Planning board delays decision on 119‑acre Seminole Woods land‑use change after traffic and annexation concerns

The Flagler County Planning and Development Board continued consideration of a proposed future land use amendment affecting about 119 acres on Seminole Woods Boulevard after members and residents raised concerns about traffic, drainage and the possibility of annexation. The proposal, submitted by ICI Homes, would change roughly 108 acres of agricultural/timber and 11 acres of commercial low intensity to mixed‑use high intensity, with a parcel‑specific limiting policy capping average residential density at 7 units per acre.

Staff’s presentation noted that under a 60% residential / 40% commercial split the applicant’s limit of 7 units per acre would yield about 502 residential units and that, at a 0.4 FAR for commercial, the theoretical commercial maximum cited in the entitlement paper is approximately 829,000 square feet. Staff also reported preliminary impact estimates the applicant submitted: roughly 4,845 additional daily trips, potable water demand increasing by about 427,000 gallons, sanitary flow increasing by about 369,000 gallons, solid waste increasing by about 118,000 pounds per day and a net increase of about 1,153 people. Staff said the applicant has since supplied a capacity letter from the City of Palm Coast.

Representatives from ICI Homes told the board they are in early entitlement phases and described the numerical figures presented in the materials as "theoretical maximums," saying many of those maxima would be infeasible once roadways, stormwater controls, open-space requirements and realistic site layouts are accounted for. The applicant said the mixed‑use high designation was chosen to preserve the option of a grocery‑anchored shopping node for the community and that they have had early discussions with Palm Coast about utilities and potential annexation but have not reached any municipal agreement.

Residents who addressed the board described current traffic and flooding issues along Seminole Woods Parkway. "There's already a bottleneck there," said resident Matthew De Bella, who noted the route narrows to two lanes in places and said he believes traffic has increased since the last publicly available count in 2017. Another resident raised concerns about recent storm-related flooding and the need for robust stormwater mitigation.

Board members pressed the applicant and staff on the details that remain outstanding, including what Palm Coast would require for utilities and whether annexation might be necessary for the proposed development. County counsel and staff noted a settlement agreement limits the city’s ability to force annexation in some circumstances, but board members said they wanted explicit comment from Palm Coast. One commissioner urged better neighbor notification and community engagement before entitlements move forward, saying residents may not appreciate the scope of a theoretical maximum until later stages.

After discussion, a board member moved to continue the future land use amendment (project 2025080073) to a January meeting in order to obtain further information from the City of Palm Coast on traffic capacity and the city’s view of the project; the motion carried on a recorded vote. The companion rezoning (project 2025080074) to create a PUD was also continued so the land‑use question is resolved first.

Next steps: staff will follow up with Palm Coast staff to obtain traffic‑capacity comments and any conditions Palm Coast may expect for utilities or annexation; the item will return to the planning board at the January meeting for further consideration and possible recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.