By DOTTY NIST
Two proposals attracting a lot of community interest ended up being continued by the Walton County Planning Commission on Jan. 14. Four other proposals were continued, as well, and abandonment, a small-scale amendment and another development proposal got favorable votes.
These actions took place at the county board’s Jan. 14 meeting at the South Walton Annex.
Portland Community Large-Scale Amendment
A number of Portland residents had travelled to the Annex for the hearing on the Portland Community Large-Scale Amendment, which as presented would change 131 acres in the community from a General Commercial land use category to that of Rural Low Density. The affected area is about 3.5 miles west of the SR-20/U.S. 98 intersection.
Walton County is sponsoring the amendment for the stated purpose of allowing properties being used as residential and that are classified as commercial to come into code compliance.
Wayne Dyess, county planning and development services director, commented that staff has no problem with any property owner not desiring to have their land use classification changed opting out from the amendment.
“We would not have any opposition to that whatsoever,” he said.
Some citizens in attendance said they had not realized that their property was classified as commercial. Some said they wanted their property to stay commercial.
“We want to remain commercial,” said property owner Jerry Simmons.
Portland resident Gerald Brown told the planning commissioners that many community members are unaware of the proposed amendment. He had talked with a dozen or so relatives who he said had not been notified.
“No one wants to change their property from what it is now,” he said.
Planning Commissioner David Kramer suggested that staff send out a simple survey showing the amendment area and an informational letter and ask property owners whether they want to be included or opt out. He motioned that the proposal be continued until the planning commission’s March 10 meeting to allow for time for the letters to be sent out.
His motion was approved with all aye votes.
Fox Lake Residential:
The Fox Lake Residential development proposals was also continued following a lengthy hearing.
This proposals consists of 17 duplex buildings with 34 units and 76 single-family homesites on 29.58 acres located north and east of the Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club golf course in Dune Allen.
In presenting the proposal, Brian Underwood of Walton County Planning and Development Services mentioned two conditions to which approval of the project would be subject. One was the Fox Lake Large-Scale Amendment (LSA) that the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) had voted on Jan. 12 to transmit to the state and which, if approved by the state, would come back to the BCC for final approval. The effect of the amendment would be to change the development property from a Neighborhood Infill and Traditional Neighborhood Development land use classification to Low Density Residential. The other condition brought up by Underwood was an easement abandonment that the applicants would be seeking. He noted that the latter would be advertised for the Feb. 11 Walton County Planning Commission meeting.
Planning Commissioner David Kramer said he had visited the subject site and had found it to be “a really pristine area,” with a high, unusual environment that looked as if it could contain gopher tortoises and possibly panthers, as he had seen a footprint that looked as if it had been made by a panther.
Dean Burgis, developer’s agent and engineer for the project, provided details on the proposal, noting that an environmental assessment had been done and furnished to county staff. He was sorry that it had not been provided to the planning commissioners in their packets. He said a study of the property had not yielded any evidence of tortoises or other endangered wildlife. Buffering would be provided, he continued, from adjacent single-family homes to the north, and required preservation would be used as a buffer, with as much native vegetation used as possible.
Burgis indicated that the project would be gated but that the gates could be opened in an emergency situation.
Mark Davis, county attorney, expressed caution about a lawsuit, involving the county as a party, associated with the property that the applicants were seeking to have abandoned for use as an access for the development. He warned that major redesign of the project could be likely depending on the outcome of the lawsuit. Davis also expressed concerns about land-locking of some properties depending on that outcome.
Debbie Dantin, a traffic engineer enlisted as a consultant for the developers, said that a traffic signal warrant study had been done and had indicated that traffic numbers would be “nowhere close” to requiring a traffic signal on CR-393 with the project. She added, “Turn lanes were not warranted.”
Criticism of the proposal by citizens speaking at the meeting included allegations of lack of regard for the environment, the community, and drainage, potential negative traffic impacts, impact on the community of short-term rentals expected with the development, possible damage to paved roads, potential impacts on wildlife, and expectations of light from the development shining into existing homes.
“It looks like Fairway Drive is going to become a boulevard,” Fairway Drive resident Charles Ebbecke told the planning commisioners. Ebbecke commented that he sees four to five deer every morning from his home, along with herons and migratory turtles during some parts of the year. He suggested a wildlife preserve as a better use of the subject property.
The clincher for the majority of the planning commissioners were comments by Gary Vorbeck, an attorney representing homeowners in the subdivision adjoining the property.
“This thing cannot be decided by the board,” Vorbeck told the planning commissioners. Looking at approval of the proposal was putting the “cart before the horse,” he argued.
Vorbeck referenced the condition of the abandonment request. If the abandonment is not granted, the project will have to be redesigned, he maintained. He continued that it is the planning commission’s job to determine if a project is allowable within its land use classification—and it has not been determined what the land use classification is. This was a reference to the large-scale amendment that has not been finalized for a land use classification change. “It does not even have the proper land use classification yet,” Vorbeck said of the property.
Davis concurred that he had concern about moving forward with the project approval process without completion of the land use change.
Burgis requested that the board members continue with the hearing so that the applicants would be better able to respond to comments and evidence presented. Kramer also maintained that the hearing should not be suspended in order to afford the applicants the opportunity to vet problems and possibly be further ahead as a result.
However, taking Vorbeck and Davis’ comments into consideration, Planning Commissioner John Roberts concluded that the board did not have the ability procedurally to consider a decision on the proposal. He moved to continue it to the planning commission’s March meeting. His motion was approved with all ayes votes with the exception of Kramer, who voted no.
Dalton-Gibson Abandonment
An abandonment proposal, the Dalton-Gibson Abandonment got all aye votes, but with the requested abandonment area, 50 feet, reduced to 30 feet.
The request had been motivated by the property owners’ wish for easement property adjacent to their home in the Dune Allen Third Addition subdivision to remain in its current pristine condition. The board approval provided for 20 feet of the easement to remain available for utilities if needed.
Continued items:
A motion to continue the Village Station proposal to the Feb. 11 planning commission meeting was approved, due to some items identified by staff not having been addressed and planning commissioners not having received packets on the project in advance for review.
Three other agenda items, the Arnett Farmer’s Market, the Warehouses of Santa Rosa Beach II (formerly Sundial Phase II), and Holiday Beachside Center, were all continued to the Feb. 11 planning commission meeting as well, as requested.
Storage facility and small-scale amendment approvals:
There were approvals for two other proposals, the first of those being Dixielectricar of Destin, a 13,350-square-foot commercial storage facility on 3.61 acres at the southeast corner of Moll Drive and U.S. 98.
The other was the Spyglass Hill Small-Scale Amendment, which would change the land use classification of 2.51 acres on the south side of Sea Croft Drive from Conservation Residential two units per acre to Low Density Residential. Applicant’s representative Scott Jenkins commented that a five-lot subdivision was envisioned for the property and that the desire was to meet the 60-percent preservation but still be able to put in grass for lawns. There was an all-aye vote on the amendment.
Decisions by the planning commission are presented as recommendations to the BCC, which has the final say on land use items in public session.