The Palm Coast City Council approved doubling the allowable housing units at what will be called Lighthouse Harbor at Marina Village on Colbert Lane, to 845 homes and apartment units, and reducing commercial and retail space there by 57,500 square feet, to just over 100,000 square feet.
The council approved several deviations from the Land Development Code to accommodate the developer, which is part of the Marina Village collection of developments. Between Marina del Palma’s 615 units to its immediate north and a 240-unit apartment complex immediately to the west of Colbert Lane, the cluster of new developments will add 1,400 housing units.
The combined population of the development would equal that of present-day Bunnell. It would also create, in the developers’ vision, a new, walkable community attractive to its own residents as well as residents from across the county and beyond.
The 4-1 vote last week was on the first reading of the ordinance. The proposal won’t be finally approved until a second reading of the ordinance net month. The council’s David Alfin, Ed Danko, Cathy Heighter and Nick Klufas voted in the majority, with Theresa Pontieri in dissent, but only to the extent that she is awaiting some refinement of the plans before the ordinance’s second reading.
Marina Village sits on both sides of Colbert Lane, just south of Marina del Palma and west of Boston Whaler manufacturing, what used ton be Sea Ray Boats. The cobble of eight parcels within Marina Village has changed hands a few times over the years, with seven parcels east of Colbert now part of Lighthouse Harbor, and the parcel west of Colbert owned autonomously, with the apartment complex there under construction. Lighthouse Harbor apartments’ owners got their development order last spring.
“It’s always been the intent of the county and city that this become a sort of an urban mixed-use center that would be not only for the residents there but for the public and the citizens of Palm Coast,” Michael Chiumento, the land-use attorney representing the developer, told the council. He was with Doug Jeffords, the chief construction officer with Home Communities Company, which would build the project.
Lighthouse Harbor would be open to the public, its spaces conducive to public events. Chiumento’s description of the proposed development brings to mind a more open European Village, with water access. “Not only the residents but the entire Flagler County public and some of our visitors” would go there, Chiumento said, “and create an opportunity for some tourism also.”
“It’s important to emphasize the quality and the vision behind this project,” Klufas said. “This is a tremendous project and it’s going to be really complimentary to the development to the north. And I think it’s just on us to have the communication with the public to let them know that, although this may be an upward number in total units, that this is still the vision and this is a high quality product that’s going to be produced.”
Pontieri had no issues with the project, conceptually. She has objected to reductions in commercial spaces, but in this case she had no objection to that. She had two objections, however. First, she was concerned about diversions from the Land Development Code, as she was in the same meeting regarding a different development (Belle Terre Estates in Seminole Woods).
Second, she recalled her concerns over the Harborside development a divided council approved in Februaryy, amid much controversy, in part by giving in to the developer on such divergences.
“This vision is nothing but a hole with water in it and residential units surrounding it with maybe some commercial somewhere mixed in,” Pontieri said. “And I get it, there’s property rights and all of those things but as we’re looking to reduce the commercial and grant the extra residential, I think that we also need to make sure that the integrity of what we’re actually looking at, holds true.”
For example, current conceptual plans include a vast green plaza-like space that would accommodate public events and leisurely public strolls. But nothing in the plans require the developer to stick to that plan. “This green space could very well go away. Am I wrong?” she asked. She had the same questions about other components, including the restaurant and possible hotel, and asked that the town homes abide by the city’s development code rather than have their dimensions shrunk.
Ray Tyner, the city’s planning director, said he could secure stronger assurances from the developer before the ordinance’s second reading.
What used to be the Lehigh Cement Plant for decades after the early 1950s was acquired by Palm Coast Holdings in 2004. Marina Village was a planned unit development originally approved by Flagler County government in 2006, with a 2008 amendment that cleared the way for 160,500 square feet of commercial development, 511 residential homes, and a marina with 80 wet slips and 200 dry boat storage spaces.
