(Click “Like” to become a fan of the Palm Coast Observer.)

Sandwiched between Colbert Lane and Old Kings Road, the Woodlands is tucked away and hidden from the hustle and bustle of Palm Coast Parkway and the fast-food restaurants nearby.

Packed with residential housing, the Woodlands is just what its name says: Trees and homes account for most of the acreage.

However, a proposed 216-unit assisted living facility could change the makeup of one of Palm Coast’s oldest neighborhoods.

On Wednesday, the Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Regulation Board unanimously approved the rezoning of three separate parcels from commercial to mixed use/conservation, totaling about 71.4 acres, of which approximately 14 acres will allowed to be developed. (The PLDRB approved the three items with a 6-0 vote; board member Michael Beebe was absent.)

The rezoning will allow for developer Jim Cullis to build Grand Living, the proposed assisted-living facility that would be located along the western portion of Colbert Lane, between two portions of the Woodlands.

The project will still need to be approved by City Council, but Cullis said if final approval is given, construction could begin next year, with the development finished by 2014.

The concept is to have the facility nearby the other Grand Haven communities; that way, current Grand Haven residents who want to transition into assisted-living could do so without relocating very far.

“This has been on the back of my mind — to create a neighborhood in our area for folks who need continuing care,” Cullis said.

Currently, the land is zoned commercial, but no development is on the radar.

The facility would consist of several four- and five-story buildings, including two commercial buildings and a smaller sales center. The commercial buildings could eventually become a pharmacy, a bank or a grocery store, Cullis said.

Woodlands residents have banded together to oppose the project. According to residents at the meeting, a petition has circulated with more than 90 signatures.

There were more than 100 residents at Wednesday’s meeting. Some Grand Haven residents spoke in favor of the project, and several residents of the Woodlands spoke in opposition.

“The beautiful woods in question for the rezoning application also house a myriad of wildlife,” the Woodlands petition states. “Each day, we see 20 to 30 deer and as many or more turkeys in those woods. Not to mention bobcat, eagles, owls, gators and snakes that live there. Where will these creatures go? Very simple: They will move into our subdivision. If this happens, it, too, will provide a safety, sanitation and security risk for young and old, alike, in the neighborhood.”

Diane Bixler, who lives in the Woodlands, said she came to the meeting to gather more information.

“Ideally, I would not want anything built there,” she said. “That said, it’s already zoned commercial. I understand they have the right to build something there. ... My biggest concerns are the traffic and the size of the buildings.”

According to the proposal, the commercial zoning would allow for a maximum building height of 100 feet. Cullis’ plan has a maximum height of 60 feet for residential and 45 feet high for nonresidential.

Bixler did say she appreciated the developer’s willingness to downsize what could be built there.

Bixler’s concern of road safety was a common theme by many of the Woodlands residents, though.

Blare Drive, which is proposed to be one of the entrance/exit points, has no yellow lanes or striping. It doesn’t have reflectors for car lights, and there is no sidewalk for pedestrians.

According to Cullis, a study was done to test traffic on Blare Drive in the event that a 300-unit apartment complex would be built, and it passed the test. In fact, that proposal would have produced about 50% more activity than the current proposal for assisted living, Cullis said.

Residents who also spoke Wednesday stated that they were promised the land behind them along Blare Drive, which would abut Grand Living, would never be developed. But Ray Tyner, planning manager for the city, said the land had development entitlements on it from the county and couldn't simply be taken away now.

Also, the existing maximum commercial floor area is 188,847 square feet, but that would be cut down to 25,000, according to Cullis’ plan. The plan also calls for an increase of about 59 acres of preservation land (no development potential) — an increase of about 14 acres.

Dr. Stephen Davidson, chairman of the Grand Haven Community Development District Board of Supervisors, said the district believes the proposed project is “admirable.”

The entitlement phase of the project isn’t the problem, Davidson said. It’s the technical site plan review that has the district wary.

Davidson, speaking on behalf of the district Wednesday night, listed several concerns, such as vehicle/pedestrian safety, preservation of the natural vegetation in the area and building height restrictions. Davidson also pointed out that should the Grand Living concept fail, the development doesn’t change into a non-age-restricted apartment-style complex.

Cullis confirmed Wednesday that he’d be willing to donate the conservation land to a group that would ensure it wasn’t developed.

Residents were also concerned that cypress trees, which are protected by the state, would be knocked down, but the environmental consultant for the project said that there are no cypress trees on the proposed site.

Another concern was the visibility of the buildings from Colbert Lane. Cullis said there’s a 35-foot buffer along Colbert Lane and, ideally, the buildings would be somewhat hidden by the trees so they aren’t an eyesore to Woodlands residents, either.

Board member James Jones said toward the end of Wednesday’s three-hour meeting that if it wasn’t for the rezoning requirement for the proposed project, any commercial development could have occurred without the residents’ consent.

“We have a heck of a lot better usage of this property with Grand Living,” Jones said, noting that if the landowner wanted to build a strip mall, Wednesday’s meeting wouldn’t have even happened.

Cullis also reiterated that he is willing to be flexible in regard to the project.

“I really honestly believe that this is a need in the community,” Cullis said. “I am more than willing to work with the city on the traffic issues as they relate to the Woodlands.”

The recommendation by the Planning and Land Development Regulation Board will now move on to the City Council.

• SHARE
• Email This Page
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google Bookmarks