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Palm Coast Will Spend $200,000 To Add “Palm Coast” Sign On I-95 Overpass, Double Original Estimate

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palm coast i-95 sign
A sign of insecurity.

Palm Coast government will spend $200,000 to add letters that spell “Palm Coast” on either side of the I-95 overpass at Palm Coast Parkway. The amount is two to four times as much money as City Manager Jim Landon had estimated when he first presented the proposal to the City Council last year. The cost is still an estimate, so it may yet go up.


Landon presented the idea to the council in March 2016 and again last Tuesday, now that the council has three new members. As has become routine with Landon, he presented the matter with key omissions, and by stating, vaguely, that it was “something that previous council asked us to put together.”

In fact, while the previous council had shown interest in the proposal, there was concern about the cost, and the council made very clear that it wanted to know whether the Florida Department of Transportation would approve.

 “It sounds to me like the least costly part of the project will be to see if DOT will approve it at all,” then-Mayor Jon Netts said at the time. “Let’s not go out and buy letters if we’re not going to put them up.”

 “We don’t want to do that, unless you all are going to say yes, at least let’s take a look at it, that’s all we’re asking for now,” Landon said. The consensus Netts received was “at least to look at it,” but not yet to approve it, or, as Landon put it to the council this week, to “put it together” as a done deal, though he went even further than that Tuesday: “We’re at that stage where we’re going to spend some money, get approval, so once again don’t really need city council’s approval at this time,” Landon said, “but didn’t want to go through this whole process, go out to bid etc., unless you all were still on board.”

“We’re estimating somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000,” Landon had told the previous council.

Having somewhat deceptively framed the issue as something to which a previous council had given its go ahead, Landon then mumbled the cost of the project as an estimate of $200,000, as other council members were speaking, so the figure did not get much attention. Landon never mentioned the estimate he had given the previous council.

“We’re estimating somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000,” Landon had told the previous council. Carl Cote, the city’s chief engineer, said at the time that he couldn’t get a more precise figure. Jason DeLorenzo, one of the council members who’s since left, liked the idea, but said at the time: “I’m a little concerned about—that’s a big gap, $50,000 to $100,000, but I understand the issue.”

Department of Transportation approval has still not been secured for what will be 4-foot letters on either side of the overpass. The letters will be lit at night, and braced to the grill-like fence that runs along the overpass. When presenting the idea to the council in March 2016, Landon had given as an example the similar lettering at a Jacksonville overpass and at an Orlando overpass.

Those letters at the Orlando overpass were blown away by Hurricane Irma and are no longer there. There is no timeline for their restoration, though the city told News 13 it intends to put them back.

The state Transportation Department does not pay for such cosmetics. “The City had set aside some money from our Street Improvement Fund for contingency,” Cindi Lane, the city’s spokesperson, said, referring to contingency during the six-laning of Palm Coast Parkway, “and that money wasn’t spent. So we have the funding needed – the $200,000.”

Money from the street fund is discretionary and would normally be spent on street improvements, on repaving, on paths, or on sidewalks rather than on beautification “branding.”

Just a few weeks ago some council members, echoing a clamor for it among residents there, sought to have a temporary sidewalk installed along Old Kings Road in the F Section a few weeks ago. Landon pushed back hard against the suggestion, saying a foot path under FPL powerlines was in the works and would do the job, even though many residents object to the footpath. One of the objections to building a temporary path along Old Kings Road: the cost. Landon never mentioned the $200,000 contingency dollars that were never spent, but available, from the four-laning project, and killed the idea of an alternative when he announced that the contract for the foot path had already been awarded.  

None of that context, none of the history or the previous dollar figures were part of Tuesday’s discussion, though two council members—Steven Nobile and Heidi Shipley—were on the council during the March 2016 discussion.

Nobile, normally a fiscal hawk—and the council member most angered by Landon’s crafty maneuvering to outflank him during the FPL footpath controversy—was the most enthusiastic supporter of the lettering on the parkway overpass. He said he used to drive to Jacksonville daily, and was impressed by that city’s big letters. (They’re 5-foot tall.) The Jacksonville sign was added in 2004 as part of the $22 million interchange project at I-95 and St. Augustine Road. It appears only on the south side of the highway.

jim landon
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon. (© FlaglerLive)

“It just changed how you looked at when you were driving up in there,” Nobile said. “It’s like, you are entering Jacksonville, you know what I mean? It’s like Disneyland’s arch. I think it’s a great idea and a great use of our dollars.”

“We get quite often when people drive up to Jacksonville, how come we can’t have one of those, kind of comments,” Landon had said last year.

Mayor Milissa Holland did not address the sign directly, but pointed to the water tower sign as Palm Coast’s identifier through the years—ironically, the very thing that has “branded” the town for two decades quite effectively. “It’s always very strange to me,” Holland said of people she’s spoken to over the years, “they’re like oh, we see this blue water tower, its logo, what is Palm Coast, you know? They don’t know what Palm Coast is, but once they come here, it’s like they never leave, which is good. There’s always that story there.”

A lot of people, Landon claims, “don’t have a way to know” where they are except for the water tower.

