- April 24, 2024
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The county closed out the Hammock Dunes DRI, despite Palm Coast’s objections.
Flagler County Board of County Commission chambers transformed into a courtroom Monday, Dec. 19, when Palm Coast city officials requested an extension to the Hammock Dunes Development of Regional Impact agreement, citing traffic data which conflicted with the county’s.
After more than three hours of debate, however, an extension didn’t happen. The board, in its final meeting of 2011, officially closed the DRI between the Hammock Dunes development, Admiral Corp. (a subsidiary of ITT) and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, eliminating all funding/construction obligations of Admiral in that area.
The DRI, created in 1984, was set to expire Feb. 28, 2012, but was closed early to avoid a possible extension from the state, similar to what happened in 2009 when the DRI was originally set to close.
“We do not want to be subject to that,” County Attorney Al Hadeed said. “We think it’s very important in the public interest (to close the agreement).”
When the original development plan was created, it included a maximum approval of 6,670 units. The maximum allowed has been reduced to 3,800; 2,200 units are built in the area, and of the number remaining, 1,039 lots are vacant.
“And we honestly believe as staff that (the maximum build-out) is going to be reduced another 200 to 500 units, if not further,” County Administrator Craig Coffey added.
The county’s projections show that no traffic thresholds would be tripped, except for a possible signal/turn lane at the intersection at Camino Del Mar and Hammock Dunes Parkway, which the Hammock Dunes CDD has agreed to handle.
“We think our numbers are very conservative,” Coffey said. “The chances of (having to) do anything with these intersections is probably slim to none.”
The president of the Hammock Dunes Property Owners Association, as well as a representative from the Hammock CDD, stood in support of the closeout. But not all parties felt the same.
“We’re not opposed; in fact, I kind of like the way you’ve protected the residents of the Hammock,” said Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts. But he was concerned that the same protection had not extended to Palm Coast.
“This is, after all, a development of regional impact,” he said. “Palm Coast is part of the region.”
He cited the possible widening of the Hammock bridge, as well as that of Palm Harbor Parkway. Should those triggers be met, and Admiral is excused, he said, the obligation for those projects would be placed solely on Palm Coast residents.
“To put all this burden on Palm Coast residents we don’t think is fair or equitable,” he said. “We are willing to sit down immediately to discuss alternatives.”
Netts stated that the city had only received the county’s traffic studies a few days — and in one case hours — before the Dec. 19 meeting. Admiral reps said they left multiple unreturned phone messages with the city over the span of weeks.
Later, there was a dispute over the number of daily trips over the Hammock Dunes bridge. In September, records show that Palm Coast’s website displayed a projection of 4,000 daily trips over the bridge, when it currently projects the same figure at 11,000.
Robert Boggs, city engineer, said that the previous figure was submitted in error.
Still, the commission spoke, unanimously in support of closing the DRI.
Commissioner Alan Peterson said: “I’m convinced from the testimony tonight that the traffic counts tied very closely to toll receipt data from the CDD. … I see no reason to delay a decision.”
The board voted. The roomful of Hammock residents clapped. And then it was over.
