GREEN COVE SPRINGS — After nearly 10 months of back-and-forth negotiating and studies, the City Council on Tuesday finally approved the 112-acre Huntley Commerce on the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 17 and State Road 17, which has been abandoned since 2010.

Developers HLM Investments of Orange Park first approached the council last September to have the property rezoned from mixed-use to Industrial to build an industrial and commercial park. The council repeatedly said they needed more information, including traffic studies and types of industries, before they could consider any changes.

After several months of council requests, including frontage design, entrances, lighting, buffering, mechanical equipment screening and signage compliance, Kelly Hartwig of Cypress Management and Design seemed to quiet most of the council’s concerns about piles of aggregate debris left on the property. He said the only material allowed would be washed granite, and it would be no higher than 28 feet. Since the buildings were 40 feet tall, they wouldn’t be visible.

The council agreed, and both sides said the council needed to approve any other materials in advance.

Development Services Director Michael Daniels said another traffic study must be completed once school starts. That intersection is considered one of the busiest in the city.

“We know traffic is going to be an issue with the current uses,” Mayor Steven Kelley said. “The maximum densities and uses and intensities that can happen on that corner that are allowed by right currently would be more intense, as far as a traffic load on that intersection than what would be proposed here technically, because there's no approval.”

In other business, Police Chief E.J. Guzman announced Nick Nulon's promotion to the rank of Sergeant.