The first step toward the development of a “downtown Palm Valley” received an early success Wednesday, Feb. 22, with approval of its design and a key zoning variance.
The Palm Valley/Ponte Vedra Architectural Review Committee voted in favor of both requests, 4-1 with chairman Sean Mulhall absent. The public hearing was conducted at the Ponte Vedra Public Library.
The project concerns a mixed-use commercial development at the northwestern corner of North Roscoe Boulevard and Canal Boulevard along the Intracoastal Waterway. The 2.64-acre property would contain three restaurants, two for daytime/evening service and the third, coffee-style serving breakfast.
At the Feb. 22 meeting, applicant Joe Loretta of Halff Associates presented site maps and illustrations of the proposed development.
The two full-service restaurants (7,454 and 6,067 square feet in area) would have 220 and 200 seats and share an outdoor area that could be used for extra dining. The breakfast-style restaurant (2,560 square feet) would have 100 seats. Regulations require the property to have 142 parking spaces, but the developer is planning 144.
The property would have two points of ingress/egress, one on North Roscoe Boulevard and the other on Canal Boulevard.
Though the property is required to provide a 50-foot setback from the road for the buildings, the applicant requested the zoning variance reducing that setback to 30 feet, essentially eliminating a 20-foot buffer. Loretta explained that this would allow the creation of 17 angled parking spaces along the property’s southern border along Canal Boulevard for use by the general public. The spaces would not be reserved solely for restaurant patrons.
This would also allow for a walkway between the spaces and the development.