After the land was annexed into Palm Coast, the city approved expanding the number of housing units to 663 in 2019. In May 2021, Jeffrey Gelman’s Colbert lane Development bought the 22-acre parcel west of Colbert Lane from Jim Cullis’s Lighthouse Harbor for $1 million and last April secured a development order to build a 240-apartment complex there.
Lighthouse Harbor then sold the land on the east side of Colbert Lane to Birmingham, Ala.-based Lighthouse Palm Coast Holdings LLC in June 2022 for $8.5 million. That company plans to develop what would be called Lighthouse Harbor, a high-density mixed-use pedestrian-friendly community, with the marina as its focal point. That’s the proposal the council approved last Tuesday.
Since the apartment complex accounted for 240 housing units, that dropped the allowable (or vested) units east of Colbert Lane to 423 homes. Those are vested. To go up to 845 homes, the developer had to win the council’s approval. It did so, along with several exceptions to the Land Development Code.
The minimum allowable lot size for a town home is 2500 square feet. The developer requested for a reduction to 2,000 square feet. The maximum height for town homes is 35 feet. The developer asked for an increase to 45 feet, also requesting a reduction in townhome setbacks from 25 feet to 20 feet. The allowable apartment-building height was to be 95 feet. The developer is dropping that to 60 feet.
City code requires that 30 percent of apartments and town homes have garages. The developer is requesting an exception to that, proposing to build car ports instead, similar to those at the apartment complex along Bulldog Drive in Palm Coast.
Actual construction would begin at the marina, then expand outward in a clockwise direction. There would be a yacht club with a restaurant and possibly a hotel, residential homes or apartments, some commercial uses, and so on. “This is not commercial uses for big boxes, or even medium sized boxes that you see,” Chiumento said, describing the future businesses more as boutiques and services pertinent to the public and a marina environment. His client, he said, “came up with the opinion that this mix and change is necessary in order to make the commercial uses viable in the long term and consistent with the concept of a marina neighborhood village.”
The next step will be construction of sea walls, building the boat-storage facility, and partnering with marina operators, then construction of the apartments and retail space at the southern edge of the basin. That portion’s permits are in place, except for the fuel-tank permit. That would be secured in the future.
The sea wall reference drew a question from Alfin: will the basin handle flood surges in serious storms? Jeffords said the sea walls will account for that.
Marina Del Palma is an autonomous development adjoining Marina Village to the north. The City Council approved the 106-acre development, which is well on its way, in December 2017, for 154 single family homes on 40-foot-wide lots on the western portion of the acreage, 461 apartment units built to a height of up to 95 feet on the eastern portion of the acreage, and a marina with a boat-storage facility that will rise up to 70 feet. Marina del Palma is approved for 46,000 square feet of commercial development.
A public participation meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn on July 10, regarding Lighthouse Harbor’s plans, drew some 10 residents already living at Marina del Palma. Their key concern was how Lighthouse Harbor would affect their own properties. “They were happy they were getting a 10-foot buffer they didn’t have before,” Senior Planner Bill Hoover said. “They knew the project’s going to get developed some time because it’s already approved. So they’re really not getting anything too much different except that the applicant is requesting more residential units than they had before, and dropping commercial.
The Planning Board heard the proposal in July. The item drew no public response. The board recommended approval by a 7-0 vote. Should the council approve the proposal on second reading, the final plat proposal would still have to be approved by the City Council in the future. Any apartment units that are not townhomes would be reviewed administratively as technical site plan–not by the Planning Board, not by the Council–unless the request is for 40 apartment units or more. In that case, the plan goes before the Planning Board. If the request exceeds 100 units, it goes before the City council.
Dan says
1400 homes, 2800 new people, 2800 cars on an already crowded road to the beach. Hope they brought parking spaces with them.
TJ says
They never do … it’s all about the money at this point and the urban expansion
James says
How special more houses and will add to the cities horrible traffic now, and of course the City doesn’t care nor plan for that. It sure appears they have no clue what they are doing. It is time for al new officials. Get smart the next time you go vote.
