Council hears public hearing on Coastal Cottage PUD: 136-townhouse proposal on 42 acres asks several zoning deviations

A developer seeking preliminary PUD approval presented plans for a 136-unit townhouse subdivision on about 42 acres west of the Foley Beach Express and north of Brown Lane. Planning staff described the site, the proposed layout and the deviations the applicant seeks from the city's subdivision and zoning regulations.

Why it matters: The proposal would convert the site from general-business zoning to a planned-unit development (PUD) to allow fee-simple townhouse ownership across roughly 25 acres of upland area; the remaining 17 acres are described as primarily wetlands. Approval would change density and housing type along a developing corridor.

Planning staff said the Coastal Cottage PUD application seeks 136 fee-simple townhouse lots (a density the staff summarized as 5.5 units per acre). The master plan shows 26 buildings: 10 four-unit buildings and 16 six-unit buildings. Townhouse end units would be four-bedroom units; interior units would be three-bedroom units. The site plan includes sidewalks, walking trails and stormwater retention areas; staff said the applicant will preserve existing vegetation along some boundaries and preserve wetlands on the south and southwest sides of the property.

Staff reported a parking calculation of 351 spaces (counting garages and driveways) and added six additional visitor spaces at a valet/kiosk area. The application requests several deviations: zero side plot lines for townhouses, reduced separation between some building side walls from the standard 20 feet to 15 feet in about 16 instances, and a reduced right-of-way width from 60 feet to 50 feet in some internal streets.

Planning Commission recommended the PUD request favorably on a 7-0 vote. The council opened the public hearing, accepted staff and the project representative's presentation, asked questions about access from Roscoe Road and Bradford Road and about buffering adjacent agricultural land, and then closed the hearing. No final council vote on PUD approval occurred at this meeting.

What council asked: Members asked for clarification of access points (staff said Roscoe Road to the west and Bradford Road to the north) and about how the agricultural-zoned parcel at the Roscoe-Bradford corner would be treated; staff said that corner area would remain undisturbed and would act as a buffer.

Next steps: If the council moves forward with the PUD approval, the applicant will then need subdivision approval to establish the townhouse lots. The council did not take a final vote on the PUD at this meeting.