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Flagler County approves Veranda Bay final plats amid resident warnings about flooding and traffic
Summary
The board approved final plats for Veranda Bay phases 2B and 2C, accepting performance and maintenance bonds; the approvals followed extensive public comment raising concerns about stormwater drainage, potential flooding of adjacent properties and traffic impacts on John Anderson Highway.
Flagler County commissioners voted to approve final plats for Veranda Bay phases 2B (65 lots) and 2C (59 lots) in the Hammock Beach River Club PUD, concluding a multi‑phase approval process that brings the preliminary plat total to 335 dwelling units.
Staff presented the final plat materials, bond documentation and scrivener’s corrections; final plat approval also included acceptance of performance and maintenance bonds to secure remaining infrastructure work. The motion to approve each final plat — and to accept the draft performance and maintenance bonds provided in the staff packet — passed unanimously.
The approvals were accompanied by lengthy public comment and questioning from commissioners. Dozens of residents who live along John Anderson Highway and nearby roads urged the board to delay approval until full commission attendance and additional review. Speakers described recent and recurring flooding near Palm Drive and said earthwork associated with earlier development altered historic drainage patterns.
"There is a huge drainage problem on this property, and they're never gonna build a golf course," resident Sandra Schultheis said, describing standing water she said reached her property after recent storms. Commissioner Hansen said he was not convinced the applicant had fully solved water‑management issues and that staff and engineers should continue close monitoring as work continues.
Applicant counsel and developer representatives said final plats are ministerial steps that follow earlier PUD and preliminary approvals, and they emphasized that state and federal permits and engineering plans were reviewed as part of the prior entitlement process. Staff and applicant said stormwater systems were designed to retain runoff and that bonds and as‑built requirements protect neighbors if work is not completed as required.
What happens next: The county will accept MILRs and as‑built submittals, release bonds in stages as construction milestones are met, and monitor stormwater performance; residents and commissioners said they will continue to watch for off‑site drainage impacts and may pursue enforcement or follow‑up if systems fail to contain runoff.
