Minutes August 14th, 2007 BCC
Mr. David Kramer presented Reinhart SSA 2007-10 a request to change 10 +/- acres from state land/undesignated to coastal center, or any less dense or intense category. The parcel is located south of Choctawhatchee Bay within the Point Washington State Forest, approximately 1,000 feet north of Gulf Hill Estates unrecorded subdivision in Blue Mountain Beach. (Exhibits # 8, 9, 10 and 11) Staff determined that a future land use designation of Conservation Residential either 1:2.5 or 2:1 would be consistent with the Walton County Comprehensive Plan.
Commissioner Meadows exited the meeting at 8:42 p.m.
Mr. Kramer stated the staff?s recommendation would require a 90% conservation of vegetation and thereby would not give the 30 feet of defensible space to protect homes from potential forest fires. He stated this was the reason the applicant applied for Coastal Center/Infill. He felt that conservation only would present a fire hazard.
Mr. Stacy Golden, President GiroTrack and conservationist, stated that a fire hazard is possible with the designation as presented by staff. He stated that everything would be done to prevent possible fires to homes.
Mr. Kramer felt that the designation as requested by the applicant meets the compatibility analysis, meets the requirements of the comprehensive plan, and meets the requirements of the LDC?s definition of Infill. He stated that the uses planned for this property would be beneficial for the public as well as the county.
Commissioner Jones exited the meeting at 9:01 p.m.
Ms. Blackshear stated that the staff report reflects that Infill is not appropriate for this parcel. She stated that the Cattle Dipping Vat (CDV) was still an environmental issue that needed to be dealt with.
Commissioner Jones entered the meeting at 9:08 p.m.
Mr. Kramer stated that the CDV was a hog vat and used different chemicals. Ms. Blackshear stated that the environmental assessments will tell what type of vat and chemicals were once there.
Commissioner Brannon asked if the property to the south was undesignated. Ms. Blackshear stated it was. She stated that these were the only two parcels surrounded by State Forest. Mr. Kramer stated the applicant?s position is that the parcel was zoned as development in 1992 and the designation has not been changed. Ms. Lois La-Seur, Growth Management, stated that the parcel may have been erroneously designated as State land. Mr. Kramer asked that the application fee to correct the error be reimbursed to the applicant.
Commissioner Brannon asked if there were any objections from the property owner to the south. Ms. Blackshear stated the opposition relates to the property being designated as something other than conservation/residential and the CDV. Mr. Kramer stated that Staff Report did not show public comment against the project.
Mr. Carl Hammonds, Walton County Planning Department, stated that at both the July 12 Planning Commission Meeting and July 24 BCC meeting public comment was made against the proposed land use change unless the environmental issues were properly addressed. Mr. Kramer stated that he had attended the meeting with the Forestry Department. He stated that Forestry provided no evidence.
Commissioner Pridgen stepped down as Chairman to make the motion.
Motion by Commissioner Pridgen, second by Commissioner Comander, to approve the land use change to Conservation/Residential, 2:1 with conditions that future development proposal would require a Phase II Environmental assessment due to a recently removed cattle dipping vat.
Mr. Kramer withdrew the application.
