- April 25, 2024
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Editor's Note: Updated May 18 to eliminate the projected number of students. The original story said 25 students would be added, but that was on top of the students already to be added by the original plan from five years ago. The total students to be added under the new plan will be added as soon as the information is available.
Five years ago, David Blessing proposed a mixed-use development in the southern portion of Palm Coast on U.S. 1. It didn’t go well.
“I had a neighborhood meeting, and they weren’t very happy,” Blessing said at the May 18 City Council meeting. In recent years, he changed his plan to eliminate any commercial and make the development strictly single-family homes. “This time when I had [a neighborhood meeting], I got an applause, so that’s a very nice change of heart from my neighbors.”
The City Council approved the changes.
The 145-acre property, which is just north of Karas Trail and is at the intersection of U.S. 1 and County Road 304, was originally planned for 134 single-family homes, 214 multifamily units and 350,000 square feet of commercial space. After the vote on May 18, the zoning was changed from master planned development to single-family, and the property will give up its rights to multifamily or commercial. The final product will be a maximum of 450 single-family homes.
Due to the change, the area will create a lower demand on traffic, water and sewer, but it will increase the demand on parks and schools. There will be no significant impact to city infrastructure, according to Palm Coast Senior Planner Jose Papa.
The City Council approved the changes 4-1, with Mayor Milissa Holland and Councilmen Ed Danko, Nick Klufas and Eddie Branquinho voting in favor. Councilman Victor Barbosa voted against; by way of explanation, he wrote in a Facebook message to the Palm Coast Observer after the meeting: "Palm Coast has a small enough industrial zone that development would have been better space to create jobs instead of more residential homes."
Also at the May 18 City Council meeting:
The council voted 4-1, with Ed Danko opposing, to allocate $1 million from the State Road 100 Corridor Community Redevelopment Agency, subject to performance conditions, to the University of Florida for UNF's MedNexus Palm Coast program. Year 1 of UNF’s sublease with the city is up to $150,000 for buildout of leased space and/or for leased space in Town Center. For Year 2 and 3 of the sublease, the allocated amount is up to $150,000 for each year for rent to be paid to lessor on behalf of UNF. The remainder of the $1 million dollar allocation may be disbursed to UNF over the three-year lease term upon request by UNF. The availability of these funds is not guaranteed but is offered on a good faith to support Mednexus and may be required to be paid back to the CRA should UNF cease operation of Mednexus during the three-year lease term.
