Letter from the SOA President
TO: Sandestin Residents
FROM: Dave Stowe, President, Sandestin Owners Association
RE: Outcome of 12/19/2016 Planning Commission Hearing
DATE: January 16, 2017
As many of you are already aware, on December 19, 2016, the Walton County Planning Commission met to review the most recent Notice of Proposed Change (“NOPC”) application that was submitted by Sandestin Investments, LLC (“SDI” or “Developer”). This NOPC is meant to bring the Sandestin Development of Regional Impact (“Sandestin” or “Project”) back into compliance with its existing development order, based on the County’s Finding of Non-Compliance back in July of 2014, which was based in part on a deficiency in Open Space acreage throughout the Project. It is the opinion of the Class A Board Members of the Sandestin Owners Association (“SOA”) that the NOPC not only fails to remedy the existing non-compliance issues, but also proposes additional changes that are inconsistent with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, inconsistent with state law, and inconsistent with the public interest.
At the hearing on December 19, 2016, the Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve the NOPC subject to certain conditions, which are outlined in the order attached hereto. Of particular concern to the SOA are Conditions A-C, which effectively afford a pathway for SDI to come into compliance with the Project’s existing development order by redefining Open Space. These conditions would allow SDI to count, for the first time: one-half of the right-of-way of all neighborhood roads within the Project; areas SDI calls “golf course and lake buffers,” which are actually architectural setbacks on privately-owned, residential lots (i.e., people’s backyards); and common areas within privately-owned, residential neighborhoods and condominiums. SDI would be permitted to count these areas, which were not counted in the Project’s original development order, as Open Space without having to comply with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which has a very different, more traditional Open Space definition.
The Board of County Commissioners will meet to review the NOPC and the Planning Commission’s recommendation on January 30, 2017 beginning at 9:00 A.M. in the South Walton Annex. If the Board of County Commissioners votes to approve the NOPC, the County will issue an amended development order to SDI that includes these proposed changes and authorizes 1,873 new residential units of mostly high-rise construction. If you are concerned about the impact the proposed changes will have on our community, we encourage you to contact the Commissioners in advance of the hearing, and to attend the hearing and address the Commissioners through public comment.
For reference, a list of suggested talking points, as well as contact information for each of the Commissioners, are provided below.
SOA’s Suggested Talking Points
TO: Sandestin Residents
FROM: Dave Stowe, President, Sandestin Owners Association
RE: Outcome of 12/19/2016 Planning Commission Hearing
DATE: January 16, 2017
As many of you are already aware, on December 19, 2016, the Walton County Planning Commission met to review the most recent Notice of Proposed Change (“NOPC”) application that was submitted by Sandestin Investments, LLC (“SDI” or “Developer”). This NOPC is meant to bring the Sandestin Development of Regional Impact (“Sandestin” or “Project”) back into compliance with its existing development order, based on the County’s Finding of Non-Compliance back in July of 2014, which was based in part on a deficiency in Open Space acreage throughout the Project. It is the opinion of the Class A Board Members of the Sandestin Owners Association (“SOA”) that the NOPC not only fails to remedy the existing non-compliance issues, but also proposes additional changes that are inconsistent with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, inconsistent with state law, and inconsistent with the public interest.
At the hearing on December 19, 2016, the Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve the NOPC subject to certain conditions, which are outlined in the order attached hereto. Of particular concern to the SOA are Conditions A-C, which effectively afford a pathway for SDI to come into compliance with the Project’s existing development order by redefining Open Space. These conditions would allow SDI to count, for the first time: one-half of the right-of-way of all neighborhood roads within the Project; areas SDI calls “golf course and lake buffers,” which are actually architectural setbacks on privately-owned, residential lots (i.e., people’s backyards); and common areas within privately-owned, residential neighborhoods and condominiums. SDI would be permitted to count these areas, which were not counted in the Project’s original development order, as Open Space without having to comply with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which has a very different, more traditional Open Space definition.
The Board of County Commissioners will meet to review the NOPC and the Planning Commission’s recommendation on January 30, 2017 beginning at 9:00 A.M. in the South Walton Annex. If the Board of County Commissioners votes to approve the NOPC, the County will issue an amended development order to SDI that includes these proposed changes and authorizes 1,873 new residential units of mostly high-rise construction. If you are concerned about the impact the proposed changes will have on our community, we encourage you to contact the Commissioners in advance of the hearing, and to attend the hearing and address the Commissioners through public comment.
For reference, a list of suggested talking points, as well as contact information for each of the Commissioners, are provided below.
SOA’s Suggested Talking Points
- When making the decision to purchase their homes, Sandestin residents invested in property within a development that was largely built out. The existing development, without any additional increases, struggles with inadequate capacity, mainly on roadways and with stormwater management. The changes proposed in the NOPC will further exacerbate the capacity issues of many major facilities.
- For example, in 2014 and again in 2016, the SOA undertook internal traffic studies that demonstrated that existing roadways within Sandestin cannot accommodate the increased traffic that would result from approving the NOPC.
- There is not sufficient land available to expand the existing roadway network, and options for relieving congestion are limited.
- The lack of capacity on Sandestin’s roadways will not only decrease property values and the quality of life for Sandestin residents, but also presents a serious health and safety concern.
- The further disappearance of pervious Open Space contemplated by the NOPC will intensify Sandestin’s existing stormwater capacity issues, resulting in increased flooding.
- For example, the NOPC proposes to take Jolee Island, a parcel clearly set aside for preservation in an ecologically sensitive part of the development, and turn it into high rise condominiums, which the County’s land development regulations do not allow and the existing infrastructure cannot support, all so the Developer can construct units which he knew were not permissible at the time he acquired the development.
- Until the Developer demonstrates compliance with the Open Space requirements of the existing development order, under no circumstances should the County permit changes that result in further development of areas designated as Open Space.
- In order to bring the Developer into compliance with the Open Space requirements of the existing development order, the Planning Commission has recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve the NOPC subject to certain conditions.
- One such condition is that the Developer will be permitted to count one-half of all neighborhood road right-of-way as Open Space. Roads as Open Space to correct the fact that predecessor developers over developed the project is a bad idea.
- Another such condition is that the Developer will be permitted to count portions of privately-owned, residential property as Open Space.
- Permitting the Developer to claim these areas as Open Space is not a solution to Sandestin’s existing Open Space deficiency.
- The Developer cannot ensure that these areas remain undeveloped because the Developer does not own or control these areas.
- Allowing the Developer to come into compliance by redefining Open Space in this manner is a disservice to Sandestin residents who depend on Open Space for drainage and for the overall character of the development.
- For example, in 2014 and again in 2016, the SOA undertook internal traffic studies that demonstrated that existing roadways within Sandestin cannot accommodate the increased traffic that would result from approving the NOPC.
- The Developer fully understood Sandestin’s limitations when he made the decision to purchase the Project. Now, the Developer asks the Commissioners to change the rules so that the Developer can continue to pursue profits off of a development that was largely built-out years ago, at the expense of the quality of life of current Sandestin residents.
- The County should prohibit further development in Sandestin until the Developer comes into compliance with Sandestin’s existing development order, including the Open Space requirement as it exists today, and until the impacts of further development on major facilities can be adequately evaluated.
- And ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT should be compliant with the County Comprehensive Plan.