Dimitri says
I agree 100%. Time for local voters to use their heads in any upcoming election.
S Peters says
God help us
Joe says
The Counsel sold us out again! They need to just change the zoning Ordinance to “WTDW” Whatever the Developer Wants!!!
It’s time for political up-evil!
JimboXYZ says
10 gallons of poop in a 5 gallon bucket just became 20 gallons of poop in that 5 gallon bucket. Klufas is a piece of work isn’t he ?
“It’s important to emphasize the quality and the vision behind this project,” Klufas said. “This is a tremendous project and it’s going to be really complimentary to the development to the north. And I think it’s just on us to have the communication with the public to let them know that, although this may be an upward number in total units, that this is still the vision and this is a high quality product that’s going to be produced.”
Gridlock & misery is what’s going on here, approving building right into the the margins of Graham Swamp. The vision is that Flagler County is going to grow like South & Southwest FL. Just like St John’s County & St Augustine. One continuous population on the coastline.
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/84737/florida-at-night
DP says
When is this city council going to get their heads out of there ass’s??? The developer wants more residential units then what’s allowed, carports instead of garages (30% less), less commercial space. And what about the apartments near Imagine school 537 required parking spaces, but developer want 530 instead. How about a “BIG NO” build as required, or not at all, plain and simple.
Land development codes, are adopted for serveral reasons. But this commission turns blind eye. Here’s a bright idea throw out the codes and ordinances, and just build, build, what ever you want. Commissioners follow the land development codes, or risk getting voted out. Your not denying development of ther property, just making them follow the code. Stop being a push over!!!!!!!
Aves says
Wow, a reduction of 7 whole spaces, how terrible. If they wanted 400 instead of 537, sure, that’s a conversation. But this is such a petty complaint.
Also, the developer is pushing for this to be a more walkable community. Some of the changes about parking seem perfectly fine for that, to reduce the number of households having more than one car. (I’m not naive enough to think you can easily live in Flagler without a car – RIP to older residents or those with disabilities who can’t drive, my disability is a not-insignificant part of why I left because paratransit wasn’t good enough. But I question how all my old neighbors had 2, sometimes 3 cars.) Also, every unit having a private garage seems unnecessary, carports would work fine.
Pogo says
@FlaglerLive
I can already hear polite ripples of appreciative applause from trumpholes strolling and pausing to listen to buskers serenade them.
Well, no, not really.
Richard Smith says
Just keep building. We don’t have the resources to support all these people. It’s amazing how any contractors have a green light to built here. Does the planning board every say no. How about building another storage unit beside it..
Doug says
Wow. When will Palm Coast get it?
Dennis C Rathsam says
To all my friends here in P/C!!!! The writings on the wall, the future of P/C is behind us! Nothing left but kaous, & traffic! This is a sin what these sleezze people will do. ….3 beds 2/ masters, 3 baths new everything. Solar powered, lrg shed, dock & boat, on the deepest lake in P/C, great fishing very private, out door kitchen & asalt water pool…. call me 386 569 6865
jeffery c. seib says
Is there one inch of land that won’t be developed in Palm Coast? This is very troubling. The lawyer for the developer walks and they all bow down. Can the city of Palm Coast and Flagler Beach and Flager County handle something like this? One development almost one thousand homes. What is the future of this? I have so many questions. This city council is continuing what recent councils have done, only worse. Thousands and thousands of homes, apartments, townhomes, the works have been approved just this year. Is anybody watching? The slow growing, somewhat sleepy ‘little’ town no more. Welcome to the sprawl of Duval County. The sad shame of it is, all of us, and all the new folks this will bring, are coming for something different, something better. But unless they came from New York city they will experience a packed in metropolis that I am afraid will not be able to handle this insane level of growth.
vance hoffman says
I read alot of requests for variations to city code, how about we just abid by the rules in place and build accordingly. Just a suggestion.
