The Palm Coast planning board this evening will consider recommending approval of Ocean Village, a 416-unit apartment complex to be built on 46 acres on the north side of State Road 100, just west of Colbert Lane.
The complex would total seven buildings–three four story buildings and four three-story, along with a dog park, clubhouse, pool and other such amenities that have become a standard part of complexes.
Other than a storage facility that recently opened, Ocean Village would be the first large-scale development between Colbert and the commercial zone at the intersection of Old Kings Road and State Road 100. The proposed development is surrounded by scrubland.
At the same time, the development is part of a new cluster of residential developments in the region, when paired with projects on nearby Roberts Road and John Anderson Highway.
Just over a year ago, Flagler Beach government approved 240 apartments and 112 single-family homes on two separate tracts. Palm Coast soon after approved an additional 217 single family homes at a development called Grand Reserve East (no relation to Bunnell’s Grand Reserve), totaling 569 single-family homes or apartments. With the development presumably to be approved this evening, the total number of housing units rises to 985. Add to that the 335 homes planned for the Gardens development on John Anderson Highway, and the impacts begin to rise.
That’s not an issue for traffic and it appears not to be an issue for infrastructure such as utilities. But it could eventually be an issue for the school district, and particularly for Old Kings Elementary. Last week the school had an enrollment of 970, down from 1,152 from last year thanks to the transfer this fall of sixth graders to middle schools. At full capacity, the new developments alone would add 108 students at Old Kings Elementary, according to a consultant’s calculations for the district, as other developments in the Old Kings Elementary zone continue.
Apartment complexes typically generate public opposition. Just as typically they’ll do so from nearby neighbors who tend to follow an identical and often inaccurate script: the complex will undesirably increase traffic, it will attract undesirable residents (a euphemism for minorities), it will lower property values. While none of those claims are backed up by evidence in Palm Coast, the claims appear moot in this case.
The city requires developers to hold at least one neighborhood meeting, where all surrounding property owners are alerted to the proposal and invited to attend. When the developer hosted that meeting at the Hilton garden Inn the evening of Aug. 17, no one showed up. It is not likely that this evening’s hearing will generate a different response. The city administration is recommending approval.
The more controversial item on this evening’s planning board agenda is the proposed rezoning at Harborside, at the intersection of Palm Harbor Parkway and Clubhouse Drive. A developer is seeking to substantially increase the density of a proposed development there.
The Ocean Village acreage sold at the end of December for $7.8 million to GJE Development of Valdosta, Ga., represented by Greg Joseph. The property has some history. It was zoned high-intensity, general commercial, agriculture and conservation when it was county land, and was rezoned to apartment-residential and general commercial under Palm Coast’s designations. It was staled for a 48-unit apartment complex under a previous plan that expired.
The currently vacant expanses of land to the north of the proposed development are slated for single-family residential growth. The acreage to the east and west of the development is zoned for mixed use. Drivers along State Road 100 will not necessarily see the apartment buildings, which are to be built in the interior of the parcel, well offset from the highway. The development will be gated, with two entrances from SR100.
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Keep Flagler Beautiful says
It looks like a prison.
cgm says
please stop the stupid
Charles says
Over building AT ITS BEST. When is Alfin going to start filling the empty stores??????
jOE sTOLFI says
MORE people . MORE traffic . MORE congestion . MORE taxes .
I wonder how many apartments will be subsidized and/or
and leased to section 8 people ??
HAHAHA – JUST LOOK AT OTHER CITIES EXPERIENCES
Just as typically they’ll do so from nearby neighbors who tend to follow an identical and often inaccurate script: the complex will undesirably increase traffic, it will attract undesirable residents (a euphemism for minorities), it will lower property values. While none of those claims are backed up by evidence in Palm Coast, the claims appear moot in this case.
Dennis C Rathsam says
MORE TRAFFIC !!!!!! MORE CRIME!!!! MORE PEOPLE !!!! Where the hell is all this water going to come from, for all these new people? Stuff en in Alvin strikes again!!!!!!
The dude says
Don’t worry. You’ve got about 10,000 “55+” homes going in off 1 between mantanzas and Palm Coast Pkwy to balance it out.
That’s 10,000 times “GET OFF MY LAWN!!!” to look forward to.
Laurel says
There is a city south of Boca Raton named Deerfield Beach. There are no deer, hasn’t been any for decades. Welcome to south Florida, where one city runs to the next, and to the next and so on. One must get in a car and travel through heavy traffic for miles get to a place of nature. Flagler Beach will be a place in your memory.
Developers, and those politicians who clearly profit off their projects, are the lowest of the low in my opinion. They will tell you it will help your business, it will lower your taxes, it will make your lives better. They lie. They will take the money and leave. You will be stuck with the congestion, and gigantic septic pool, more cuts in water and lack of nature and all it’s beauty that you came here for originally.
Diane Ramirez says
100% agree. It is disgusting the way that unchecked “growth” has spread over just the past few years. The traffic already looks like South Florida. This is not what the residents want; this is greed of politicians, planning boards, and developers.
Ignuit says
I wonder if the monthly rents will be affordable for those that serve the residents of Palm Coast?
Palm Coast = Unplanned Growth says
Looks like we’ll need 21 new self storage places, and 12 new dollar stores. Just what ever you do, do not widen any roads.
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
And don’t forget 10 more nasty nail salons to round out the dollar stores and storage places. There is NO place in Flagler County for better-quality shopping. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but something that’s a step or two above Target and Kohl’s. Is that too much to ask?
JustBeNice says
Why? What advantage is there to having such a big complex when there aren’t enough livable wage jobs in this county? Poor idea even if it were single family homes.
Jerome says
The best comment I’ve read, yet!
Don Wand III says
Heck , i believe we need a Huge Casino with 1000 private sex Apartments.
YEA BABY
PS says
We have 4 rental homes on our short street. Minorities are not the problem. The problem is Caucasian Americans with multiple people living in a single hose and 4 to 5 cars and running a business or three out of a rental.
Quit claiming it is,all about minorities.
And ya think traffic and services aren’t an issue?
I call BS. I watched a car try turning left from 5 or 6 cars back. After more than 5 minutes he finally just turned right. And if growth and impact fees are doing their job, why do we need a tax increase this year?
I may be moving out before it gets to the point of larger cities & their obvious problems, leadership and politics included (And no, it isn’t just a Democrat or just a Republican or conservative or liberal issue.)
Elizabeth says
I moved here 20 yrs ago because I could not afford to live where I grew up in C Massachusetts. So, I’m waiting for all of them to move here so I can move back home. It is despicable what they are doing to this county.
Gina Weiss says
And to think that one cannot even get elected by the people to a zoning board they are all cherry picked candidates. The ones who get in are on team developer and team builder who make poor decisions with overgrowth without the proper infrastructure to line their greedy pockets while us citizens suffer the consequences. And they do look like prisons, disgusting!
The ORIGINAL land of no turn signals says
The rubber stamp comity will be busy it’s a lost cause.
James says
What else do you expect from a Republican – realtor – mayor ????