That’s not quite true. If there’s one thing “branding”-obsessed Palm Coast has never failed to advertise, especially during the Landon years, it’s been its insecurity about its name, plastering it on innumerable (and expensive) signs around town, on city limit signs on U.S. 1 and I-95, and through other means. Drivers would have to go out of the way—literally—to be unable to know where they are, driving north or south on I-95, as they pass Palm Coast, given the city’s gargantuan sign on its equally gargantuan water tower, Palm Coast City Limit signs at either end of town, highway signs announcing that the next three exits are Palm Coast exits, the exits themselves, one of them featuring the name of Palm Coast Parkway, and the further, marbled Palm Coast signs that jut from the landscape as drivers get off the highway.

Cote said the lettering project is still at the conceptual stage. “The next step is to submit it to DOT to get their approval on the concept,” he said, following which will be the engineering and design phases to put bid documents together and get final approval from DOT.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Derek Deez says

    What an absolute waste of money. We already have a giant blue water tower that has Palm Coast painted on it. Why is this necessary? Couldn’t 200k be spent a little more productively?

  14. Also a Florida Voter says

    I’m not sure that Palm Coast can afford 2 more years of Landon’s estimates. Can’t wait for the election to vote out the 3 that decided to keep him. This is ridiculous!!!

  15. Resident says

    Hmmm, a guess here folks, but I bet Landon took care of this ….. somebody better be checking the checker and the bank account!

  31. Linda Purdy says

    The asses can’t stop spending. The tax payers say no to buildings but yet they do it anyhow! They all need to be replaced with officials that won’t spend. Can them all!!!!!

  42. woody says

    No surprised once Landon’s name came up.We need that sign like we need another leaky roof city hall.

  43. deb says

    most everyone I know who travels I-95 knows where Palm Coast is thanks to the big blue water tower that has been in place since Palm Coast was a city. Get rid of Landon, we can’t afford him any longer!!!

  67. George Chambers says

    Think Flagler County needs an investigative reporter to find out why all these officials keep spending money on things that don’t benefit the general public. They buy failing properties to bail out bad contracts, they give contracts to mmmm people in the “club”, they are completely overpaid in almost every department relative to other local politicians etc. it goes on and on.

  73. Michael Boileau says

    Read the city council agenda and voice your opinion at the meeting when they make these decisions. You can also email your council members and mayor.
    Your opinion counts, so let it be heard.
    Good luck and best wishes.

  75. Erica Monique Mulvihill says

    That is ridiculous there are way better things that need to be in palm coast for the thousands of children there more specifically the teens. There needs to be a YMCA center there with lots of activities and things for kids to do .

  78. Fred Mills Jr says

    Just curious…to my knowledge, the federal exit signs on I-95 say something to the effect of Exit # XXX Palm Coast, 1 mile, on both ends of our county…How is this going to make any difference at all??

  81. KMedley says

    Double the original estimate; yet, We the people are not educated enough to overcome the extreme learning curve of the charter review. Our council voted for Landon’s raise, insured his golden parachute and are now governed by his dictate regarding his eventual departure. Three automatic NO votes on council. What an ROI for JW.

  83. Jennifer Mendoza says

    $200,000?!?! Ffs I’m pretty sure you can find those letters at hobby lobby or Michael’s and with a 40% coupon!!! We need LIGHTS AND SIDEWALKS on streets not random places no one walks ever!!

  90. Jaycee Adams says

    Explain to me how it’s even possible for something like this to cost more than a few hundred dollars? If I can deliver such a sign for one tenth the cost you’re preparing to pay ($20,000), will you give me the contract?

  92. Margaret Anns says

    There are a few factors. For so long Flagler was run by the ‘Good Ol Boys’ and after the past 15 years or so that all started to change. I thought things would get better. It is not. Just a shift in the bureaucracy which is not any better. Don’t get me wrong this is a beautiful place on earth

  98. Debra Carlin says

    Not sure why you have to announce Palm Coast. There are several signs on the highway as well as the water tower. Not to mention the PC neon sign on 95 south has blown over many times and the palm tree is sitting on the ground. Fix that.

    While we are discussing money wasting, why is the irrigation system running constantly on the west side of US 1 after Matanzas Pkwy? We just had 12 inches of rain and more coming this weekend. Turn it off.

  99. Mirna Coppola says

    There’s other priorities that is needed in the city before we can think of adding letters above the over pass. What is this guy thinking? And the cost of it. Thank God is almost out.

  108. Patricia Tocco says

    WTF ridiculous !!! Are these people sane !! Still waiting for lights on LakeView where a girl got KILLED !!!! The water in my swale doesn’t drain nor in any other swales!!! We need to elect different people !!!

  109. Scheyenne Welch says

    This is so stupid! I agree with the mayor despite the fact she didn’t speak negatively about the lettering. I think spending $200,000 on some letters is ridiculous when we have bigger concerns in this city, the biggest being people being hit because there are no sidewalks and inadequate lighting in areas that definitely need additional lighting! Sorry to say but Landon needs to be out! I can’t believe they originally estimated $50,000-$100,000 (a big enough bill) and now they “estimate $200,000 and it could go up? Ridiculous!! The water tower tells enough!

  112. Hard Tard says

    Our Neighbors in Flagler Beach are struggling right now and these clowns want to spend money on that? They cant even properly fix the PC sign coming off the exit located by Home Depot and Days Inn.

