Two proposed developments earn City Council's initial approval

Palm Coast Observer
News

A plot of vacant land along Old Kings Road South of Palm Coast Parkway may be transformed into a plant nursery and a showroom for residential construction tradesmen.

Council may reconsider Whiteview Parkway plans

Since 2018, the Palm Coast city government has proposed reducing Whiteview Parkview from four traffic lanes to two traffic lanes, plus turn lanes, to reduce rear-end crashes there.

The segment of the road that stretches from Wood Aspen Lane to Rolling Sands Drive had been ranked in the top 10 for crash severity according to the Transportation Planning Organization's analysis in 2017, according to a city staff document.

But city staff at a Sept. 7 council meeting proposed paying for a study to look at another option: Adding turn lanes to the existing road, without reducing the number of travel lanes from four to two, and adding a multi-use path.

The fee for a study on that proposal, plus preliminary roadway and path design, could have been up to $382,702, but council members said they needed more information before voting on whether to spend the money.

The council tabled the proposal and asked city staff to bring back more data.

The Palm Coast City Council at a Sept. 7 meeting approved a rezoning for portions of the 52-acre property, allowing owner Coastal Collections LLC to change its designation from office to high-intensity commercial in one section and from preservation to public/semi-public in another section.

The owner of the location also owns land immediately to the south.

The property would showcase home good products such as chandeliers and have both a nursery and a section for hardscape yard features such as fountains, said project manager Charlie Faulkner.

The council approved the rezoning unanimously.

The council also voted to approve a rezoning for portions of a proposed 72-acre residential and commercial development called Seminole Pointe, at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Seminole Woods Boulevard.

"I think the single-family-attached housing style is something that we need to add to our inventory."

— NICK KLUFAS, Palm Coast city councilman

The development had initially been proposed years ago as master planned development and general commercial; the developer wanted it rezoned to multi-family residential and high-intensity commercial.

Attorney Michael Chiumento, representing the developer, told the council that the multifamily residential units would be what he referred to as “attached single-family,” such as duplexes, rather than apartments.

Residents would be able to walk or bike to nearby commercial properties, he said.

“I think the single-family-attached housing style is something that we need to add to our inventory,” Councilman Nick Klufas said.

Councilman Victor Barbosa, earlier in the same council meeting, had been part of the minority voting against a rezoning for another development that would have converted commercial land to residential, saying the city needs more commercial development. But he supported the Seminole Pointe proposal.

“This is an example of a perfect project,” he said. “We have homes, we have businesses, we have jobs.”