OPINION: Here's a rare sight. A massive new Florida development gets voted down.

It seems that big developers don't win every fight in Florida. A proposal that would have added as many as 8,000 homes to the small city of Bunnell in Flagler County was shot down in a 3-2 vote by the city commission after residents rebelled at the Monday, June 9 meeting.
The commission was considering whether to approve a massive new 2,800-acre development known as the Reserve at Haw Creek. The project developer was asking for permission from the five-member commission to build between 6,000 and 8,000 homes, which would increase the population of Bunnell many times over.
The 2020 census put Bunnell's population at 3,276 residents.
"It was a great evening!" wrote Jerelyn M. Daly on social media. "We actually had one on the board change his mind and said No!!! After the public spoke. That was the game changer!"
Voting against the proposal were commissioners John Rogers, David Atkinson, and Pete Young. Voting in favor were Mayor Catherine Robinson and Dean Sechrist, reported Daly. According to WESH-TV there were hours of public comment as the meeting went well into the night.
The development is described as a mixed-use community including residential, commercial, light industrial, emergency support services, parks and recreation, and conservation. Housing types will range from affordable to market rate, and include single-family homes, townhomes, garden homes, and condominiums.
A village center is proposed that will provide "a mixture of neighborhood and community services, retail and commercial spaces, parks and trails, public services, and amenities," according to the proposed plan.
The applicant for the zoning change is Northeast Florida Developers LLC of Jacksonville. The property owner is JM Properties X LLC, of Palm Coast. The property is located between State Road 11, State Highway 100 West, County Road 302, and County Road 65.
Residents were concerned about traffic, flooding, the environment, and myriad other possible impacts.
Not all residents are opposed. At a workshop in January, two members of the public spoke in favor of the development. Dan Wilcox, a local cattle rancher, told the News-Journal, “We need this development. It will allow us a more diverse population, a better base to draw our funds from, and) a better market to work from."
Chad Grimm, president of Northeast Florida Builders, told the News-Journal that he and his firm had worked with Bunnell officials for nearly two years to try to craft a development that would work for the city.
But if you get the feeling this fight isn't over, you are right. The developers have 30 days to appeal the decision.