- November 23, 2024
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Operating as Grand Haven North LLC, Jim Cullis, who formerly headed Landmar’s local operations and now heads Grand Haven Developers, and Doug Sealy are planning a 300-unit senior care campus on Colbert Lane between Blare Drive and Wild Oaks. As a required step prior to submitting their rezoning application to the city of Palm Coast, they held a question and answer neighborhood meeting last week at the Daytona State College campus. About 30 people attended.
Under the proposal, the current commercial zoning would be changed to a mixed-use planned unit development. Cullis envisions a campus offering independent and assisted living, nursing and memory care facilities, plus 25,000 square feet of medical/commercial.
PUDs offer developers more flexibility arranging density, allowing concentration of construction on the 20 acres of upland existing within the 73-acre site. Grand Haven North acquired the land from Crescent Resources in December 2011.
A meeting notice to residents within a specific radius of the affected parcels was required. In this case, the mailing went mostly to residents of The Woodlands, yet nearly all the meeting attendees were residents of Grand Haven, alerted to the meeting by their CDD. The CDD’s glass-is-half-empty email notice stated: “Grand Haven residents who are concerned about commercial development of lands adjacent to the district and possible resultant vehicular traffic impacts on Colbert Lane are encouraged to attend this meeting.” (It seems that those who might approve of the plan should also have been invited.)
Given that current zoning would allow construction of a strip mall, it’s hard to object too strongly to the zoning change. Any traffic impact would be minimal — certainly less than a totally commercial development. Some Grand Haven residents objected to the “Grand Haven North” name because it could cause confusion with the existing Grand Haven residential community. Since some current Grand Haven residents will likely move to the new facility in the future, a more appropriate name might be Grand Haven: The Final Phase. But the name is really a placeholder and is not likely to be the brand designation of the senior care campus.
Others raised concerns that if the senior facility didn’t get off the ground, the new mixed-use zoning would permit condominiums or student housing. Daytona State College has a nearby nonresident campus.
Given the need for continued development of health care and senior living facilities locally, it’s likely that Grand Haven North’s plans will go forward. The group is already having conversations with well-known senior care operators. Daytona College already owns a large tract on the east side of Colbert Lane providing plenty of room for student housing should the college move toward a residential student model in the future.
