By DOTTY NIST
Walton County, Fla— Among items before the Walton County Planning Commission on July 14 were a proposal for the expansion of the WaterColor Crossings Publix in Seagrove and associated amendment.
The meeting took place at the South Walton Annex.
A staff report provided to the planning commissioners outlined the PUD/DRI amendment as a proposal “to amend the WaterColor PUD/DRI Commercial Allocation by adding 7,800 sq. feet of shopping center and 1,698 sq. ft. of commercial to cover the difference between the current as built survey of the existing buildings and the allowed amount permitted by development order 1468 (WaterColor Crossing Development), for a revised total addition of 9,498 sq. ft. to bring the commercial entitlements (not including office) to 89,498 sq. ft. for the total proposed commercial amendment to the WaterColor PUD/DRI.”
Of the 7,800 square foot addition, 2,802 square feet would be used for storage, according to the report. The parcel containing the shopping center is 6.51 acres.
Renee Bradley, Walton County senior planner, told the planning commissioners that a letter from the state Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) had indicated that the amendment would not represent a substantial change to the DRI—and that staff analysis had also found the proposed change to be nonsubstantial.
“All the addition is to the Publix supermarket,” Jesse Rigby, a representative for the applicant stated. He also maintained that the proposed amendment would not require a Notice of Proposed Change (NOPC) procedure due to it meeting the criteria for an E-1 change exception for the DRI.
“No additional impacts other than traffic are foreseen on the surrounding properties,” according to the staff report, which quantified that impact as a 1.1 percent increase, or an increase of 18 peak hour trips. A proportional fair share amount of $16,070 is being required in connection with that impact.
The proposed amendment was approved with all aye votes.
Due to most details on the expansion being presented along with the amendment, there was only brief discussion of the expansion proposal itself. Bradley commented that, of the approximately 7,800 square feet being added to the building, approximately 5,000 square feet would be retail space.
Drawings provided for the meeting showed new retail space in front between the Publix and adjacent buildings on either side of the store, a storage addition, new receiving area and delivery dock on the left side, and to the right side, a new canopy and covered connector to the adjacent building. They also showed a new receiving area and dock to the rear of the store, along with a new retail and storage building.
Planning Commissioner Nina Horn expressed concern about impacts on the parking lot, which currently gets crowded. No additional parking was proposed. Michelle Baker, an engineer for the applicant, commented that the parking meets county code standards currently and with the expansion.
Horn’s motion for approval, with a recommendation for county commissioners to examine parking for the expansion, was approved with all aye votes.
Also at the July 14 meeting, the board members voted to recommend approval of New Bama Steel, a 7,000-square-foot warehouse/office building proposed for a half-acre lot on Serenoa Road in the South Walton Commerce Park PUD.
In other action, there was also a board vote to recommend approval of the Indian Woman Road Lot Subdivision, providing for two single-family lots on one acre containing two homes to be divided.
Continued to the planning commission’s Aug. 11 meeting was Highland House Bed & Breakfast’s request for change of use to a bed and breakfast with restaurant open to the public.
Planning commission decisions are presented as recommendations to the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) prior to the agenda items being taken up for a final decision by the BCC in public session.