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Neighbors object, commission tables proposed eight‑unit hotel at 1708 S. Ocean Shore Blvd.; will return to planning board
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Summary
After hours of presentation and extensive public comment opposing alley access, parking and density, the Flagler Beach City Commission unanimously voted to table the site‑plan for a proposed eight‑unit hotel/vacation‑rental at 1708 South Ocean Shore Boulevard and send it back to the Planning/Par board for redesign and additional engineering.
The commission on March 12 tabled a contested site‑plan application for an eight‑unit oceanfront hotel proposed at 1708 South Ocean Shore Boulevard and directed staff to return the matter to the Planning/Par board for further work.
Planner Lupita (city planner) described the proposal as a three‑story, eight one‑bedroom unit vacation‑rental hotel with a 2,558‑square‑foot footprint and about 9,174 square feet of lot area. The packet showed parking in the rear off a 30‑ft alley right‑of‑way and identified required improvements for stormwater, utilities, lighting, sidewalks and landscaping. The planner advised the proposal met many site‑plan checklist items but said revisions are needed to clarify ingress/egress, ADA access and construction details.
Applicant Mr. Barnhill described the project as a long‑planned redevelopment intended to complement existing nearby tourist lodging and said he would stabilize a short stretch of the sandy alley (six inches of stone over geogrid) to provide access. He said a civil engineer would design required stormwater retention and that the building would be placed on pilings with total living area of roughly 5,490 square feet.
Residents and businesses—more than a dozen—addressed the commission and raised recurring objections: the alley is defined by code as a secondary access and not designed for regular commercial ingress; the proposed parking layout appeared to provide fewer spaces than required for an eight‑unit hotel and would push overflow parking into residential streets; garbage staging and containers in the alley would create nuisance and safety issues; and using the alley as primary vehicle access could set an unwanted precedent for converting alleys into streets, degrading neighborhood character and emergency access. Speakers included Clark Jones, Charles Bellstone, Marty Breed, Mark Guillermo and several residents of Central Avenue and Oak Place who said their alleys are narrow, sandy and already problematic for emergency vehicles.
On balance several commissioners said they were sympathetic to the concept but lacked the detailed, scaled plans (especially for front access and parking geometry) needed to approve the site plan. Commissioners asked staff and the applicant to provide a complete, scaled plan set showing ingress/egress options (including a 24‑ft T driveway off A1A if feasible), engineered alley upgrades if the alley were to be used, ADA access and clearer stormwater designs.
The commission voted unanimously to table the item and send it to the Planning/Par board for revisions. Chair Cooley and multiple commissioners emphasized that tabling should not be read as rejection of a lodging use but as a request for comprehensive engineering and design work to address resident concerns and code requirements.
