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Residents and conservation groups urge council to deny Creek Crossing waivers, citing wetland and tree loss
Summary
Speakers representing Spruce Creek neighborhoods and conservation groups told the council the Creek Crossing development seeks multiple waivers that would damage wetlands, remove specimen trees and undermine the county's conservation subdivision rules, and asked the council and future hearing bodies to enforce the 60/40 open-space standard.
Dozens of residents and conservation advocates told the Valuchia County Council on April 21 that the proposed Creek Crossing conservation subdivision conflicts with the county's conservation rules and environmental protections and urged officials to deny developer waivers.
"There is a proposed 2,000 ft concrete bridge crossing over Spruce Creek for this subdivision's only access," said Mike Pittowski, describing the plan for the 125-acre site. He told the council the bridge, roadway and related work would cut thousands of historic oaks, place stormwater outflows directly into Spruce Creek (designated an Outstanding Florida Water), and rely on multiple waivers for wetland impacts, tree removals and public-street design.
The objections echoed across public comment. Sophie Marsh, secretary of the Spruce Creek Flyin board, said the applicant's plan "seeks exceptions" to the strict protections that should apply to outstanding waters and environmentally critical overlay zones. Paul Holmes, president of the Spruce Creek Property Owners Association, said the applicant was attempting to count engineered stormwater ponds toward the required 60% conservation open space and described engineering exhibits suggesting the developer would exceed allowable buildable acreage.
Speakers identified multiple specific points of concern: a requested wetland-impact waiver affecting 2.8 acres, requests to count retention ponds as conserved open space, estimated removal of thousands of large trees without a verified survey, and a proposed bridge landing adjacent to an important tributary. Several speakers asked the council to require accurate tree and wetland surveys and to enforce the county's conservation-subdivision provisions.
County staff noted the project will proceed through the Development Review Committee and, if appealed, may come before the council. Several commenters reminded the council the project is scheduled before the DRC on April 28 and predicted appeals would follow any approvals.
The council did not take formal action on the project during this meeting; public comment was intended to be filed in the record for upcoming reviews and appeals. The council's land-use bodies will consider staff reports, the DRC decision and any appeals in subsequent proceedings.
What happens next: The DRC will review the developer's application; if it issues approvals the project may be appealed to the council. Public commenters said they will follow the DRC hearing and, if necessary, pursue appeals and legal challenges.
