Re: Prominence
Here's a recent article about Prominence that was in the Pamama City News Herard. The County says half of the 60 acres of sand pine scrub habitat on the property must be protected. Per the article, the project is only 79.2 acres. The developer says if they have to preserve the habitat it would be "impossible to do the development as proposed".
Panama City News Herald
TITLE:Walton developer?s Prominence still in doubt
PUBDATE:August 28, 2006
Work on the first phase of Prominence, a mixed-use development on 79.2 acres off County 30A, is in full swing.
But whether work on the project?s next phases will move forward remains to be seen, as the developer hashes out details with Walton County?s planning staff.
Prominence is located on property along County 30A near Watersound Beach. The phase under construction south of County 30A will include 25 homes, 23 row houses and a harbor.
The developer, Destin-based Deer Lake Development, wants the county to approve an application for a Development of Regional Impact for the remaining phases of the project. All large-scale developments such as Prominence must have DRI approval from the county before substantial construction can take place.
But Deer Lake Development is at odds with the county over whether sand pine scrub habitat on the property must be protected, said Brian Martinez, the county planner assigned to the Prominence DRI. The developer also is challenging the county?s assertion that the project must have a 20-foot vegetative buffer along County 30A, Martinez said.
The county says that an estimated 60 acres of the Prominence property is sand pine scrub habitat and at least half of those 60 acres must be preserved, Martinez said. ?We identify the site as sand pine scrub,? he said.
The developer disagrees, in part because it claims that the habitat is former timberland and therefore not a natural habitat in need of preservation, Martinez said.
The county approved an environmental management plan for the first phase of Prominence. The developer also contends that the approval exempts the project from the preservation requirements for the rest of the property, Martinez said.
If Deer Lake Development ends up having to preserve the habitat, it would be ?impossible to do the development as proposed,? Martinez said.
Prominence is slated to go to the county Planning Commission on Sept. 14. The commission already has delayed the issue twice because of issues with the DRI application.
After the Planning Commission hears the project, it will go to the County Commission for consideration.
Craig Thurmond, town planner on the project, is designing Prominence to be reminiscent of a small New England town. Plans for the project call for 650 residences, 12 bed-and-breakfast units, 120 hotel rooms, 200,000 square feet of office and commercial space, and a 13,000-square-foot civic building.
Just ask. And the bank will just pull out midstream regardless of any commitments they may have made. :roll:
