- September 7, 2024
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Palm Coast will gain its fourth and fifth community development districts: The City Council voted 5-0 at a Dec. 14 meeting to approve the creation of two new CDDs in the southern part of the city.
By creating CDDs, the council is approving a process that will lead to the creation of five-member elected boards of supervisors that will lead each community. Community development districts let developers access tax-exempt bonds for infrastructure improvements and collect assessments on the tax roll.
One community, called Seminole Palms, will sit on almost 240 acres on the west side of Seminole Woods Boulevard, south of the Flagler County Executive Airport and north of Grand Landings.
It’s expected to have 529 homes.
Former County Commissioner Charlie Ericksen, during the meeting’s public comment period, gave the developer a warning.
“The airport does not have a good reputation in that particular area,” Ericksen said. “There are numerous complaints from people just about the noise … and I can tell you the airport will continue to grow."
Ericksen also mentioned a plane crash that destroyed a house in Seminole Woods eight years ago, injuring a resident of the home and killing all three people aboard the plane.
He suggested that the developer communicate with the county government about preventing conflict between the airport and new residents.
The developer of Seminole Palms plans to extend Citation Parkway as part of the construction process, saving the city from needing to construct an additional fire station in the area to maintain appropriate emergency response times.
The other community, currently referred to as “Palm Coast 145” in city staff documents, is smaller: about 146 acres on the northeast side of U.S. 1 south of Belle Terre Boulevard and west of Karas Trail.
It’s expected to eventually have 334 single-family homes.
Both developers are using the CDD structure because it eases the process of financing infrastructure improvements.
Palm Coast currently has three CDDs: Grand Haven, Palm Coast Park and Town Center.
A development called the Haven will be constructed about 700 feet from City Hall and 600 feet south of Market Avenue in the Town Center Development of Regional Impact.
The City Council voted 5-0 to approve a technical site plan for the development.
The property, slightly under 69 acres, will have a mix of duplexes and quadplexes, plus three single-family homes.
72 units will be two-bedroom, while another 133 will be three-bedroom. The homes will range from 1,100 square feet to 1,300 square feet. About half of the site will be preserved wetland areas.
The homes will be buffered by the conservation areas, and the community will have an amenity center.
“This will be an upscale, single-story product with upscale finishes and an attractive amenity center,” said Charles Marshall, representing Marshall Property Services. “We’re really excited about being part of Town Center. It’s a wonderful place to be located, and we’re looking forward to this project.”
Palm Coast will begin the process of hiring an executive search firm to help the City Council hire its next city manager.
City staff will send the council a draft request for a quote, and the council will review the request and offer comments at its next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 4, 2022.