RESULTS - DECEMBER 14 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
At the request of NVR, Inc., parent company of Ryan Homes, NVHomes, and Heartland Homes, City Council held a December 14 workshop at City Hall to discuss possible changes to the Esperanza Planned Unit Development (PUD) approved in 2007 and located off Little River Neck Road. The residential development was never constructed. At the workshop, NVR, Inc. introduced their proposed Hope Pointe Planned Development District (PDD) for the same property. What used to be referred to as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) is now referred to as a Planned Development District (PDD).
NVR, Inc. representatives offered that the 65-acre Esperanza PUD allows for a mixture of townhouses, condominiums, and single-family homes with an overall density of 375 units. Their proposed Hope Pointe PDD would include similar housing options but residential density would decrease to 251 units from the original 375 units. Single-family lots would be about 6,200 square feet, and homes would range in size from 1,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet.
The proposed Hope Pointe PDD mirrors the 2007 Esperanza PUD design intent with regard to circulation, and the significant buffers between Riverside and Tidewater Plantation would remain unchanged. NVR, Inc. proposes including 31 acres of open space in its Hope Pointe PDD.
A proposed change in the small neighborhood commercial component approved for the Esperanza PUD would introduce a ship store along the Intracoastal Waterway. The commercial component would occur when half the development is complete. A dock permit is already in place.
As new residential development projects come online they increase the City’s population and this affects the use of beachfront parking, parks and recreation offerings, and other population-sensitive amenities. In the Esperanza PUD, the developer agreed to provide $400,000.00 plus $1,000.00 for each permitted residential unit to help the City address these impacts. Other residential developments in the City have similar agreements.
In the proposed Hope Pointe PDD, the developer proposes a contribution of $264,000 plus $300 per permitted residential unit. The developer bases their proposed reduction in contributions largely on the reduced residential density of their proposed project. City Council members stressed to the developer that they would not accept that level of reduction in contributions and additional negotiation will occur.
Other topics generally explored during the workshop included water and sewer capacity for this and other potential projects along Little River Neck Road, the road’s daily vehicle capacity, the potential for adding turn lanes into new developments, and the potential for widening the roadway on either side at certain locations in order to accommodate turn lanes. Mayor Marilyn Hatley asked the City’s public works staff to provide additional information to Council on these topics for use during future discussions with NVR, Inc.
To access the visual presentation offered by the developer at the Council workshop, please visit: https://www.nmb.us/DocumentCenter/View/1445/HOPE-POINTE