Palm Coast Resort & Marina, Palm Harbor Golf Course Condos – Latest Plan Update
Anyone who lived in Palm Coast before 2006 likely has a personal Palm Coast Resort story. I have several. Another chapter in the resort’s checkered history is about to be written.
PALM COAST, FL – October 16, 2019 – Another chapter in the history of Palm Coast Resort is about to be written. Atlanta-based Jacoby Development has submitted plans for two new developments in Palm Coast. One will involve the redevelopment of the Palm Coast Resort & Marina. The second involves construction of condominiums adjoining the Palm Harbor Golf Course.
PALM COAST RESORT & MARINA – 2005
When Shirley and I first visited Palm Coast in January 2000, Lowe Development owned and operated the 154-room Palm Coast Resort & Marina as well as the four original Palm Coast golf courses; Palm Harbor, Matanzas Woods, Pine Lakes, and Cypress Knoll. They were also developing Grand Haven at the time.
Coincidentally, Lowe, as Lowe Destination Resorts, also owned and operated Wild Dunes, near Charleston, S.C., where we lived. It prompted our Palm Coast visit to check out Grand Haven. Lowe offered reduced rates for a room at the resort plus two rounds of golf on Grand Haven’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. The weekend’s unplanned result; we bought a lot in Grand Haven and decided to get married. We’ve been in Palm Coast since.
Lowe subsequently sold Grand Haven, and three of the golf original courses to Landmar Group but kept the resort, marina, and Palm Harbor course. In early 2005, the newly formed city of Palm Coast approved a plan to redevelop the resort property to include an 8-story, 209-unit condominium hotel, three condominium buildings (one 6-story and two 8-story) totaling 169 condominium units and a multi-level parking garage. The 84-slip marina would be maintained, but the existing hotel would be raised.
Two months later, Lowe sold the Palm Coast Resort and Palm Harbor Golf Course to Centex Homes for $38M. Centex planned to develop the properties under the Centex Destination Properties banner. The resort would be redeveloped according to Lowe’s approved plan. Palm Harbor would be closed, redesigned, and reconstructed by Jack Nicklaus Golf.
Centex had grand plans for a multi-location destination resort in Palm Coast that would have included a resort component at Cinnamon Beach, Marineland, Tidelands, Palm Coast Resort, Canopy Walk, and Bulow Shores (on John Anderson), plus the Palm Harbor Golf Course and the Ocean Course (now part of the Hammock Beach Resort). A water taxi would transport guests between the resort’s ICW venues.
Palm Harbor Golf Course was closed, and its clubhouse demolished. The resort hotel was leveled, and several magnificent old oak trees were removed. Late on the last night that Henry’s (the resort’s bar) was open and after helping to deplete the last of the resort’s single-malt scotch inventory, Shirley and I joined several friends and other Henry’s patrons in a fully clothed swim in the resort pool.
PALM COAST RESORT & MARINA – POST DEMOLITION 2006
The first of the three planned condominium buildings and the multi-level parking garage were completed before the real estate market collapsed. Simultaneously, Bobby Ginn was developing Yacht Harbor Village across the Intracoastal Waterway, which included a multi-level condominium. A rumor was floated around at the time that Ginn’s condo building was slowly sinking. I’ve been told that the rumor was started by someone on the Centex condominium sales team.
When the bubble burst, Centex decided it could no longer proceed with its Palm Coast vision and chose to divest its local holdings, but two issues were particularly problematic. The once lauded concept of condo hotels had faded. The business model was difficult to sustain. Centex approached the city with a request to amend the Palm Course Resort development order to remove the “condo-hotel” designation, allowing the development of a traditional hotel while also giving more flexibility in the allocation of hotel rooms and condominium units.