  113. Kenneth says

    As a new property owner who is going to build our home there in 3-4 years for the city council to even entertain this idea is just so upsetting. The outlay of $200,000 or more with no actual figure all is just a guess is way more than the city would even get back in revenue to pay for this boondoggle. I’ve made a trip to Palm Coast two to three times each year and I have no problem finding the city… I-95 and Hwy 1 has signs that tell you Palm Coast is there the water tank you can’t miss when you drive by it… So why waste so much money for something that will not benefit the people who live there? What is the ROI on this investment? Also I would expect this money was part of the taxation of the people who live there and they might want better roads and walkway vice this city sigh over the overpass on I-95. Total waste of money in my opinion.

  114. Margaret Anns says

    Sorry I digressed. The final factor was this last hurricane. I have lost most of of what I owned 3 times now. Hurricanes and fires. I am embracing the change and it will be good. :)

  121. JonQPublik says

    What an absurd waste of funds. Spending money just for the sake of doing it? A better idea would be to use or save that money for existing and future problems. Rainy day, etc.

    Isn’t there already enough signage at each and every Palm Coast I-95 interchange? Anything additional would look even more prideful.

    Landon’s efforts to appear relevant are incredibly suspicious.

  127. Diana Hollyfield says

    There are better things to spend that money on then that. If people can’t read the information signs on the interstate they don’t need to be driving a vehicle. This is nothing but government waste of money senseless they have more money than they need if they’re spending that kind of money on crap like this.

  129. Dave Preat says

    These are the people you put in office. I know for sure I didn’t vote for any of them. We don’t need a sign, or Jim “SPEND MY MONEY” landon, and if the commission can t or won’t get rid of him. Then we vote all of them out.

  133. Chris A Pickett says

    Very funny, I walk my neighborhood daily and see how bad the streets in the P section where I live are cracking apart. Weeds actually growing in the road, and sides of the streets crumbling away. Maybe, just maybe if you got out of your air conditioned offices and WALKED around neighborhoods you would see this is not exclusive to the area I live in. But you go and take 200,000.00 from the “street improvement fund”, for a damn sign. If someone doesn’t know where they are on 95, perhaps they shouldn’t be driving, after all most vehicles these day have built in GPS’. Maybe some of the people will buy that excuse, but I find it a load of manure. Walk around neighborhoods at night and you might get hit by a car, because they can’t see you for lack of streetlights. Town claims it’s the “backbone is not there, yet if I pay 50 bucks a month I could have a streetlight in front of my has in probably less than a week. All this while streetlights burn in town center all night long…..There is actually a glow in the sky above there from all the lights, but a very SMALL percentage of the town’s residents live in town center. Meanwhile you give our fearless town manager a raise, and now he’s up for retirement, wonder how much that will cost the hard working tax payers of this town. This is so darned funny it could be material at a comedy club. Wonder what puppet will replace him. Maybe I should put in an application to be the new town manager, I could use a 6 figure income for sitting on my duff most of the day. Yeah that is pretty funny, now I see a tax increase in coming to fund the streetlights, I’ll believe that when I can see where I am going at night. A little tip for people walking at night, I’d get rid of the dark clothes, you may be the next one killed by a car, and that is just a bit of good ol’ fashioned common sense, but hey good news is with that new sign, whomever is driving will know what town they’re in……………….

  138. Mary Merritt says

    My God. Go to Hobby Lobby and get the letters. Save that $$$ for something worth while. I think those LARGE green exit signs tell people on 95 where Palm Coast is.

  140. Doug Day says

    Jim Howe still seems like an awfully lot of money to spend on signs over the interstate. When there so many other things that we could probably benefit from as a whole

  143. Vincenzo Ciolino says

    This would be funny if it wasn’t for the sad fact we had a terrible showing at the polls. If your not happy with the direction look in the mirror and and ask how you can make a difference and get out and vote

  148. Lou says

    WHY?? Spend the money taking care of us PC residents & our roads. Who will be getting the kick back form these signs?

  158. Carol Krause Fabian says

    I’ll be surprised if DOT approves this over I-95 due to the safety factor. I’d pay attention to those who proposed spending tax payer dollars on a sign when the library could use the funds…why your vote is important.

  172. Coyote says

    “When presenting the idea to the council in March 2016, Landon had given as an example the similar lettering at a Jacksonville overpass and at an Orlando overpass.”

    If you want to be like Jacksonville or Orlando – then move !

  177. Judy says

    Do our elected officials EVER say no to Landon????Seems not.
    I would think $200,000 could be spent helping the residents of Palm Coast rather then telling tourists on I-95 where Palm Coast is.

  184. GrGrMommy says

    Keep wondering how Landon manages all this. Does he have something he holds over everyone’s head? Love to have him investigated, kick backs maybe or just a huge ego. Been here going on 4 years, thinking way too much like ugly politics. Might be time to move out.

  185. DollarBill says

    This is clear proof we need new leadership within the City of Palm Coast. Always easy to spend and waste other people’s money. When will they learn?

  188. Chevy nova says

    WOW $10,000 a letter there is no way that it can’t be done cheaper what a joke that they would even think of approving this

  190. Terminus says

    Wow. Just wow. Where is my vote because I vote no. That money should be used on sidewalks, better lighting, road repair, etc. A gaudy sign that says Palm Coast? Un-flipping-real.

  192. Concerned Citizen says

    Dear Palm Coast Leaders,

    Instead of frivolously wasting our money on a silyl sign why not address the following issues instead?

    1.) Street lights where they are needed.
    2.) Sidewalks where they are needed.
    3.) Road repair where needed.

