractually by the other party.”

“Yes ma’am, that’s my understanding.”

“Thank you.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
You and your neighbors collectively read our articles about 25,000 times each day (that's not a typo) with up to 65,000 daily reads during emergencies like hurricanes. Flagler County residents rely on FlaglerLive for essential, bold and analytical journalism that cannot be found anywhere else. But we depend on your support. Please join our December fund drive! If you donate the cost of a scoop of ice cream, you will be helping us continue to provide comprehensive local news and honest, serious journalism for our community. If you can donate more or become a monthly donor, even better. Donations are tax deductible since FlaglerLive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donate by clicking anywhere in this box. Think of it as buying a scoop, in every sense of the term!  
All donors' identities are kept confidential and anonymous.
   

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents
  • WNZF Creekside Festival

Recent Comments

  • Richard on No Plans Yet for Florida Health Departments to Offer New Covid Vaccine Even as It Rolls Out in Other States
  • Pat on No Plans Yet for Florida Health Departments to Offer New Covid Vaccine Even as It Rolls Out in Other States
  • PeachesMcGee on Taylor Manjarres, 20, Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Her Role in Shooting Death of Zaire Roberts
  • jeffery c. seib on ‘No Smoke and Mirrors’: New Baler Helps Flagler Beach Recycle 4 Tons of Cardboard a Week
  • What Else Is New on Moms for Liberty: Joyful Warriors or Anti-Government Conspiracists?
  • Steve on Taylor Manjarres, 20, Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Her Role in Shooting Death of Zaire Roberts
  • Joy Cook on Rezoning Enabling Up to 850 Homes in Seminole Woods Causes Sharp Debate Before Palm Coast Approval
  • Marion on Taylor Manjarres, 20, Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Her Role in Shooting Death of Zaire Roberts
  • Atbp on Time to Stop Using Individuality-Obliterating Acronyms Like BIPOC
  • Laurel on Michael Benkert, on the Run for 19 Days Since Flagler Beach Trailer Park Manhunt, Is Arrested
  • Laurel on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Bill on At Root of Palm Coast’s Affordable Housing Crisis: We Got Our Own. Screw the Rest. 
  • Say no to Facists on How Biases Against Black-Sounding First Names Lead to Job Discrimination
  • Laurel on DeSantis Will Debate Gavin Newsom in Georgia in November
  • Foresee on Time to Stop Using Individuality-Obliterating Acronyms Like BIPOC
  • Gene on Montessori School Owner Kerri Huckabee, 54, Arrested on 3 Felonies in Dispute with Flagler Beach Neighbors

Log in