PALM COAST RESORT & MARINA – TODAY
The second problematic issue got in Centex’s way. The Palm Harbor course was in shambles and nearby residents were becoming increasingly strident in their complaints. The iron was hot, and Palm Coast struck. Centex got their resort development order amendment (with reduced density) but only after agreeing to convey the Palm Harbor course to the city.
The city spent roughly $5M to reconstruct Palm Harbor. It was reopened as a municipal course in November 2009. Ironically, Grand Haven’s Jack Nicklaus Signature course, fully operational with a large clubhouse, was sold only two years later for only $1.5M.
Centex was finally able to sell the partially developed resort property & marina and its property approved for condominium development surrounding Palm Harbor Golf Course, to Jacoby in December 2016 for $5.5M.
Any Jacoby plan would likely face at least two hurdles. First, the Centex plan for condominiums around the golf course would have resulted in the loss of the course’s practice area, creating an expected backlash from not only nearby residents, but also golfers. Second, the resort’s marina has grown old. It is run down and in desperate need of a costly upgrade, costly enough to make a hotel operator or resort developer shy away.
PALM HARBOR CONDOMINIUMS – CENTEX SITE PLAN
The plan the city is now fast-tracking addresses both issues. It will reduce the number of condominium units at the golf course location from 16 buildings containing 159 condo units to 5 buildings and only 120 units. The practice area will be preserved as will an area for a restaurant/Pro Shop, expanded cart storage, and additional parking.
PALM HARBOR CONDOMINIUMS – PROPOSED JACOBY SITE PLAN
The new resort plan increases the total of residential hotel/residential units from 306 to 318 but conveys the marina to the city. The developer will get credit for approximately $1M in previously paid but unused impact fees. To address the marina upgrade, the city has access to bonding and potential grant funding unavailable to a private developer.
HARBORSIDE AT PALM COAST RESORT – PROPOSED JACOB SITE PLAN
This looks like a win for Jacoby as well as for Palm Coast.
Traffic
What will this do to traffic on Clubhouse? Will the new units and resort be emptying out onto this road?
Golf course project
Fifteen to five buildings with only thirty nine units less. The building will be much larger. Also the infrastructure for this area is not going to handle 120 units. Also both projects should be bonded so the projects will be completed with start and completion dates so that the project will be completed in a timely manner. I feel that the golf course property should have not have been divided up the way it is now done by the town engineers before the town became incorporated.
None
This sounds like this may be of interesting views I would really like to take a very good closer look at as well as to maybe talk about!
None
Again I can’t wait to hear new and fresh ideas concerning this county. Thanks, for giving me your time God Bless us all.
Buy condo
I’d like to know if these condos will be sold to the public or for rental
All projects
I think with the volitity of market and the previous housing and development by large contractors that the town should be more cautious so they don’t get left holding the responsibility for completing projects like what happened in the past. As I was told once buyer beware. All plans by developers should be carefully reviewed
None
This should be a very interesting time to spend someone whom is so creative!
Parking
Is the existing parking garage going to be used for the restaurants , hotel and the residential units?
layout concern
The new lay out moves the marina operations to the east side of the entire marina. The gas pumps are along the north side. Doesn’t seem logical to have the office moved unless the operations center is for something else. Having a restaurant and retail buildings on the west side of the boat slips makes it difficult for anyone with a boat there, to have easy access to their boats. Why 2 restaurants?
That is not Palm Coast Parkway, but Palm Harbor Parkway.
Hope there is a plan to redo the docks & pilings as well as return power and water to the sides.
I would think a boat launch ramp would also be redone as the existing one has been closed for years.
Neighborhood Mtg from JDI Palm Coast, LLC
Hi
I just received via snail mail the notification of a Neighborhood Meeting.
Letter reads:
October 10, 2019
8200 Roberts Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30350
RE: Neighborhood Meeting
Dear Neighbor,
Dickinson Consulting, Inc.is working on Palm Harbor Golf Master Development Plan which is the first step in the rezoning of the property. Attached is the Site Concept Plan to illustrate how the proposed MPD Zoning could develop for presentation at the Neighborhood Meeting.
