- January 29, 2025
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When it comes to the proposed Reserve at Haw Creek development, the Bunnell City Commission needs to spend a lot of time reviewing its zoning document.
That was the sentiment said by Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson during a joint workshop with the city's Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board on Monday, Jan. 27. The developers of Reserve at Haw Creek are seeking a rezoning for a 2,700-acre parcel, located between State Road 100 West and State Road 11, from its current agricultural and single-family residential zoning to a Planned Unit Development — a step in the development process that may lead to the construction of between 6,000 and 8,000 residential units.
This is something Bunnell has never seen before, Robinson said. Bunnell currently has a population of about 4,000 people.
"It's going to increase our population by up to five times what it is right now," she said. " ... I feel like development and movement forward is good as long as it's done the right way."
Northeast Florida Developers have spent the past two years working on their proposal with the city of Bunnell. Reserve at Haw Creek proposes to be an integrated master planned community with residential, commercial and light industrial uses, as well as parks and recreational amenities. During a meeting with the planning board on Jan. 7, the board recommended the PUD proposal move forward, but with certain considerations: reduce the unit count to a 5,500 maximum, ensure developer complies with new stormwater standards and include the most current traffic impact study.
At the workshop, Chad Grimm, of Northeast Florida Developers, said something that has been missing from recent meetings on the development is "how great of a project this really is."
Nature trails. Recreation. Multiple housing types. A commercial town center. Industrial space. Public infrastructure.
All components, Grimm said, that were integrated in the community plans.
"This isn't a typical development that just gets rubber-stamped in," Grimm said. "This was a custom designed, well thought out [plan], based on what the city of Bunnell's desires are."
Planning Board Co-Chair Gary Masten said he appreciated Grimm's passionate speech.
"We've been at quite a few meetings and I truly do believe you come in here with the best heart and mind, but the people sitting behind you are equally as passionate, and we cannot forget them," Masten said.
Concerns expressed by citizens at the workshop included a burden on city services, traffic, the loss of rural lifestyle and flooding.
Resident Cheryl Trujillo said she's not against development — but the proposal is "too much, too fast."
"This isn't just somebody going to build a couple of roofs," Trujillo said. "You want to have Palm Coast in my backyard, and that's what it amounts to."
She asked the commissioners and planning board members to hold a longer meeting, one where they can thoroughly dissect the PUD. Monday's workshop was capped at an hour, as there was a regular commission meeting following it.
Two people spoke in favor of the project, one of whom was Dan Wilcox, who operates a cattle ranch on several thousand acres west of town. He said Reserve at Haw Creek is "in tune with what we need."
"We need this development," Wilcox said. "It will allow us a more diverse population, a better base to draw funds from, a better market to work from. It will give us the footing we need."
The development has a potential to be great, if done properly, Robinson said, but she said it's important for the commission to understand the intricacies.
"Every single thing that we bring up rabbit holes into another thing," Robinson said. "And the reason that it rabbit holes is because, again, the complexity and the size of this development, and so either we have to hone in and understand every aspect before it's voted on, or the other option is ... consideration that this is too big of a project for our small town."
