Developer achieves land use change for planned large-scale housing project north of Overstreet

The Gulf County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a large-scale map amendment that would allow for the eventual construction of a housing development in the Overstreet area at their most recent regularly scheduled meeting on October 25.

The move converted the future use of 3,365 acres of property along County Road 386 between Jarrott Daniels Road and Pleasant Rest Road from agricultural to residential use.

“This tells me something’s gonna start taking place, and it’s not gonna happen overnight,” said Commissioner Ward McDaniel. “But over a long span of time, you’re gonna see a lot of houses out there…”

“This is a good thing to do… take it out of ag and it puts it on a higher rate on the tax rolls.”

The developer, Double Adar Holdings LLC, was formed in February at an address on Cape San Blas. Their registered agent is Hartman Law Firm, P.A. — the Tallahassee law firm owned by Daniel Hartman, the attorney for the city of Apalachicola.

Jack Husband with Southeastern Consulting Engineers, represented Double Adar Holdings LLC at the meeting.

“It’s it’s understood that the municipal water and sewer would be required to achieve a density of four density units per acre. If both water and sewer are not made available, that density will be two density units per acre,” he told the commissioners.

“Along with that, wetlands will still be done at their 20% rate.”

Husband informed the commissioners that the Gulf District Schools School Board, Consolidated Communications, St. Joe Gas and the Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative had all written letters stating the proposed development was within their capacities.

The development, if constructed, is estimated to bring an additional 914 students to the school district. An additional 2,431 p.m. peak hour two-way trips were estimated should the development be completed, meaning there would be no change to the area’s service level through the state’s Department of Transportation.

On October 18, the Gulf County Planning, Development and Review Board unanimously voted to approve Double Adar’s land use change request.

Though the county commissioners voted to uphold the PDRB’s ruling, there will be more required steps before construction on the development can begin.

“One reason that we do want to change the land use all at one time is to allow us then to go back and work on our master plan, and as Jack (Husband) mentioned, work on water, sewer, develop overall utilities… and then once we start the actual development, what we’d like to do is come back coordinate with the county on that,” say Ray Greer, a city planner who is involved with the project.

County Administrator Michael Hammond stated that there would also be the additional requirement of a Development of Regional Impact Review should the development exceed 499 lots, defined as any future division of the parcel.