The City of Palm Coast Land Development Code (LDC) requires the applicant to hold a Neighborhood Meeting to review the property Site Concept Plan and answer any questions. You are being notified because you are a property within 300 feet of our property as required by the City’s LDC. The additional steps of review will be future meetings of City of Palm Coast Planning and development Review Board and two Palm Coast City Council Meetings.
Below is the information on the meeting:
What: Neighborhood Meeting to discuss the Site Concept Plan
Where Palm Coast Community Center
Room 112
305 Palm Coast Parkway N. E.
Palm Coast, Florida 32137
When Thursday,October 24, 2019 at 6:00 o’clock PM
We hope to see you at the meeting to discuss the property Site Concept Plan.
Sincerely
Robert E. Dickinson, FLA
Dickinson Consulting, Inc.
Relatedly…of late, as a Palm Coast Pioneer, I have been working for and Helping Dr. Elaine Studnicki in identifying slides for her. I offered this, only for her, because I’ve seen her Administration/ Supervision/ Leadership Skills first hand. I spend hours after hour, day after day, slide in…identify..label …slide out…only for her.
For the newer Palm Coasters she is the new City of Palm Coast Historical Society Historian. Her task is more than overwhelming….but she continues usually with a smile on her face and words of encouragement. She needed items for the first exhibit..Palm Coast First Homes…my house was stripped..and BLAM..she put together a nice exhibit. My boatload of grandchildren and I…even little Daphne..only three yrs. old..rode her training wheel bicycle and we all walked miles and miles districuting by hand delivery notices of this Museum Exhibit. I think over 100 saw the exhibit. Presently, Dr. Studnicki is having a ‘ Garfield ‘ exhibit…again, only because of Dr. Studnicki..my house was stripped again of Garfields Historical Items. I had Two Garfield telephone..and gave her on as a small thank you for what things she has been doing.
Relatedly…I have Palm Coast First Official Historical Marker. You may have seen it on Clark Lane; presently I am working on the paperwork for application for the National Registry of Historic Sites of the United STates of America. I work directly with the Bureau Chief and her staff since they are guiding me with paperwork for the ‘ National Registry ‘. To show you how much I respect Dr. Elaine Studnicki…I temporarily have set aside the massive amount of work I must do for the National Registry…and I work for her as a Volunteer…slide after slide..slide after slide.
This may never be the Louvre or the Smithsonian ( btw..the Smithsonian Contacted me and I have been sending them the items they ask for – it is in the Levittown / Palm Coast secton of The Smithsonian ) so yes, it may never be the Smithsonian..but with Elaines hard work…in time it will be very High Quality and I’m sure you will see the results of her efforts.
To see the ‘ Garfield ‘ display:
Festivities begin at 11:30 am at the Historical Society new museum headquarters located in a corner section of Holland Park. A dedication ceremony will be held to unveil Garfield the Turtle to his new habitat. From 1-3pm at the Palm Coast Community Center the ovservance will continue with several highlights.
I regret that my work for Dr. Elaine is only temporary because I really have to address the National Registry of the United States paperwork. It is overwhelming and a long long long process.
You can understand that for me to put on hold temporarily ..to help , slide after slide…because Dr. Studnicki is giving her entire being to the Museum. Anyone interested in helping her lighten her task please contact her.
And yes..I would walk and walk and walk with my boatload of grandkids as we did to keep Palm Coast informed as best as we could at that time..again..for her, my way of saying ‘ Thank You Elaine ‘.
I hope you Palm Coasters are proud of all this.
Thank you.
P.S. as an aside-tho’ I understand the 300 ft thing, but, geesh shouldn’t the Mens Golf Group Members and the Womens Golf Group Members of the Golf Club as a courtesy been informed of this meeting?
Again, ‘Thank You’.