Lee brickser says
It’s quite obvious now what developers game is now in this county. Propose a pretty development and get instant approval from the county and palm coast then come back a year latter and ask to squeeze in more density with less green space higher buildings smaller set backs no consideration of traffic or overpopulation of the area. Then send in their lawyer to threaten the spineless commissioners into approving another totally gross development. When is this going to stop. It doesn’t matter if only ten people show up for a meeting. It could be 10,000 and the county and city would still approve it. The developers own this county and the county commission. We are doomed. They are selling this area as a tropical paradise where all you get for your boating pleasure is a canal 100 ft. Wide of no wake zones and hundreds of boats chewing up manatees. No beach to speak of as its mostly rocks and no place to park.so we have maybe 5000 or so units coming to the area just over the bridge maybe more. 10,000 more people plus their cars and boats! This area can’t handle that.
Duh says
Isnt the mayor involved in real estate? What did we expect? Did we really not see this coming? The man said he wants to develop west of us1, I been here so long and never ever seen anything but trees the west side of us1 now its about to be houses galore. Get ready for traffic to be even worse very soon.
Realist says
Do you ever wonder why people spend so much money for a job that pays 9600.00 per YEAR. You wonder why this county is going to hell. I used to work for ITT. Things were much better then.
Barondog says
I do not understand the or Planning Dept. or Council reccomendations regarding these “proposals” for new communities. So many new homes so fast? Our local government is out of their element and not up to the task of proper development.
Why no Professional Consultant and attorneys conducting peer reviews for the city? Numerous deviations from the land use code? I worked in Planning, Zoning in South Florida and I have seen this pattern before. This is a perfect recipe for making a disaster. Professional developers with experienced attorneys and land use planners prey on small towns like Palm Coast. The land is cheap and they only need to deal with basic “mom and pop” style government. They promise the world but deliver whatever gives them maximum profits. Then they leave looking for the next small town.
This is the exact type of over development is why most of the Miami- Ft. Lauderdale area is over crowded, overpriced and crime ridden. Smart professional moderate paced development is why Naples and Saint Petersburg are the most desirable communities in Florida.
Vote them out as fast as possible.
Laurel says
Barondog: (Do I know you from Delray Beach?) Thank you for your input. What you wrote here is very accurate. People here are very upset, and think that threatening to leave will have some sort of impact, but it won’t. It’s really sad to see the destruction of the area by those who really don’t give a damn, they just want to take the money and run, leaving the locals with the mess.
We live in the Hammock, which is a unique maritime hammock with unique native animals, birds and plants. Barrier islands help lower the destruction rates of inland properties by reducing hurricane impact by means of our oaks and brush. You would think that the county would work at preserving the area for the reasons I mentioned, but no.
It’s a win for the commission, realtors, developers, vacation rental trade and Chamber of Commerce, in other words, worshipers of money. It’s a winner for investors, the vast majority of those who do not live here.
It’s a loser for the homeowners. It’s a loser for the animals. It’s a loser for the oaks. It’s a loser for anyone who wants peace of mind, security and have a love of nature. It’s a loser as a storm protection of the inland home and business owners. It’s a loser for the manatees and dolphins. It’s a loser for clean water. It’s a loser for fishing, as the fishing has already dropped off. It’s a loser for water distribution. It’s a loser for sewage treatment. It’s a loser for controlling heat temperatures with the ongoing impervious areas. It’s a loser for traffic.
It’s a loser for Flagler County, and it is a loser for those who were voted in and ignored what their constituents wanted.
palmcoaster says
INFORMATION . WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE WAS ONCE SURROUNDING THE ONE REMAINING SMOKE STACK.
Lehigh Portland Cement plant included railroad spur (news-journalonline.com)
Download all attachments as a zip file
Concept Plan
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1.4MB
Applicant Presentation
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Close Up Aerial (1)
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FLUM Map
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palmcoaster says
Link to comment above: https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2016/09/07/lehigh-portland-cement-plant-included-railroad-spur/25502696007/
James says
Thanks for the link… too bad they didn’t keep the plant open, people still use/need cement block. Unlike terpentine and mineral spirits, which have fallen into disuse and are essentially a niche product due to the development of latex and acrylic paints.
