Dominion Engineering Group of Jacksonville submitted plans to the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Department for Sentosa Beachwalk, a 348-unit apartment complex within the Beachwalk development underway on County Road 210.
The complex will comprise 11 buildings with a clubhouse and amenity center.
The developer, Twin Creeks Development Associates of Delray Beach, previously received a waiver on parking requirements from the St. Johns Board of County Commissioners to reduce the number of parking spaces as required by the Land Development Code at 2.25 parking spaces per multifamily unit to 1.75 parking spaces per unit.
According to St. Johns County Senior Planner Cynthia May, the applicant submitted a document showing recommended base parking ratios for condominium and rental multifamily land uses broken down to the number of bedrooms per unit, and reflecting local conditions, including the negligible use of public transit and free parking.
These calculations were applied to the proposed Beachwalk apartments showing a parking demand of 1.6 parking spaces per unit.
Another document validated the requested reduction, showing the parking ratios and occupancy levels for seven multifamily communities within the region, with ratios ranging from 1.15 to 2.01 parking spaces per unit.
The applicant further justified the parking reduction, according to May, given the proximity to a proposed commercial center with opportunities for shared parking.
The apartment community will have controlled access for exclusive use by residents and guests.
The developer also said the reduced parking requirement would result in a better community aesthetic with more green space around buildings.
Additional parking could be built later if needed.
Beachwalk is part of the New Twin Creeks Planned Unit Development.
The apartments are in addition to the neighborhood’s planned 761 single-family homes and twin villas and 175,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the north side of County Road 210 between Interstate 95 and Philips Highway.
Other neighborhoods in the PUD include the Beacon Lake and Creekside neighborhoods, both under development.
Combined, the three neighborhoods will include nearly 3,800 single-family homes.
The centerpiece of Beachwalk is the 14-acre, 36 million-gallon Crystal Lagoon complete with a clubhouse, beach club, dog splash park, mini-golf and more. The amenity is open only to the Beachwalk’s single-family home residents.
The apartments would be at County Road 210 and Beachwalk Boulevard, the main entrance of the community.
The managing executive of Twin Creeks Development Associates is John Kinsey.