Entrance/Egress
Legacy Time shares, Palm Coast Resort, Marina, Hotel and Restaurant will all empty out on to Palm Harbor Pkwy. If we had an evacuation of this area for storms.etc. it would take forever to leave. Could we have another entrance/exit in Legacy?
EVERY PROPERTY THAT SURROUNDS THE GOLF COURSE AREA
To Neighbors in the surrounding areas of the Palm Harbor Golf Course
Dear Neighbor,
The City and a developer are looking to make a deal that will put FIVE HUGE 3 story multi-family apartment buildings on the golf course. Adverse effects will be thrust upon ALL SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS of the Palm Harbor Golf Course if this deal goes through!
An initial meeting is being held Thursday, October 24, at the Community Center in room 112 at 6pm. The City only requires notification to be sent to residents within 300 feet of the proposed development(!). There is also a VERY IMPORTANT MEETING of the City Planning Board on November 20 at City Hall.
The City has remained silent about this purposed rezoning and HAS NOT notified ANYONE in the surrounding neighborhoods bordering the golf course of their intentions.
WITH ALL OF THE AVAILABLE LAND CURRENTLY FOR SALE IN THE CITY OF PALM COAST THERE IS NO NEED TO “SHOE HORN” A PROJECT WITH 5 HUGE APARTMENT BUILDINGS INTO AN AREA OF BEAUTIFUL ESTABLISHED HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS OF PALM HARBOR,COVINGTON PARK AND THE OAKS AS WELL AS THE OTHER SURROUNDING SUBDIVISIONS!!
The special exemption that was given to Centex to build on the driving range has expired ! The driving range property is currently Zoned for a Golf Course. The owner is now legally UNABLE to build on the land and wants to give the City the Driving Range area in exchange for rezoning the property along Cooper Drive near the existing Club House/Restaurant area in the heart of the Golf Course ! He wants to build FIVE HUGE 3 STORY APARTMENT BUILDINGS in that area!!!!
Instead of inflicting all of these totally Unwanted and Unnecessary changes in Our Community, Our Lives, Our Wildlife, and Our Property it is imperative that the City purchase the driving range land in order to gain 100% ownership and control of the Golf Course !!
The job of our Elected Officials in our City is to work in the best interest of our Tax Paying Citizens and our Beloved City of Palm Coast.!! This purposed Rezoning of the Golf Course DOES NOT ADHERE TO THAT RESPONSIBILITY !!
If the owner refuses to sell the property at a Fair Price it could be obtained with the use of the FLORIDA “EMINENT DOMAIN” PROCEDURES. The current owner of this property knew what he was getting into when he bought this land. He’s a Professional Developer that knows all the trick and how to “Strong Arm” City Officials into this BAD DEAL !!
The developer doesn’t live around here and he couldn’t care less about the surrounding community and I’m starting to believe neither does our Elected Officials !! He wants to make a Bundle of Cash on this BAD DEAL and then move on to the “MARINA PROJECT” at Club House Drive and Palm Harbor Parkway to “MAKE ANOTHER BUNDLE” as part of the Golf Course Deal.
EVERY PROPERTY IN THE SURROUNDING GOLF COURSE AREA HAS BEEN DEVALUED OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE GOLF COURSE’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE !THESE CHANGES WILL DESTROY EVERYONE’S PROPERTY VALUE IN THE AFFECTED AREAS……. BUT OUR TAXES GO UP!
For the last 14 years local homeowners have been agonizing about the fate of their properties!. Also during the last 14 years at various times the tax paying citizens have expressed their opinions at town meetings and the vast majority of them don’t want any thing built on the golf course! They want their golf course and their driving range! This has been a long ongoing battle that need to be finalized with an outcome in favor of surrounding communities KEEP OUR GOLF COURSE Zoned as a Golf Course and not a MEGA 3 STORY APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT !!
