The debate over a major development that could eventually double the size of Flagler Beach is getting closer to a decision. City commissioners and the developer behind Veranda Bay met Thursday evening for a workshop to further negotiate.
The developer is asking the city to annex the land where the Veranda Bay development would be built. The developer has already cleared land for housing and commercial space on the East side of John Anderson Highway but is now looking to add more homes on about 900 acres on the West side of John Anderson.
The area is currently unincorporated Flagler County, but the developer is asking the city to annex it. It would grow the city’s footprint on the West side of the Intracoastal and when finished, would nearly double the size of the city’s population.
The commission and developer are currently in negotiations regarding how many houses and commercial spaces the city would approve to be built, and if the city would then annex it.
“City Commission is currently in discussion with the developer finalizing the master plan development agreement which outlines buffers, unit count, things like that,” said city manager Dale Martin.
The initial proposal for Veranda Bay was much smaller but now the developer has pitched closer to 3,000 homes and commercial spaces.
Martin said the developer has already agreed to keep at least 40% of the property as open space and stick to Flagler Beach’s three-story maximum rule for buildings.
“It would be a slow process. There’s a lot of developments going on on the other side of the intercoastal right now that even though they’re not in city limits, they’re going to shape the landscape here,” said Martin.
The entire development would not be finished for 15 to 20 years, so Martin said if the city annexed it, they would have time to increase resources.
“There’s a lot of changes that have to happen already, even without Veranda Bay, to our water system and our wastewater system,” he said.
People who live in the area have been vocal about the topic, like longtime resident Ken Bryan.
“One of the biggest pushbacks we’re getting from people now is the traffic that’s going to be on John Anderson Highway and the number of development of residential properties they’re talking about putting on the other side,” said Bryan.
Bryan, who is also a former city commissioner, said the other top concerns are if the city chooses to annex the property, how it will affect current residents' utility rates, and how the city will juggle the new development with current infrastructure issues.
“Even though it’s going to be over the next 20 to 30 years, I think that needs to be explained better and also showing ‘this is how much will be done in this phase, and this phase here’ and how we’re going to be supporting the infrastructure during those phases,” he said.
Thursday’s workshop was for the city commission and developer. The next public meeting will be on December 12, which is when the city manager said would be the earliest point for a final decision.
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