By DOTTY NIST
The Canopies, a single-family homes and townhome project to be constructed south of Chat Holley Road, got final county board approval on Jan. 26
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners approved the 78-unit request at their regular land use meeting on that date at the South Walton Annex.
This proposal on behalf of SoWal TH, L.L.C., was for 29 single-family homes and 49 townhomes on 20 acres located 1,100 feet south of Chat Holley Road, east of Old Blue Mountain Road and west of J.D. Miller Road in Santa Rosa Beach. The property is in a Mixed Use future land use area and a Town Center One zoning district.
Introducing the project, Stephen Schoen of Walton County Planning and Development Services noted that the Walton County Planning Commission had recommended approval on Jan. 12 with a condition for the applicants to place a fence on portions of the property line abutting a number of residential properties.
Asked about the property zoning/land use category, Schoen explained that Town Center One is envisioned as a pedestrian-oriented mixed-use area with pedestrian connection, although there is nothing with the zoning/land use saying that vehicles are not allowed.
Matthew Moore, an engineering representative of the applicants, noted that a density of 130 townhouse units had originally been proposed for the property but that the project had since been redesigned to minimize wetland impacts.
According to the environmental assessment for the project, there are approximately 6.2 acres of wetlands or surface water within federal and state jurisdiction on the property, and the project proposes to impact 0.98 acre of wetlands.
Moore explained that in order to align with the Town Center One Zoning and make the property as pedestrian friendly as possible, a 10-foot-wide access easement was being proposed to allow pedestrians to come onto the property. In addition to a walking trail, Moore noted that there would be landscaping and some pedestrian seating in the form of benches, plus some signage.
He said a dog park was being proposed, as well, plus a transit stop on J.D. Miller Road.
Moore also noted in his presentation that stormwater management, to include ponds on the property, had been designed to meet 100-year storm event standards, along with design to twice the water quality volume technically required at the request of the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD).
Moore explained that the applicants had agreed to put six-foot privacy fencing along the northern property line plus some additional landscape buffering and also on the northeast property line at the request of neighboring property owners. He said a fence would also be provided on the south side, which had correlated with a request by the NWFWMD for a fence around a pond to limit pedestrian use of that water.
In response to a BCC question, Schoen said planning staff had asked for a flood study, yet to be provided, to determine finished floor elevations for the buildings. It was understood that the study would be furnished before any of the homes were constructed.
Walton County Planning and Development Services Director Mac Carpenter confirmed this and that the stormwater design had been completed and met the approval of county staff reviewers.
Neighbors of the property brought up a number of concerns, with Ivan Hartsvedt calling for a fence along the length of his property, not just in the areas where the houses would be placed. He also brought up potential impacts on South Eden Road, a single lane dirt road, which he said would not handle traffic from the construction and the 79 additional units.
Harstvedt suggested a barrier to restrict access to the two-lane road until the county is able to upgrade South Eden Road, proposing a T turnaround at the west entrance to the site mainly on the county right-of-way for fire truck use.
To address some of the neighbors’ stormwater concerns, Anderson noted that stormwater from North Eden and North Blue Mountain Road would be directed to the nearby county-owned former Forman property where it would receive treatment.
“That project,” Anderson said of the county stormwater management site, “is on the front burner for the county, and we’ve gotten $14 million from the state to get that going.”
He was in agreement that South Eden would not be capable of handling construction vehicles or additional traffic and said that the county was in the process of getting permits to pave the road, along with Old Blue Mountain Road north of U.S. 98.
Anderson said that all traffic for the development and construction of it should be coming off J.D. Miller Road.
Patrick O’Neill, owner of property adjacent to the project and across from the proposed dog park, shared Harstvedt’s concerns that the fence bordering the dog park would be “behind the units only” and would stop at the dog park. “And their reasoning,” he said, “is that behind where that (the fence) stops, the road curves over to the property line, and that will be county property because they’re going to give it to you. They’re in agreement to build a privacy fence behind the dog park if you tell them to…”
Carpenter commented, “The entire time of review of this particular property, it is not envisioned that this approval would allow access onto Old Blue Mountain or South Eden at this time. In the future, consistent with the plans for improving that segment of transportation between Chat Holley and U.S. 98, we absolutely want a connection there to provide the interconnectivity.”
He continued, “We recognize that once that’s built, which will be some time after this project is built, that will only be a temporary emergency exit required by the fire department, and the T turnaround would be for the fire department. Essentially, I don’t think there’s any problem with blocking off any other access around that T turnaround, because it is not intended for the traveling public or anyone living in this development or anyone traversing the main spine roadway of this development to use Old Blue Mountain Road or South Eden Park Road, because they agree they’re not in the condition for safe public travel. And some portion of that existing pig trail is not in the public easement. We are all in agreement with that. The developers are in agreement with that, and this would be a temporary emergency exit or access for the fire department.”
Chat Holley Road-area resident Margaret Landry voiced concern about impacts on wetlands on the property and on proposed encroachments into stormwater ponds. She suggested that the BCC deny the application and have the applicants come back with a project with lower density. She also asked what the mixed use was for the property.
Carpenter responded that the two housing types qualified as a mixed use, also mentioning the conservation easement to be provided and a public roadway on the property that would be dedicated to the county by the developers.
Moore was confident that the applicants would be amenable to the construction entrance being off J.D. Miller Road and directing construction activities “to only flow off J.D. Miller Road.”
“It is not our intent to have construction vehicles coming up and down that dirt road,” he said, adding that their intent would eventually be to use Old Blue Mountain Road once it is “paved out.”
“But at this time,” Moore said, “the only real use that we have for it is the required truck turnaround that was asked for us by the (South Walton Fire District)—that’s where we have to provide it.”
He said that for any kind of barrier or fencing across the roadway, Walton County Public Works would have to grant approval due to county right-of-way being involved.
Moore said the applicants would have no issue placing the six-foot privacy fence that Hartsvedt had requested along the length of his property if public works would agree, since the county would be taking dedication of the road bordering the fence area.
Asked about impacts of the project on school capacity, Schoen said the Walton County School District review had indicated that students living on the property would be attending Dune Lakes Elementary School and South Walton High School, which are below capacity at this time. It was also indicated that the school district participates in ex officio capacity on the Walton County Planning Commission and that they had not raised any issue with impacts from the development.
The development was approved with all aye votes on the conditions of Walton County Public Works having the decision on whether the fence would be allowed on county property and the barrier across county right-of-way that had been suggested, would be allowed.
Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) Jan. 24 regular meeting and Jan. 26 land use meeting
Habitat for Humanity Walton County holds 60th home dedication in partnership with Warrick Dunn Charities
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