Omni spa courtyard renovation seeks exemption from DRC; staff flags flood‑zone mapping, pond easements and tree mitigation

Asa Gillette of Gillette and Associates presented plans Tuesday to renovate an existing outdoor courtyard at the Omni resort spa, replacing the current courtyard with decking, a plunge pool and other spa amenities. The applicant said the work would expand impervious area by a little more than 3,000 square feet and asked whether the project could be treated as a Class 1 exemption and proceed directly to building permit rather than a full DRC review.

County staff provided preliminary guidance: building staff asked for flood hazard information and boundaries to be shown on plans after confirming the site is near FEMA map panel 387G; planning staff said the area is within the Amelia Island Plantation PUD and is subject to the PUD’s standards, resort overlay, sign and tree ordinances and the county’s buffer requirements for jurisdictional wetlands; engineering staff warned the applicant to check for easements around the stormwater pond and to submit impervious‑area calculations so staff can confirm whether the project meets the exemption criteria; and the health department said it may need to consult with state authorities on permitting and testing requirements for a plunge pool.

Asa Gillette told the committee the courtyard is ‘‘a little over 3,000 square feet impervious area’’ and that the proposed work drains to the existing stormwater pond behind the spa. Gillette said some work is also happening inside the spa that will proceed through building permits.

Lawson (Building Department) asked the applicant to show the flood hazard information on either the DRC plans or the building permit plans; Lawson noted FEMA map panel 387G identifies an AE flood hazard zone around the stormwater area and requested flood boundary information for review. Elizabeth Bach, planning staff, said the parcel falls within the Amelia Island Plantation PUD (identified on the PUD plan as PUD 4) and is subject to the resort overlay and tree ordinance; she advised the applicant to follow the tree removal and mitigation process if trees will be removed.

Caleb Hurst of Development Services cautioned that structures cannot be approved within pond easements and asked the applicant to confirm whether the pond’s bank or easement encroaches on proposed decking. Ronnie from the health department said the department is still determining whether plunge pools require separate permitting and testing, and indicated staff will consult state officials in Tallahassee for guidance.

Staff said they will provide formal comments once the applicant submits either building permit documents or DRC plans, and that DRC exemption status will be confirmed after review of the impervious‑area calculations and easement information. No approvals or permits were granted at the meeting.