It should be interesting to see how they work that smokestack into the design. ;-)
Laurel says
James: A fake lighthouse.
James says
Looks very “upscale.”
Can international yacht racing on the intercoastal be far behind?… Or the need to raise the funds to widen and dredge it (for that purpose)?
Just an observation.
Laurel says
James: To answer your question, no. The ICW is not intended for recreation, it is intended for transporting goods and services. The ICW is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, and they will never widen and dredge it for purposes of entertainment. They do have the right to widen it for war, which means they can remove all our docks if need be, and we would have no discourse.
There is too much entertainment as it is now, as sailboats must put up with uneducated boaters zoom around on both sides of them. Tugboats and barges mostly go through our area at night to avoid the crowded joyriders.
James says
I was only joking… but then I kinda have the feeling you know that, and just wanted to clarify the situation for the few dotards out there that might think that’s a real possiblity. :-)
Btw, I was once out late bike riding along St. Joe’s way when suddenly a barge and tug emerged from behind the trees going down the intercoastal. It was quite a beautiful, yet eerie sight… with all its lights and large size moving relatively silently through the mirky twilight. Wish I had a camera.
Leila says
What is the point of a development code if it is violated by this Council every time they meet? If you reelect a single person on this body, you deserve the congestion that awaits. Not sure if I have ever seen anything like this!
The traffic is going to be unbelievable. Wow.
Veronica Reinhardt says
“Quality and Vision”…..what a joke! In other words, they just allowed double the units, with no intention of holding the developer to the “Plan” they proposed. What a mess…….and this Commission cares nothing about the Quality of Life here in Palm Coast. Instead of peace and quiet, beautiful drives thru Preserves of Florida Oak forest, we will be treated to traffic and more people, crime and wall to wall subdivisions.
You get what you vote for.
Jayne says
Follow the $$$$. That’s always rule #1.
William says
What needs to happen is a referendum let the people of palm coast decide not the council 9 out of 10 would vote to build they r building to fast and the power infrastructure can’t handle the growth, they r building housing where it was zoned for industrial let’s slow down with all this construction, it not good traffic wise, why not build on the north side of palm Coast stores up there so it would also eliviate the traffic down here on the south of palm Coast Pkwy
Patti says
Agree
Emma says
When we bought a lot in 1970 out of a trailer on A1A, we were told Palm Coast would be as big as Detroit. Have no idea what size Detroit was then, but sure smaller now.
We sold our lot a number of years back as the “neighbor’ just happened to encroach on our property?? Loved Palm Coast and was always our vacation spot over the years.
Having just rented in Beverly Beach for a year and only one of two ways to get to stores in PC, traffic has been a nightmare going through Flagler Beach or over the bridge! Now there’s going to be a motel/hotel smack dab in the square! Goodbye sleepy Flagler!
Sure there is a good deal of vacant property left, but with the small congested two or three main roads to get anywhere…major headaches with no pre-planning just stuff the elected officials’ pockets. They do not care.
Imagine Colbert will become another race track like 100. The same with the ICW with boat speed demons. You could almost throw a stone or cast across it years past, but erosion has washed the banks further and further back.
Our beautiful Florida is not as welcoming as it used to be. So everyone enjoy while it lasts. And stay safe with approaching hurricane season. Last year was not a good one.
My venting two cents worth.
Mike says
This council is a pure joke! The faster we get them the better we should be. The developers own this council and payoffs as well. This council I’m sure will move away once they’re done with their pockets filled. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see what they are doing to this city. It will become an unpleasant place to live !
Susie says
Just stop with the greed already!
Empty houses everywhere; more new construction every day despite tons of vacant units; no such thing as “reserve” anymore! This used to be a quiet city to live in, I have been here for 16 years, and moved from Volusia County because of all the growth and greed… I guess it’s time to move again.
When will it all stop???