By DOTTY NIST
While calling for redesign on the Martha’s Lane Townhomes project, commissioners have approved two development proposals, one of those a robotics lab in Villa Tasso and the other for an upscale mixed-use project to be constructed near the east end of CR-30A.
The decisions took place at the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) regular meeting on May 10 at the South Walton Annex.
Kaiya PUD
The approval of the Kaiya Planned Unit Development (PUD) drew applause from dozens of people in attendance sporting tee shirts with the Kaiya insignia. David Theriaque, an attorney representing applicant Jason Romair, predicted that this would be “the next jewel” of CR-30A.
Planned for the northeast corner of the WaterSound Parkway and CR-30A intersection and with a sliver of property to the south extending to the beach, Kaiya is to consist of 148 residential units and approximately 138,562 square feet of commercial space including retail, office, limited lodging, health and fitness, civic, and back-of-house services, along with a beachfront pool amenity, all on just over 28 acres.
Mauricio Castro, project architect, explained that the curve along CR-30A upon which the development will be built has been designed as a “park” at the front of the northern portion, with buildings set back in order to invite and draw in the community.
As at previous public hearings on the development, opposition was mainly directed not at the northern portion but at the less-than-100-foot wide southern portion. Proponents brought relatively new plans for the southern portion that had been developed in response to criticism from property owners adjacent and in the vicinity of that portion of the development.
Castro explained that townhomes planned for the south side and circulation there had been restructured, with parking moved below ground, in conjunction with the addition of “a series of buffering elements,” including 10-foot vegetative buffers and walls. The southern portion is to contain a pool that will be available for subdivision residents and the public. There is also to be a public pool on the northern portion, and individual pools are planned for all single-family homes.
“We’re going to continue to try to be good neighbors,” said the applicant, Jason Romair, a local resident and builder. Romair said his team had worked hard to make changes to the project in order not to have anyone show up in opposition. He acknowledged that they had not quite succeeded.
Romair said he had met with St. Joe officials to seek a solution to the problem intersection with WaterSound Parkway, which is owned by the company.
Eddie Mitchell, a Tallahassee resident and owner of a home adjacent to the southern portion, said he understood that staff considered the pool on the south side to be residential, but he said the impact on his property would be that of a commercial pool. He was concerned that events could be held in the pool area, causing disturbance.
Mitchell was also critical of the buffering elements proposed, saying that they would “stick out” toward the gulf and affect the view of the beach from his property. “It’s going to look gaudier than anything in the world,” he said of the plans for the southern portion.
Dr. David Depew, a planner, also testified that the southern portion as designed would not be compatible due to it being “essentially urban in nature” alongside the existing suburban single-family homes.
Gene Baehner, a neighboring Sand Cliffs homeowner, also spoke against the south side pool, saying that he would prefer that it be located “in the heart of their neighborhood.”
However a number of south side property owners spoke in favor of the project as a whole, including the plans for the southern portion.
Calling Kaiya “a big positive for the community,” Sand Cliffs homeowner David Simms predicted that the development would make his property value “go through the roof.”
Irv Jason, president of the owners’ association for Sand Cliffs on the Gulf, told the commissioners that, although his board has not approved a formal resolution in favor of the development, most of the board members are in support of Kaiya. It was his opinion that most of the opposition had come from those who are not full-time residents and are not well informed about the project.
Alara Mills Gutcher, an expert witness for the applicant in regional planning, stated that she has analyzed the plans for the southern portion—and that it would be developed in a residential fashion without undue negative effects on surrounding properties.
The Kaiya PUD proposal was approved in a 4-0 vote, with District 1 Commissioner Bill Chapman absent for the meeting.
Among conditions that were part of the approval were an accompanying PUD Overlay District, deviations from residential and commercial building setbacks, a 20-percent reduction in parking requirements, a $531,667 buy-out option for 2.05 acres of scrub oak vegetation, a proportional fair share payment of $558,600, and coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about any required changes to plans for protection of the Choctawhatchee Beach Mouse. The approval included the alternative plans for the southern portion with building and circulation configuration changes and buffers.
Niceville High School Robotics Lab Warehouse
Also receiving approval at the May 10 meeting was the Niceville High School Robotics Lab Warehouse, a 6,000-square-foot building to be used for practice by robotics teams from Niceville High School and other area schools with such programs.
The 1.59-acre project site is located at 203 Joseph Avenue in Villa Tasso.
The proposal had been turned down when it previously came before county commissioners on Feb. 9. At that time a land use change from Rural Village to Light Industrial was being requested in conjunction with the application. Several commissioners had expressed concerns about possible future uses of the property with the Light Industrial land use that would not be compatible with residential uses in the vicinity.
The May 10 proposal did not include the land use change but was with the understanding that the warehouse would not be used for robotics competition and that the use of the property would be limited to civic use.
The request was approved in 4-0 vote.
Martha’s Lane Townhomes
As at previous public hearings, Martha’s Lane Townhomes continued to encounter neighborhood opposition.
The proposal was for 17 multi-family townhome units on 2.45 acres on the south end of Martha’s Lane, south of Allen Loop Drive and one-quarter mile north of CR-30A.
Neighbors complained that the townhomes would not fit the character of the existing neighborhood, that the proposal was too dense, particularly for the sensitive area on the eastern side of Oyster Lake, and that it would cause traffic congestion with additional vehicles from the development travelling along Allen Loop Drive.
Engineer Dean Burgis, representing applicant Thomas Methvin, countered, among other arguments, that there were no single-family homes within a quarter-mile radius of the project site and that the average density within that radius was 7.4 units per acre as compared with the 6.95 units per acre being proposed.
“They’re going to be upper-level townhomes…it does have a residential feel,” he said of the project plans.
Scott Crompton, a neighboring resident, also spoke in favor of Martha’s Lane Townhomes, maintaining that this would be the type of development that would attract young professionals that are needed in the area and would be affordable to them.
As proposed, each townhome unit would have three bedrooms and a two-car garage, and there would be nine overflow parking spaces.
There was concern on the part of residents that no driveways were planned.
District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows shared that concern, adding that 18 feet of pavement in front of the buildings was not enough and that more than the nine overflow parking spaces were needed. “It will be a parking nightmare,” she warned.
County Commission Chair Sara Comander agreed, saying that her major concern was also parking. “They are going to be beach rentals, I guarantee you,” she said, observing that tourists bring many cars.
A motion by Meadows for denial yielded a 2-2 vote. Walton County Attorney Mark Davis advised that a tie vote results in denial whether the motion is to approve or deny.
However, Comander then moved to reconsider the vote and also moved not to deny but to direct that the applicant return to the BCC on June 14 with revised plans incorporating more parking. Both motions were approved, the second carrying in a 3-1 vote, with Meadows voting no.
An additional development proposal, Holiday Beachside Center, was continued by the commissioners to the June 14 BCC meeting in order to allow for Walton County Public Works Engineering staff to do a review of the plans for access to the project site and the lighting plans.