As well as the golf course project the city is also simultaneously actively pursuing the possibility of OWNERSHIP of the marina located near Palm Harbor Parkway and Club House Drive . Before the city embarks on the pursuit of MARINA OWNERSHIP, they should have complete ownership and control of the golf course property and strive to make all necessary improvements to it before embarking on a MARINA project!
That would put an end to the 14 year old golf course debacle, make the citizens happy. Also the city management can be proud they did their job and really did something GREAT that benefits the entire city !
BELOW IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE GOLF COURSE REZONING PROPOSAL
1) The FIVE 3 story apartment/condo buildings purposed do not fit in with the Historical Architecture that surrounds the Golf Course. The 5 apartment buildings will also take away the ambience and natural surroundings that keeps golfers coming back to enjoy the course, it’s beauty and wildlife.
2) The Extreme amount of traffic especially in the PALM HARBOR neighborhood located on Cooper Lane and Casper Lane and the subdivisions of THE OAKS and COVINGTON PARK on Palm Harbor Drive will increase by hundreds and hundreds of vehicles everyday. This will create much traffic congestion, safety issues, noise and air pollution. All other surrounding neighborhoods will experience much of this also! WE DON’T WANT AN ENDLESS FLOW OF VEHICLES ON OUR QUIET STREETS! !We don’t want to end up with the problem of an endless flow of traffic similar to the unfixable situation currently plaguing Florida Park Drive.!!.
3) The current sewage system in surrounding neighborhoods is inadequate now for the amount of waste to dispose of and process. This purposed project will overload our current system and cause possible back-ups of raw sewage in our neighborhoods.
4) There will be trespassers on the course after closing, foot traffic, and people walking animals on the golf course and in our back yards. A lot of this will occur after golf course hours and there is also a real possibility of an increase of crime in our neighborhoods.
5) WE NEED TO HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY INITIATED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT TO OUR LIVES,THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR BELOVED WILDLIFE. There are nests of OWLS,OSPREY, HAWKS and GOPHER TURTLES and other wildlife in the proximity of the new buildings, all of which will be which will be displaced or adversely impacted by construction.
Thank you for you interest in this and I hope together we can make our Palm Harbor neighborhoods a better place for everyone to live!
sold out
Toby you have sold out to your advertisers
Great history lesson
Despite the controversies, one just has to be impressed with Toby’s history of the whole area involved in these projects and in his website in general. As a Realtor, I don’t always agree with his opinions – but I do always respect his heart and his love for his craft in telling the Palm Coast real estate stories as he sees them.
Hi
Hello Toby,
We like your articel and your haircut.
One more thing:
Come back to Tuesday nights.
He said he apologiesed – forgive him and come back
Lots of Love, Paul
Smithsonian and Palm Coast – Criteria
Dear George Edward Chuddy, Jr.,
Thank you for contacting the Smithsonian, where you can explore, discover, and create every day. I apologize for the delay in responding.
Thank you also for your generous offer to donate your objects to the Smithsonian. Each museum and curatorial department decides on a case-by-case basis which objects to add to their collections. Donations are accepted only when the item truly complements the collection. We also consider whether we can properly care for an intended donation, as our collections are held in trust for the American people.
In order to make such decisions, our curators will need a few images of the objects you wish to donate, along with as much background information as you have. Once you provide the images and information, we will forward them to the appropriate staff for consideration.
Sincerely,
Eric Grace
Office of Visitor Services
Smithsonian
Smithsonian – location
For those Palm Coaster visiting ‘The Smithsonian’ – this is where the Chair of The Smithsonian told me this collection is located:
Hi George,
The materials are at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Division of Home and Community Life, Room 4127.
Bill
William H. Yeingst
Chair, Division of Home and Community Life
National Museum of American History
MRC 615, P.O. Box 37012
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
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I hope you are proud of our efforts – Again, Dr. Elaine Studnicki really could use help at the Palm Coast Museum. Thank You.!