    I fail to see how a big gaudy sign can be of benefit to the citizens of Palm Coast. Will it generate revenue to go towards making our community safer? I doubt it.

    We should consider a petition to block this at every cost. And while we are at it see what we can do about getting some new leadership in Palm Coast.

    Preferably a Mayor, City Manager and Council who know what they are doing. And who will actually listen to their constituents.

  200. Sw says

    Cant believe the balls these policymakers have spending $$ frivolously while basic infrastructure and the like suffer. Get this jack wipe off the Council pronto. He should LAND-ON his backside on the way out. Rubbing the Citizens, taxpayers faces in the pile. SMH speechless. The fact no one does anything about it is even more incredibly unbelievable.

  202. Flatsflyer says

    I think Landon is simply funding his retirement, Tell us who the vendor is so we can ask him how much the signs cost and how much kickback goes to Big Jim? Could it be a close relative or someone he really owes a favor or money too?

  204. Barbara Miceli Pardine says

    What a waste of money. Why don’t they spend some of that money and hire a Company to come out and clear up all this debris from the hurricane? We spent so much money on a sprinkler system and well and having our lawn professionally treated for it to die because they won’t come and pick up the debris. So annoying. Like we need another sign in Palm Coast or entering Palm Coast. This place is a joke

  205. Percy's mother says

    People are leaving Palm Coast in droves. The powers that be are all talking about the influx of an enormous workforce which will have no affordable housing.

    Meanwhile, Palm Coast is in decline. People move in, stay for a year and then get the hell out . . . and this encompasses all socioeconomic levels.

    The simple and blatant fact is that Palm Coast is in DECLINE. The obvious issues (streets falling apart in the P section), very little maintenance aside from the major thoroughfares, and extremely corrupt city and county government (missing $$ from the mosquito control district to name just 1) and now a stupid expensive signage at $10,000 a letter being positioned above the Palm Coast exit overpass. What the hell are you people thinking? Or is it that you’re not thinking and just pocketing money from under the table from all these projects?

    Instead of doing shows on WNZF about where the enormous incoming workforce is going to live, why don’t you powers that be get on the air and discuss why so many people are LEAVING Palm Coast? Stop getting so many GD expensive studies and get out and TALK TO THE CITIZENRY. Drive around the neighborhoods and SEE what needs to be done. Take a look at the fact that rental properties are not being maintained, regardless of code enforcement AND what about all the crime? The way it’s going, you really don’t need to worry about affordable housing for this huge incoming workforce because enough people are leaving every day such that it will be status quo.

    This latest expenditure is inconceivable and incomprehensible and blatantly a slap in the face to the citizens of Palm Coast.

  206. Wendy McLane says

    Really like we don’t know where the hell we are? How about some street lights and sidewalks. OHHHH and STOP DIGGING OUT AND REPLANTING MEDIANS THAT ARE FINE THE WAY THEY ARE!!!

  210. gmath55 says

    Who knew that 420 (cannabis culture) was here in Palm Coast already! Landon and followers (City Council) already smoking. Street lights are more important. Stop wasting money.

  215. DRedder says

    Total Bullshit & Wastefulness.
    Can’t they just stick the Solo cups into the fencing like at the High school . This and the property owners paying for the mayor’s radio bit for $10k say it’s time for the entire city council and Mayor to be thrown out.

  221. Lori Flanagan says

    But they don’t have money to fix the drainage ditches in the F section that are still not repaired from Matthew, making my and my neighbors have flooding during Irma. Go figure

  222. Lori says

    But they still haven’t repaired the drainage ditches in the F section from Matthew. Amazing. Let’s get light up signs. And flood out the tax payers because we can’t fix our infrastructure

  226. Tina Curry says

    Right now all the swells and canals need cleaned out. I know that’s part of the reason Seminole woods parkway was under water. Also Sloganeer Trail. The canal has been cleaned out in the 12 years I have been here. Better things to spend money on.

  227. Christina Ripoll says

    They are constantly squandering our tax dollars on useless projects. How about taking care of all our swales and seeing more police patrolling our streets. Also, no more landscaping any where.

  231. Andre Culli says

    As a country from top to bottom we’re addicted to spending like there’s no tomorrow….and if you talk about tax cuts than you’re extremist…..wow….

  240. EJR says

    I believe there is a homeless camp near that overpass. Why not just give each of them a pack of smokes and a ‘natty ice’ everyday and ask them to hold a sign with a letter on it.

  241. Tim Dreggors says

    Our tax dollars they cant get enough of and claim they need more more more of them, Public waste if you don’t know where you are you might not need to be driving!

  244. Roy Bennett says

    I call bull crap then .bus stops suck !no lighting ,sidewalks ,nothing wheelchair! the city needs to put back in the community not a sign on 95 .kids get ran over all school year every year a sign want save one life

  249. Jake Harris says

    I’m a Regional Sales Representative for a roadway construction and innovation supply company here in Jacksonville. $200,00 of products and labor combined would innovate the city with an insurmountable amount of PEDESTRIAN SAFETY and enhancement of roadways. It’s as if they think we can’t read the first two green overhead signs that say “Palm Coast” on exits 284 and 289. The water landscape with “Palm Coast” on Exit 289 along with the big blue Palm Coast water tower suffice enough. Good luck with these fiscal decisions. I say to at least negotiate a better price than $11,000 per letter.

