By DOTTY NIST
Miramar Beach, FL — Along with eight other requests on the agenda, the Gulf Place Lots 19 & 20 proposal was back before the Walton County Planning Commission on June 9, minus a 50-unit hotel that had previously been part of the plans for the development.
The June 9 planning commission meeting took place at the South Walton Annex.
Gulf Places Lots 19 & 20
The hotel had been the part of the controversial multi-use development proposal that had triggered most of the opposition from neighboring residents.
At the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) hearing on the project on Jan. 12, the BCC had voted to have the applicants return with a revised proposal that would replace the hotel with residential.
Before the planning commissioners on June 9 were an amendment to the Gulf Place Planned Unit Development (PUD) to convert the 50 hotel units to 30 condominium units and a layout plan for the 30 condominiums.
As previously proposed, included with the project were an additional 40 condominium units and 2,500 square feet of retail space on the two lots, which total 2.2 acres. The site is located north of CR-30A adjacent to the west side of CR-393.
Mac Carpenter, Walton County planning manager, told the board members that the only change to the proposal was the conversion of the hotel into condominiums within the same building footprint and the addition of one parking space as required by the conversion.
Previously, 134 parking spaces had been provided for in the project plans within lots 19 and 20, along with an additional nine shared parking spaces outside of Lots 19 and 20 but within the PUD. plus eight spaces along the CR-393 right-of-way.
The proposal was with the understanding that further development on the parcels, if any, would require additional PUD amendment.
The proposed PUD amendment to convert the hotel units to condominium units, along with the condominium layout plan, were approved with all aye votes by the planning commissioners.
Topsail West PUD Overlay Ordinance
Also on the agenda was a proposed overlay ordinance applying to the Topsail West Planned Unit Development. This is the St. Joe Company’s 116-acre PUD extending 5,300 feet along the north side of U.S. 98, from the CR-30A intersection to West Hewett Road, which contains the Santa Rosa Beach Walmart and Terra Mar apartments.
With all aye votes, the board members voted to recommend approval of the proposed overlay ordinance, which would allow the spread of the PUD’s two designated land use categories, Town Center 2 and Village Mixed Use, throughout the PUD. There was no request along with the proposed ordinance to move any land uses around within the PUD at the current time.
Grand Boulevard Building T
Also garnering a vote of favorable recommendation was Grand Boulevard Building T, a 38,560-square-foot general commercial building proposed for a 1.83-parcel on the south side of Grand Boulevard, east of Baytown Lane and West of Sandestin.
This was described as a “sister” building to Building S, located just to the east, which had been approved as 39,007 square feet of commercial/retail space in August 2014. Building S was reported to be constructed and occupied at this time.
Azland Class III Landfill/Recycling Center
Cliff Knauer of Dewberry/Preble-Rish presented plans for the Azland Class III Landfill/Recycling Center, proposed for the east end of Ed Brown Field Road off Rock Hill Road.
The 123.93-acre property was formerly used as a dirt borrow pit by Walton County before being acquired by Azland, a company owned by Lee Perry.
Perry, also a planning commission member, recused from discussion and voting on the proposal.
Knauer explained that as a Class III landfill, this is to be the same category of landfill that the county operates.
Class III landfills accept materials such as construction debris from demolished buildings and cleaning out garages and land clearing debris— but not any toxic materials or household garbage.
Knauer told the planning commissioners that, other than the county landfill, there is only one other Class III facility locally, the Waste Pro landfill on SR-20. He said the latter landfill is close to being filled up and that the county landfill has only about four years to go before it is full.
Knauer said the Azland landfill is proposed in four phases and that the lifespan of the facility is anticipated to be 50 to 60 years.
He explained that a recycling center is also in the plans for the facility—and that a similar one in Tallahassee recycles 70 percent of everything coming in, with carpeting being the most-recycled material.
The proposed Azland building would be 35,000 square feet and capable of taking in 500 to 800 tons a day, Knauer continued, although a lesser capacity initially. Recycled materials would include carpeting, wood, wood chips, and dirt.
Knauer said engineering design for the facility had been ongoing for about 1 1/2 years. 200-foot buffers are to be provided from wetlands and that there is to be no impact on wetlands associated with the facility, he noted.
The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) now requires a 60-mil polyethlene liner for landfills. The liner and existing clay layer below the liner will provided significant protection for ground water issues, Knauer detailed. He noted that in place of lagoons used by some landfill for treatment of leachate, a series of ponds is proposed instead, with testing for adequate results prior to the material going into a perc pond on site, he said.
Neighboring property owner Chester Carter brought forth concerns, among those that he was not aware of a reclamation plan to date on this property following its former use by the county. He warned that there could be turbidity from the facility that would kill shellfish. Carter asked for drilling to be done to verify that there was no toxic residue on site.
Carter also expressed concern that materials going into the landfill could destroy the polyethlene liner.
Knauer responded that the use by the county had been only as a borrow pit and that the county had never dumped any materials on the site. The only requirement related to a reclamation plan had been to regrade slopes, which was addressed in the grading plan, he noted.
The liner meets state specifications in the plans submitted, Knauer added, and plans include all testing to ensure that it will handle the conditions. An 18-inch layer of sand is required on top of the liner before any equipment is brought in, he noted.
Planning Commissioner Nina Horn asked who would be able to use the landfill’s services.
Knauer responded that the facility would be used not just by the owner but would be open to the public for depositing Class III materials. He said there would be spotters to ensure that other types of materials would not be brought in.
Horn moved for approval of the proposal on the condition of all DEP permits and other state requirements being completed.
Her motion was approved with all aye votes.
Culver’s Restaurant
A favorable recommendation was also voted up for the Culver’s Restaurant proposed for the north side of U.s. 98, east of Professional Place and west of Holiday Road in Miramar Beach.
The restaurant, which is to be mainly sit-down but with a drive-through, is proposed at 5,100 square feet on 1.54 acres. Developer’s representative Dean Burgis described it as “upscale fast food.”
The restaurant proposal got all aye votes.
Right-of-way abandonment, other proposals
Other approvals at the June 9 meeting included: Seven Palms at Inlet Beach, a five-lot single-family subdivision on 1.26 acres at 160 Pompano Street in Inlet Beach; the Good News United Methodist Church Expansion, a 2,936-square-foot addition to an existing preschool; and a 0.138-acre abandonment of county right-of-way at the southeast corner of CR-395/CR-30A intersection.
The latter proposal was related to a land swap agreement and plans for the addition of turn lanes and a traffic signal at the intersection.
According to plans previously approved by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), included will be a left turn lane for east bound traffic on CR-30A to CR-395, a right turn lane for west bound traffic on CR- 30A to CR-395, and dedicated left and right turn lanes for south bound traffic on CR-395 to CR-30A, with all turn lanes will be signalized to optimize efficient operation and the multi-use path crossing coordinated with the signal for push button activation of the pedestrian signal crossings. Cyclists on the bike path as well as pedestrians are to be able to use the signal crossings.
The planning commission approval of the abandonment was with an attached recommendation that the BCC look at moving the bike path in the intersection area from the north side of CR-30A to the south side.
A request to table the Sugar Sands Estates proposal was approved by the board members. They also approved requests to continue the following agenda items to the July 14 planning commission regular meeting: Highland House Bed & Breakfast; WaterColor Planned Unit Development and Development of Regional Impact (DRI) Amendment; and Publix Expansion at WaterColor Crossings.
Planning Conmission decisions on meeting agenda items are furnished as recommendation to the BCC, which is responsible for final determinations on these items in public session.