- May 8, 2024
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Residents at Cypress Knoll oppose plans by the developer to increase housing density.
Most Cypress Knoll residents who attended the Wednesday, April 13, neighborhood meeting oppose renovations to their neighborhood — namely the addition of a park, walking paths, low-income housing or a second entrance/exit through the area.
“We’re concerned about a Pandora’s box,” one resident said, citing Ralph Carter Park in the R-section as “very problematic for its community.”
City Manager Jim Landon opened the forum by explaining the issue. Of the region in question, 28.69 acres are owned by private land developer ICI; 14.59 acres are owned by the city. Before Palm Coast was incorporated in 1999, he said, ICI had a development plan through the county that allowed for a maximum of 12 residential units per acre in that community. In 2004, the city changed the region to a greenbelt designation, which allows for only one unit per acre.
To ensure high building potential, ICI filed an administrative challenge through the Department of Community Affairs, a lawsuit which has been pending for five years. Now, DCA wants the issue resolved.
Palm Coast senior planner Jose Papa presented the city’s preliminary site and settlement plan.
The land in question, between East Hampton Boulevard, Eric Drive and Ebb Tide Drive, would still be a greenbelt, Papa said, but with an allowance for 2.8 units per acre. That’s a total space for 60 units and 22 acres of open recreational space, which could host a park or walking paths.
There would be 25 feet of perimeter setback from existing homes to new construction areas.
“We’re sort of just at the beginning here,” Papa explained. Proposals still have to be filed through the City Council; site plans must be platted; and permits must be acquired before anything is official.
Landon said that because of low land demand, construction most likely wouldn’t take place for years.
“This isn’t about developing,” he said. “It’s about going through the legal process.”
But many residents weren’t placated.
“We have a lot of pride in our homes in Cypress Knoll,” one said, stating that any homes built should meet a quality/price minimum. “We want our community to be safe.”
The possibility of a park was also a recurring theme. The overwhelming consensus: Residents don’t want one.
And that’s fine with Landon. “I’ve got much better things to do than fight with the neighborhood,” he said. If the people don’t want parks or trails, he explained, it’s easier for the city not to build them.
Not all oppose additions, however.
After the meeting, one Ebb Tide resident said she is in favor of both a park and a second community entrance in case of emergencies. Because of the intense opposition in the room, though, she didn’t speak in the forum.
“I was the minority,” she said, “so I just stayed quiet.” One resident sitting near her, she claimed, said another entrance would only allow in the “riff raff” from Bunnell.
Bill Lewis, the City Council member who oversees the Cypress Knoll district, believes potential contact with Bunnell is at the heart of the Cypress Knoll controversy. “That’s the underlying current,” he said.
The city’s proposal will next be brought to the City Council and Planning Board. If approved, plans will move forward, Landon said. If not, ICI will proceed legally — “and then we’ll have a winner and a loser.”
“We’re trying to come up with a compromise that’s compatible to the neighborhood ... but also the property owner,” he said.
Contact Mike Cavaliere at mike@palm coastobserver.com.