  253. Grace Jo-Lee Manning says

    Please get Landon out of office, he is not serving the people of Palm Coast. I encourage all of you to go to the council meetings and make you feelings known. We need safe streets, which includes sidewalks, lights and getting impaired drivers off our streets. Palm Coast is beautiful, now let’s make it safe.

  254. Matthew Flavhan says

    Give me a jigsaw, some mdf plywood, and some latex paint and I’ll generate that sign (1 for each direction) for $1000……and I’ll come back and fix it annually for the next 200 years.

  255. one voice says

    Please remember all this foolishness when it is time to vote Landon out. I encourage all of you to go to the council meetings and make you feelings known. We need safe streets, which includes sidewalks and lights and getting impaired drivers off our streets. Palm Coast is beautiful, now let’s make it safe.

  256. AJ Collins says

    Total bs and yet they can’t clean the swales better or help those in need after this Hellish hurricane? What a fkn waste of $200,000 taxpayers money!! Yet our kids ALL have to suffer and have No damn working AC on their buses? Priorities!

  257. John r says

    Yeah, it could be an attention grabber for the town and could possible attract tourism dollars, but it seems like that money could be used on other things that residents need rather than spending it on informing people that dont even live here where they are, esp. when there are signs, albeit smaller, all over the place.

  260. That_Salty_Mermaid says

    Seriously? How about we do something useful for a change. Streetlights? Sidewalks? Safer bus stops? Bueller…… Bueller……?

  262. David Andrews says

    This seems to much too high. This is tax money, the citizen’s money. This appears to be frivolous spending. The citizens will never see any return on or of this investment. this is poor business practice!

  265. Monica Pudelski says

    They need to invest the money in law enforcement or adding street lights to the roads as much as the crime has gone up. Something beneficial for the residents. What can the letters do for the city?

  267. Knowsalittle says

    I do not understand how our city government wastes so much money on frivolous items. First it was was $450,000 on shade canopies for the playgrounds and now a stupid sign on the bridge. Now they are raising our taxes 14% to pay for this crap. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!

  269. Joanne Graci-Campos says

    I am so tired of this city waisting our money on stupid things. We need street lights, side walks, public transportation, a senior center and the list can go on an on. I believe we have to vote these money wasting politicians out of office.

  270. Jan Wanerka says

    That kind of money should not be spent without a vote from the taxpayers that have to pay for it! We need street lights! Our children are getting killed because of lack of lighting on our streets! Spend the money for safety not vanity!!!!

  272. Jim Howe says

    Doug Day and I agree with you on that, but like I said the town doesn’t purchase for the schools, that’s the school boards responsibility.

  273. Jaii Hein says

    Are streetlights important, hmmm here in the jungle we have headlamps and flashlights! No sidewalks, no one has problems, lots of bicycles and pedestrians! I think the money should go to recycling needs!

  274. Hopeful says

    Not necessary. $200k won’t fix our roads but it doesn’t need to be spent on these letters either.

    Don’t people look at mile marker signs? And the water tower doesn’t clue them in to where they are? If not, they don’t need to be driving.

  277. kathy roberts says

    Makes you wonder about motives? People have been asking for street lights for so long, so why can’t
    the city leaders stay on track? BAD PRIORITIES! These leaders sure know how to waste money! If drivers can’t figure out where they are going; oh well! My street is one the ones with crumbling edges P section near hospital; I have requested that they be repaired…..no action/only take the info. STREET LIGHTS save lives; your letters will not.

  284. Tyler says

    Nice a 200,000 dollar sign to show everyone Palm Coast that has nothing to it. Maybe build something people will enjoy and you’ll get more residents and tourists

  285. ConstantlyAmazed says

    Unreal, is this guy kidding? Why do we need big letters attached to an overpass to tell people on I-95 they are entering Palm Coast and most likely with the accounting formula’s Palm Coast uses cost when its finally done about a million dollars when the signs on I-95 already say it and its was for free.

  291. Laura Rausch says

    We need street lights and sidewalks for the kids walking to bus stops at 6:45 am in the dark! Big blue water tower marks our spot on the map. If you say your from Palm Coast and they say where’s that, they know it when you say big blue water tower.

  292. Joe A says

    To bad the first thing PC always thinks of is spending!? Makes me very suspicious as to why? Maybe you could have thought of other ways such as it may have been a great project for HS students and the shop class who could made them for the price of material, SMH

  295. Spend wisely pc says

    Epic waste of money.
    The water tower says palm coast.
    The green exit signs say palm coast.
    Your GPS system tells you palm coast

    Why the need for 200k letters that will need repair and upkeep?
    Fix our roads, upgrade parks for kids, give everyone their money back that got tickets from the now removed red light cameras, give 20 teachers or first responders a 1000 bonus to say thank you for your hard work…..but my god, not 200k on a sign
    Oh, and our president seems to fire people For acting stupid, Maybe time to fire Landon

  299. Britton Settle McGuire says

    Meanwhile, in The Hammock we continue to flood every time it storms, we’re paying additional taxes each year to put ina fix, but they won’t start on our storm drainage system until 2019! Priorities Palm Coast, Priorities!

  301. Alphonso Zeimers says

    What is wrong with our government fools ? A few cans of spray paint and the local hood could do
    the same thing. This jerk needs to be tared and feathered possibly along with the mayor.

