Flagler planning board backs 119‑acre Seminole Woods mixed‑use PUD, recommends approvals to county commissioners

The Flagler County Planning & Development Board recommended approval of a future land‑use amendment and companion rezoning to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a 119‑acre Seminole Woods Mixed‑Use proposal on Seminole Woods Boulevard.

Simone Kenny, a county planner, told the board the application would reclassify 119 acres from agricultural/timber and commercial low intensity to mixed use high intensity with a parcel‑limiting policy that restricts residential development to an average of no more than seven units per acre. The conceptual master plan presented to the board shows 11.3 acres of commercial, 12 acres for an assisted living facility, 16 acres of townhomes, 22 acres of multifamily, 23 acres of single‑family housing and more than 30 acres preserved for open space.

The applicant’s attorney, Michael Cimento, said county and Palm Coast professional staff and engineers reviewed the project. He told the board that the city of Palm Coast confirmed it has wastewater capacity and that the Live Local Act does not apply to a PUD; applicant‑provided materials included a service availability letter and a Walsh Engineering traffic study dated Oct. 8, 2025. Staff’s worst‑case analysis assumed a 60% residential / 40% commercial split, which the planner said could generate roughly 1,416 net external PM peak‑hour vehicle trips and up to 502 residential units under the theoretical maximum scenario.

Dozens of nearby residents, many from the adjacent Grand Landings community, spoke during the public comment period. Speakers repeatedly raised concerns about traffic congestion on Seminole Woods Boulevard and nearby Route 100, potential loss of tree canopy and neighborhood character, pressure on schools and emergency services, and possible effects on property values. Residents also questioned aspects of the traffic analysis and whether the project could later take advantage of state laws to increase density.

Kenny and Cimento responded that Palm Coast staff reviewed the submitted traffic study and concurred with county staff that Seminole Woods Boulevard has capacity for the projected impacts; they also said that more detailed traffic, school capacity and tree mitigation studies would occur at later site‑plan stages and that the PUD agreement would limit uses to those shown in the conceptual master plan. The planner noted that commercial floor‑area and other totals in the comprehensive‑plan analysis represent a theoretical maximum; the PUD’s governing documents and the site plan will control what can actually be built.

After board discussion, a motion to find the future land‑use amendment consistent with the Flagler County Comprehensive Plan passed by unanimous roll call; the board then separately voted unanimously to recommend approval of the rezoning to a PUD. Both recommendations go to the Board of County Commissioners for final action. The county has not yet set a final decision date for the commission hearing.

The board’s recommendation is advisory; any final development and construction will require PUD site‑plan approvals, additional agency permits, and adherence to the PUD development agreement and concurrency requirements.

Actions: The board voted to recommend approval of project 2025080073 (future land use) and project 2025080074 (rezoning to PUD).