Farmton project gets Volusia approval

September 24, 2009
Staff Report
Daytona Beach News-Journal

A plan that would conserve more than 40,000 acres of remote timberland while establishing a series of developments with 29,500 homes in Volusia and Brevard counties received another approval Tuesday.

Volusia's planning commission unanimously approved the long-term land use change proposed by Miami Corp., a Chicago company that has owned the tree farm in the two counties for more than 80 years. Brevard County's planning agency and county commission approved the plans last week.

The company's next step is the Oct. 15 meeting of the Volusia County Council, which must approve the plan before it's submitted to the state Department of Community Affairs for review.

The plan, called Farmton GreenKey, envisions a development combining homes and businesses in a series of villages between Osteen and Oak Hill where residents could live, work and play. Company spokesman Glenn Storch said most of the development would not occur until after 2025.

Members of the Volusia planning commission quizzed the company's representatives and county planning staff on issues including future water use, management of the land to be set aside for wildlife corridors and requirements being included in the plans for such environmentally friendly measures as compliance with dark sky recommendations for lighting fixtures that reduce light pollution in the night sky.

On Monday, Edgewater officials and the public will hear more about the plans for the Farmton property. The meeting is at 5 p.m. in the Community Center, 102 N. Riverside Drive.

-- Staff Report