  303. Little bird says

    Sometimes it seems that the louder someone claims sainthood, the bigger the horns they are hiding. – Steve Maraboli.

  305. Jameson Risley says

    What a ridiculous waste of money! “Like driving under the Disneyland arch..”??? Are you kidding? Sounds more like a tribute to his own ego.

  308. FlaglerIsMyHome says

    As if Palm Coast is some destination like Daytona or Jacksonville? St Augustine doesn’t even have one and their local economy is BASED on tourism. Landon is such a moron, I can’t even believe it. I’d laugh but it’s honestly scary how out of touch and wasteful these idiots are.

  312. Trollin says

    WOW !!!!!!!
    Sidewalks aren’t important for our community but big silly letters are worth $200,000?
    HA! This city is a Joke!

  316. Just sayin' says

    Why would you want to put a sign advertising Palm Coast when there are NO jobs, NOTHING for kids to do and NO sidewalks or lights where they’re needed? And dare I mention how out of control crime is especially in the most uncared for part of Palm Coast, the P section?

    Well at least now we know why much needed things aren’t getting done. What a waste!

    P.S…..BTW CITY HALL your over priced sign looks CHEAP AF!

  318. Christine Cr says

    Asinine. So let me get this straight…the city needs to spend $200,000 for letters on the overpass while we all get a tax hike of 14%?! I must be really missing something.

  320. Jack Howell says

    This has got to stop and stop now! I can’t think of a more outrageous example of wasteful spending except for Jim Landon’s salary and perks. There are higher priorities and needs in our city than spending tax money for this. Folks are literally dying on our streets because the City Council could care less about the lack of street lights! However, it appears that Landon will get his way because our City Council is weak and lacks the courage and conviction to put Landon in his place. Gutless comes to mind when I think of most of the City Council members. “Grow a set” for once in your life…will ya? I am going to watch which of our Council members supports Landon’s proposal. Those voting in favor, will be voting themselves out of office. I promise you that!

  321. Jenn says

    Is he for real? How about doing something for the community. Put something in for the kids get them off the street. We don’t need letters that are going to cost that much to let people know they’re in Palm Coast ridiculous.

  322. december says

    We used the water tower until we moved here and found our way around, its big and surely can’t be missed, coming north is the I-95 sign that says Palm Coast next exit. That being said IMO it will cost the city more with this kind of thing than it would have cost to remove the spend thrift, such a waste of tax payer dollars when there are so many other things that need attention, I cannot understand the thinking of city govt that is letting this happen.

  325. JustBNice says

    Wow, we don’t mind a property tax hike for street lights and deputies both to make PC safer. But this ridiculous sign? Come on people, we don’t need that -how many more lights or officers can we get with $200,000? Disgusted with such idiocy with our elected officials.

  326. Ursula Joseph says

    This is not as bad as the two wooden, wheelchair accessible beach over passes that were installed in the Hammock. Matthew destroyed both of them. I agree that we need wheelchair accessible ramps to the beach, but they should not be off of a sandy trail, a quarter mile from a paved road. And there were TWO, couple minutes walk from each other! Who’s idea was that? As an engineer, I just shake my head.

  333. Kevin says

    I love this quote:” “The City had set aside some money from our Street Improvement Fund for contingency,” Cindi Lane, the city’s spokesperson, said, referring to contingency during the six-laning of Palm Coast Parkway, “and that money wasn’t spent. So we have the funding needed – the $200,000.””
    When money isn’t spent on something why is the immediate reaction to find a way to spend it? Why not save it or reimburse the taxpayers by lowering our taxes? I love Palm Coast for its’ natural beauty including the well landscaped Palm Coast Pkwy…that is the greeting folks want to see not some garish sign on a highway while doing 85 MPH! Does anyone seriously think this idea somehow is an economic benefit to our community? What a complete waste of money. If you want visitors encourage the people who live here to tell the tale but don’t expect me to one of them…I want to keep it my little secret! I don’t want any more sprawl and over-development. Residential growth doesn’t pay in taxes for the services needed, commercial growth is always looking for a hand-out in the form of a tax abatement. Let’s go for smart growth as in enough is enough!

  338. Anonymous says

    There are far more other things money (our money) could and should be spent on that would improve our way of life and/or safety than this. Do you honestly think the green exit signs can’t do the job of informing drivers they are in Com Post, I mean Palm Coadt that all this money needed to be wasted?!!! Who ever was responsible for this purchade probably had a friend in that business. The council members who supported this need to be voted out of office…this purchase was not being fiscally responsible! This is just as absurd as Mayor Holland and her soap box radio gig…yea, coming from s Mayor who may be under professional treatment for mixing prescription pain medication and alcohol….can’t any elected officials make wise decisions anymore???

  344. Anonymous says

    He should be put on trial and forced to provide evidence of how a bunch of letters cost anything more than a few thousand at most. If he can’t prove it he should go to jail for fraud.

    But hey, spending money is easy when the contributors have no right to refuse

  347. smarterthanmost says

    Since the commission doesn’t have the fortitude to fire this slug of a city manager, at least you can refuse to vote, or pay for any of his recommendations.

