BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Things continue to move forward for a new housing development in Starke for young professionals and other first-time homebuyers looking for something innovative and within financial reach.
Last week, Starke Zoning Board members recommended approval of an application to rezone the properties east of the Downtown Square from multifamily residential district and single-family, medium-density residential district to a planned unit development, or PUD.
City commissioners followed through by approving the first reading of the ordinance, which was added to the agenda for the Oct. 1 meeting. The ordinance will be advertised for a second reading before final approval.
The three separate properties between East Call Street and South Street are divided by St. Clair Street and Redgrave Street. Altogether, they are just over five acres. The townhouses are split among the properties in 10 blocks of four or five units.
Earlier this year, the city modified its qualifications for planned unit developments as small as five acres to allow smaller developments to take advantage of the flexibility PUDs offer to developers.
PUDs encourage creativity and innovation in planning, such as flexibility in building design and placement. They can blend a variety of land uses, property densities and dwelling types, resulting in a more desirable project than might be possible through the strict application of the existing land development regulations.
Among the advantages, PUDs:
—provide for efficient use of land, and the location and use of utility and transportation infrastructure.
—allow smaller networks of streets and utilities, resulting in lower development and housing costs.
—incorporate undeveloped, functional open spaces that preserve natural resources and scenic vistas.
In this case, the PUD would allow developers to present a high-density design concept in a relatively small footprint.
Building and zoning official Kevin Powell told city commissioners their vote was not regarding the proposed development or what it will look like. That will come later when they review the full site plan. The PUD declaration opens the door for the developer to formally present their plan.
Developers Dwight Hewett and Chris Raley have already talked quite a bit about their project with the commission, zoning board and downtown business groups. CityWalk is a 45-townhouse development, yes, but it is also a concept tied to the revitalization of the downtown district.
The units are two-story, three-bedroom, two-bath townhouses with a garage. Each is around 1,550 square feet. The units feature solar power and are more than twice as efficient at insulating heat and cold than the standard home, according to the developers. They are designed to incorporate technology and withstand natural disasters.
Stormwater mitigation rain gardens dot the property. An in-ground collection system is also planned for irrigation. Four electric vehicle charging stations would be open to everyone, as would the linear park on the perimeter of the property providing views of Alligator Creek without encroachment from the residential development.
The zoning board’s primary concern was if the intensity of the development would increase flooding of the surrounding area and how developers were going to address stormwater runoff.
Raley discussed those plans, which include the dry retention ponds planted with native species. They are using biochar in the planted areas, which both absorbs more water than traditional soil and filters out pollution. It will more than address the retention requirements of the development, he said, and it will accommodate runoff from the new section of St. Clair Street constructed as part of FDOT’s railroad overpass project. It could even mitigate historic flooding problems in the area.
Rain storage tanks will collect rainfall from the roofs of the buildings to be used for landscape irrigation. Hewett said they are also using pervious pavers within the development through which water can percolate. New streets to access the housing units will be the primary source of stormwater runoff, and Raley said they can more than accommodate that with this design, having worked on the numbers with the water management district.
Hewett told the zoning board about the multiple goals of the ambitious project, which include making it an environmentally sound and sustainable. They are also offering a pathway to home ownership in a community that needs housing, with the target buyers being first-time homeowners working in fields like education and public safety as well as military veterans. The units will be available to purchase outright, but they will also be offering a rent-to-own plan.
This is a self-funded project, but Hewett and Raley hope their innovations will attract attention, including financial investors, but also demonstrate that Starke is a community open to new ideas and full of opportunities.
