County commissioners this week denied approval for a new hotel because of concerns about how the construction will impact the county’s flood rating.
Ben Watkins, who owns the
Franklin Inn in Carrabelle, had requested a variance to build a new hotel on the
site of the old beachcomber Motel.
Flood rules require the hotel
be elevated 15 feet, but Mister Watkins said that would not be financially
viable.
He said he didn’t plan to get
flood insurance on the project and any flood damage the hotel might suffer would
be paid for out of his pocket.
The problem is that if the
county allowed the construction to move forward it would have negatively impacted
the county’s flood rating which currently allows homeowners to enjoy a 15
percent discount on their flood insurance rates.
Approval could have even kept
the county from getting federal disaster assistance after major storms.
The county’s Board of
Adjustment unanimously recommended against approving the project – a
recommendation the county commission unanimously accepted.
Commissioners said Mister
Watkins can still build the hotel he will just have to adhere to the county’s
flood ordinance.
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