  349. Erik Anderson says

    THAT is my concern. The price is outrageous. Signage is not bad; it does help people acknowledge where an area is (I work in Jax and many have no idea where Flagler Beach or Palm Coast are) which can help economically and politically. $11k is excessive. I am confident we can have them built here for less and could line up multiple venders at $3,000 per letter

  352. Born and Raised Here says

    I bought and paid for my street light 30 years ago, The city shouldn’t have to pay for your street light. Where do you think you live? New York.
    As far as the sign I likr it.

  356. Florida Voter says

    Dear Jim Landon, Milissa Holland, and members of the City Council,

    I invite you all to walk with me from the corner of Rymfire and Belle Terre down Rae Drive. After about half a mile on Rae, let’s see if you feel Palm Coast needs more streetlights and sidewalks. I’m willing to meet you any evening this week, say 8:00pm – 8:30pm. We could all walk as a big group. I’d even walk in the swale so that you could walk in the road and not worry about walking in wet grass.

    Sincerely,
    Florida Voter.

    PS. Flagler Live has my email address, so if you’re serious and willing to take this walk, I invite you to contact me through them.

    PPS. To people who actually speak with Landon, Holland, and the City Council, I ask that you let them know about my invitation.

  357. Brian says

    If they do this, they need to place the letters closer together – the depiction in the picture looks stupid.

  366. Coleen Wilder says

    Really and the toll bridge to a1a should have been paid for years ago is this the same ? And I toll agree with the water services its the most expensive bill I have beside the mortgage.

  370. Dave says

    Can’t we have our high school shop kids ,or palm coasts seniors make us a sign for next to nothing and then have palm coast city workers install it? Could you imagine? The same sign only coasting materials. Thats a community.That’s Pride.

  371. Eric Robbins says

    I drop a friend off at Debary Dr., and 17/92 in Enterprise, fl. and on the corner there, the city has built what I refer to as a “Bubble Park”. A play area where water shoots out of the ground, and shoots up pipes and showers down on the children and the various family’s I see gathered there all the time. I think to myself, why can’t my city of Palm Coast build something like that, where neighbors can meet and spend time there with the kids having fun? Because we can’t even build a decent park, that’s why. Too busy deciding on a friggin’ sign that’ll cost $200,000. SMH. So I continue to bring my grandchildren to the Rainbow park on Nova Rd. in Ormond Beach, so they can enjoy themselves.

  373. Ursula Joseph says

    What I meant though is that when I would walk to the first one, I could walk to the other one within a few minutes…describing how close they were to each other..

  374. RayD says

    Signs, signs…don’t talk to me about signs, we’re saturated in signs. Teflon Jim seems to always land on his feet.

  375. Edith Campins says

    Why don’t we put it to a vote? Oh, wait we did that before, with the city hall, and they ignored us anyway.

    What a useless waste of money. Which of Landon’s cronies is doing the work?

  376. Joey D says

    What are the odds this over paid person is a socialist democrat! Just wondering….
    with all the bull going on in this town we need a sign..”.. next joke, this one sucks

  377. Concerned citizen says

    Has Flagler county government lost their minds!! My spouse is a teacher here in the county. The a/c has been off and on in the room… Some days it has been 85 degrees and the county wants to spend $200k for a sign!!! Where is the oversight here??? AHHHHHHH!👎👎👎👎

  380. Bill says

    WTF. People we need to let those who are supposed to work for us this is BS and shouldn’t happen. Why do we NEED a sign saying Palm Coast right under a HUGH water tower saying PALM COAST???? This “manager” and city counsel dont give a crap about those who pay for all this BS.

  381. Anonymous says

    WHY WHY WHY is this landons new business or a family member?? its already some 4x the original estimate and NO set cost of it yet so it may be some 10x the original estimate.

  386. Downtown says

    But wait there’s more…..200,000 for the sign then oops it can’t be seen at night. It needs to be lit up. Ok, lights for the sign, another 200,000. Then they find out the salt air is corroding the letters. Another 200,000 for annual cleaning of the sign and lights. Forget the letters for the sign. Go neon ! Neon on the overpass and on the water tower. I think that will get everyone’s attention.

  387. Worried Grammy says

    Do you think all these people are trying to tell you something???? Taxes going up and you people are spending our money on stupid stuff,,,when is the next election? …not soon enough

  388. Letters Make the Difference!!! says

    How much will it cost to repair this sign in next years major hurricane?? $25,000???? $50,000???? Why are we buying this when we do not have street lights? We don’t even have sidewalks!! People are dying, have died, and we are buying this???????!!! What the funk??!!!!?? Is there an insurance policy when the guy with the jig saw, in his garage, misspells our sign? I don’t want to live in P-A-L-M C-U-A-S-T. I own a jig saw and I live here; I’m a local. I’ll do the job but for about around $189,999, with free super-saver shipping but only if you purchase by Monday the 2nd! Save the taxpayers money, pay me crap tons of money for nothing..I mean a sign..

