Planning board approves Beachwalk rezoning to PUD with conditions; site plan continued for more detail

The Flagler County Planning and Development Board on Feb. 12 recommended approval of a rezoning request to establish the Beachwalk Planned Unit Development (PUD) on a roughly 12.44‑acre parcel near the intersection of A1A and Jungle Hut Road, and separately continued the related PUD site development plan to the next board meeting to allow the applicant to provide additional landscape, tree‑preservation and corridor enhancement details.

The rezoning request (application 3150) would change the parcel’s zoning to PUD and allow the developer to create 54 single‑family lots with 50‑foot minimum widths and a series of design standards spelled out in the draft development agreement. Planning staff reviewed the property’s mixed‑use low future land use designation and the A1A corridor requirements, and recommended conditions including a 30‑foot landscape buffer along A1A, a 10‑foot buffer along Jungle Hut Road, a 5‑foot landscape buffer along the county Greenway parcel to the east, index‑tree preservation efforts and a stormwater tract designed to provide both retention and recreation.

Attorney Sid Anzbacher, speaking for the applicant, said the developer had worked with staff and had proffered specific commitments to respond to corridor objectives: a $25,000 contribution for Jungle Hut roadside enhancements to be used for sidewalk maintenance, plantings or an educational kiosk; Energy Star/Water Star commitments for the project’s building construction; and a willingness to continue dialogue on "aging‑in‑place" features and water‑feature amenity design. "We came up with a proposal of $25,000 to go to the corridor on the Jungle Hut roadside," Anzbacher said.

Planning board members, staff and Scenic A1A representatives debated whether the proposal adequately met the A1A corridor management plan and tree‑preservation expectations, including whether the required 40% index‑tree retention could be achieved. Several residents and Scenic A1A voiced objections to the density and character of the plan along the hammock; speakers described the parcel as a heavily treed hammock and argued the proposed lot sizes and unit density were out of scale with nearby Hammock Dunes and other hammock developments.

After discussion the planning board voted to recommend approval of the rezoning with staff‑recommended conditions and additional clarifications (members asked for a minimum finished living area provision to be added and proposed an 1,800 square foot minimum as a condition). The motion carried with two members recorded opposed. Planning staff and the applicant asked for additional time to finalize tree‑preservation and corridor‑enhancement details for the site development plan; the board continued the site development plan (application 3158) to the March site‑plan cycle so the applicant can provide a landscape architect’s analysis, clear sidewalk/secondary access information and other design clarifications.

Staff noted the rezoning recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners and the applicant said it is continuing to work with staff and the county attorney’s office to tighten the PUD development agreement language prior to the commission public hearing.