BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — City commissioners postponed action on a site plan submitted for the Sandcastles Pines housing development so they can review testimony presented at their March 21 meeting.
Since last year when the commission rejected a rezoning request for the development, the project has changed, reducing the number of new homes from 25 to 22 on six acres at the end of North Westmoreland Street, behind the school bus barn. Rezoning in no longer necessary to support smaller lot sizes. Now the developer is seeking approval of the site plan.
According to Sandcastles Foundation Board Chairman Christopher Crowder, they would spend $7.5 million in mostly state housing funds to construct 4-bedroom rental homes for working professionals who met median income requirements, including teachers and correctional officers.
Attorney Robert Williams presented the site plan on behalf of the developer. He said the planned neighborhood and its homes are compatible with the other houses in the area.
“It’s just another neighborhood that’s going to be nestled right in there where the other neighborhood exists right now,” Williams said. They, and city staff, have worked hard to make sure that everything that needs to be on the site plan is there. They have met all of the requirements of the land development regulations, he said.
“We’re not asking for variances, we’re not asking for allowances, we’re not asking for anything that you haven’t required us to put in under the code,” he said. “We have met our burden of showing to this commission that, in fact, all of those things are done.”
Kevin Powell in the city’s planning and zoning department concurred that, after several rounds, the developer has addressed comments from the city’s engineer with the exception of one relating to the drawdown of the retention pond. All other requirements have been met, he said, presenting the concurrency report from the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
Traffic concurrency was the only issue raised in the report, and that was contradicted by a traffic study on Pratt and Westmoreland streets funded by the commission. Traffic in the concurrency report is based on the segments of U.S. 301 between State Road 100 and State Road 16, which is already below the level of service standard set in the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
Residents in the neighborhood once again shared their concerns about the development with the commission. Terry Qualls said the plan contemplates placing 22 homes on six acres where the current road ends. It is the only way in or out. If each home has two vehicles, that’s 44 more on the street.
“That’s still a big concern to me, that we’re going to have all these cars on a 20-foot path,” he said. People, including elderly individuals, walk on the road, which has a 90-degree bend and speeding traffic.
Drainage has been another concern expressed. Mark Sanders said water drains to the acreage in question. When it is built up, they fear it will be headed back in their direction. He also said the construction traffic will destroy the already ailing street.
Deana Frazier said talked about enduring the construction and additional traffic.
“Our neighborhood doesn’t have any sidewalks, so we are sharing those roads with the cars. And with the turns they were talking about, they don’t see you until they’re on you, and if you’re a kid in the street and not another car coming, you’re not going to win that game of chicken,” she said.
Brady Lockwood said the neighborhood is full of children, and his yard is proof that vehicles end up in yards.
Much of the information presented was been seen by commissioners for the first time. They decided to take some time to digest it, and with their first meeting in April canceled, a vote will be scheduled on the board’s April 18 agenda.
The commission has also scheduled a meeting on April 11 at 5:30 p.m. to work on the budget.
