- November 27, 2024
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A proposed resort in downtown Flagler Beach drew praise from local residents and a unanimous vote of support from the city's Planning and Architectural Review Board members and during the board's Dec. 1 meeting.
"I think if this moves forward, it will be the crown jewel of our downtown area. It really really pops out at you. It’s beautiful, as far as I'm concerned."
— DON DEAL, Planning and Architectual Review Board chairman
The project would be constructed on a 1.38-acre parcel off Moody Boulevard bordered by North Central Avenue and South Daytona Avenue. It was the site of the Flagler Beach Hotel before its 1972 destruction and is currently used for the Flagler Beach Farmer's Market.
The 97-room resort would have a tavern with rooftop deck seating and would be supplemented by 10 townhomes.
"I think if this moves forward, it will be the crown jewel of our downtown area," PAR Board Chairman Don Deal said at the meeting. "It really really pops out at you. It’s beautiful, as far as I'm concerned."
The proposed resort will next go before the Flagler Beach City Commission for approval.
Planning board members raised some concerns about the way the proposed hotel will affect streets, the adjacent Veterans Park and the beach, advising the applicant to address those matters before the City Commission hearing.
Residents and local business owners who spoke were broadly supportive of the project, and many said their trust in the proposal stemmed from the involvement of Zoee Forehand, who owns the land and whose family has been a fixture in Flagler Beach for decades.
"I think a hotel is needed in our town," said John Lulgjaraj, the owner of the Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill. "If Zoee was not behind this project, I would be a lot more skeptical. … She truly cares, and that’s what we need: We need passion; we need positivity."
He said he was glad that there wasn't much negativity at the meeting, "and that we’re a little more open-minded."
Forehand has owned the Z Wave Surf Shop for 30 years. Her father was a city commissioner in the '70s, and both she and her mother her served as president of the local Chamber of Commerce at some point.
"I’m actually really protective of the qualities that make Flagler Beach such a rare place to be, and why I feel it’s so important that this fits into the fabric of this one-of-a-kind seaside town," Forehand said at the meeting.
She described the history of the parcel: The Flagler Beach hotel had opened there on July 4, 1925, and been a community landmark and the site of weddings and proms until it was torn down in 1972. Plans to build a new hotel there never materialized.
"It’s time to bring the property back to life and create that focus of downtown," Forehand said. "And we want it to benefit the residents, the businesses and visitors alike. So for the past four years, we’ve worked with many interested parties trying to find just the right fit."
The building would be designed by Anjon Resort Homes. Confidential discussions about management are ongoing with a chain resort company, Forehand said.
Forehand noted that the PAR Board had seen a conceptual plan for the project in 2018, and recommendations made then have been incorporated into the new design.
"We didn’t come into this lightly," she said. "Please be assured that a lot of thought and time has gone into this process."
One board member asked Forehand if she planned to be involved with the resort after it's constructed. Forehand said she hasn't determined that yet.
The meeting's public comment period drew overwhelmingly supportive comments, with a few residents expressing some concerns about how the proposal would affect the neighboring sidewalks or traffic on Central Avenue, but none opposing its construction.
"It appears to be well-designed with a variety of features which are very attractive," said Flagler Beach resident Todd Barnhill. "... All of us have friends and families that visit. They need a great place to stay."
Resident Scott Fox said he'd moved to Flagler Beach five years ago after living in South Florida. "I know the burden of overdevelopment, and in no way do I support recreating that here," he said. "This project will fill a much-needed void in the lack of quality lodging, which supports our greatest revenue stream — and that’s tourism." He's invited people to visit Flagler Beach in the past, he said, only to have to send them up to the Hammock Beach Resort or into Palm Coast for lodging.
Amy Lukasik, the tourism director for the county government, said that the hotel's bed taxes could be a significant revenue source for the city, and that Forehand has worked hard to make sure the project fits Flagler Beach.
"She has thought of every detail with care, sensitivity and consideration of the community," Lukasik said. "She was even very particular on what kind of soap was going to be used in the rooms — that it’s environmentally friendly. ... We want this kind of passion and personal interest behind this project."