    I severely, emphatically, object to this sign. We have more pressing matters that need funding over P-A-L-M C-O-A-S-T letters (assuming it’s spelled right)!! If we get this sign, AND it’s not knocked down in next year’s major hurricane, it will make our town look like it’s run by idiots. Jacksonville. Classically landscaped LPGA. There’s a nice exit in South Florida with lots of palms (but no large letter bearing signs) I forget what city it is.. All highly decorated, and for the most part all are highly acclaimed exits. That’s it as far as nice exits go. One thing they all have in common is they are all large towns with a massive tax base. Now, Palm Coast added to the list? Nice!! Might as well make Lynn, Bunnell, and Pompano Beach get these letters, too!! (yea man, Lynn is a town in Florida).. LETTERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!! WE HAVE LETTERS, STOP HERE!!! WE HAVE LETTERS, BIG ONES AT THAT!!!!! LOOK HOW COOL WE ARE!! [joke – jokes on us]

  391. Kyle says

    How the fuck does something as stupid and costly as this have a CHANCE at getting approved? Besides, I can’t see where the value of these lit letters costs 200k. YOU DON’T NEED IT FAGGOT. This town had NO PROBLEM gathering this huge influx of people moving in without it. WE DON’T NEED OR WANT IT.

  392. RobJr. says

    WTF?
    Do these people wear their behinds for a hat?

    There was enough signatures collected to force the good riddance of those red light cameras.

    Isn’t’ there a way to collect signatures to run those folks, who can see or think straight, off of the town council?

  394. Annie says

    How about the local high school’s Shop Class taking on this project? Good opportunity for young students to see firsthand how much design, planning and red tape is involved. Good lessons to be learned. Plus the cost would basically be materials, design fees, installation and permits?? 200k is insanity!

  396. Also a Florida Voter says

    I sent in my email…

    Dear Mayor and City Council Members:

    I was so disappointed to read that you plan to spend up to $200,000 for signage on the I-95 overpass. I believe that this is an unnecessary expenditure and under no circumstances will support this plan. Please refer to the 380+ comments on Flaglerlive, of which 99% are also negative:

    https://flaglerlive.com/112928/palm-coast-i-95-letters/

    I would appreciate each of you responding to this email. Unless things change dramatically I feel that I, as a registered voter, must support candidates who will listen and act in the best interests of the citizens.

  397. David S. says

    Another waste of our tax dollars . What a bunch of bull dong I say can this city period the council along with Landon are just as bad as the idiots in Washington.

  398. gmath55 says

    @ Craig McDaniel – sprinklers are reclaimed water. So, it doesn’t matter if the city runs the sprinklers in the rain. It is just the same water being used over and over again.

  400. Citizen M says

    Does Landon have an offshore bank account? Does he have friends or associates in the sign making business? Is anyone looking into why he would promote such a waste of taxpayer money? What would another hurricane do to a sign like that so close to the ocean?

  401. Anonymous says

    It’s time for a big fat Audit!

    And seriously that’s the most creative you can get for 200,000.00

  402. Glen A says

    Wow, maybe they can spend that money to pick up the 7′ high 12′ long debris that has been sitting n front of my house now for almost a month…..

  403. Paul Pasternak says

    We’ve got raw sewage running down the streets from overflowing lift stations but that clown Landon and the council want to spend $200K on a sign. Elections DO have consequences.I can’t wait until some kid ends up with dysentery from touching the contaminated water in the swales. Maybe then we’ll get rid of this third world sewage system.

  404. Realist says

    This is another example of why Jim Landon MUST be fired along with every city council member recalled who voted to retain him. This place is deteriorating very quickly.

  405. Sometimesiwonderwtf says

    Maybe farm it out to the two local high schools? Let them makw it cause like alot of ppl said. Next hurricane itll just be more flying debris

  406. Dantel says

    Take all these comments and put them on signs. Organize yourselves and March on city hall. Posting them here only gives you a moment of stress relief. Nothing moves politics like a little media coverage.

  408. B says

    Been here a long time. Since we became a city, they have just wasted our tax dollars. I use to love the low taxes here. Those days are gone.

  409. Mooky The Handyman says

    I can construct a better sign without lights for 375K, if it’s to be backlit I can do it for an additional 36K wholesale.

  410. Ghost says

    I like it I’m a citizen and I don’t give a f#$k how much it costs it looks good and will make our town noticeable for once…

  412. John Brady says

    Use the money for the sign to pay the City Manager’s severance. Palm Coast needs to stop spending on wasteful items or get use to tax increases

  413. Optimist Prime says

    I’ll say it again… Go home Yankees. Florida beachside lifestyle just ain’t for you folks. Every body in this town is full of sh**

  414. Anonymous says

    If the name on the water tower and exit sign isn’t enough for you to know your in Palm Coast we don’t want you here! We have enough morons in Palm Coast starting with Mayor Holland and several council members. I vote for the money to be given to Landon to get the hell out of here so he can’t grease palms on the way out. It’s time for a forensic audit to be done on this city—too many things have been kept from the council members by Landon and with parting of the ways of key staffers red flags are flying. This is about as stupid as Holland using local radio for her soap box at our expense.

  415. Nancy G says

    I love it!! I am so proud of my watertower town. I’m sure they could find someone to do it for less though. The sign would be wonderful.

  416. GT says

    Looking at the comments above i’m seeing most people think this is a very bad idea. They should have a fund raiser and the people who want the sign can pay for the sign don’t take the money away from other things that we really need. The people we elect to run the show should remember they work for us and they can be replaced!

  417. Anonymous says

    Have city council members requested bids from multiple sources or are they again suckers for Landon’s spoon fed bull shit? Has there been any checking into this as to the friendship or relative of Landon or other city of council official? The city council members and mayor need to get their heads out of the sand and wake up. It is time for Landon to go….NOW! He knows he’s on the way out and now all the sudden his acquaintance inflates prices….yea….time for a forensic audit on this city and the county.

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