The Bunnell City Commission devoted just 60 minutes to a workshop its own planning board had requested to review the 65-page development agreement with the Reserve at Haw Creek, the 8,000-home development west and south of the city that will change the complexion of Bunnell. Residents complained that 60 minutes wasn’t enough, and raised numerous issues that have been raised over the past few months, to a non-reactive commission. But the commission subsequently agreed to set a future workshop.
Local Business
Selling Palm Harbor Golf Course Draws Strong Opposition as Council Meanders Over Purpose of City ‘Amenities’
The Palm Coast City Council found little support for any suggestion of selling the city-owned Palm Harbor golf course even as council members agreed it could not keep bleeding losses. At the same time, council members differed over the meaning of city amenities like parks and the golf course, which a different council agreed several years ago are not intended to, or expected to, make money. Council member Charles Gambaro wants a fuller analysis of all amenities profit and loss statements, raising questions about the meaning and purpose of city functions.
Palm Harbor Golf Course Lost $3.4 Million in Operating Costs Alone, Far More in Capital Since Palm Coast Took Ownership
Since it opened in 2009 as a city-owned facility, and with one meager exception in 2022, Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor golf course has been a drain on city coffers. The course has run combined losses of $3.44 million in the last 16 years, or an average of $215,000 a year. The figure increases sharply when depreciation and capital losses are included. Taxpayers have been subsidizing the golf course all those years. Palm Coast City Council members are tiring of the losses.
Pioneered in Palm Coast: A Decade of Robotics at AdventHealth
A decade ago, AdventHealth introduced the area’s first surgical robot in Palm Coast. Today, this program has grown to include a fleet of 17 robotic surgery devices across the AdventHealth East Florida Division, offering patients robotic surgical procedures in multiple specialties.
Tuscan Reserve Apartments Handyman Accused of Using His Access to Units to Steal Thousands in Jewelry
Joshua Raymond Powell, a 44-year-old resident of Satsuma employed as a handyman at Tuscan Reserve, the apartment complex in Palm Coast’s Town Center, was arrested last week on nine felony charges of burglary, fraud and dealing in stolen property following a Flagler County Sheriff’s investigation that determined that Powell allegedly entered homes where he was needed for repairs, only to steal the residents’ jewelry and other valuables.
Flagler Unemployment Falls Slightly to 3.8% but Labor Force Continues to Decline; Home Sales Rebound a Little
Flagler County’s unemployment rate edged back below 4 percent for the first time in six months, at 3.8 percent, as a couple hundred people gained jobs and the number of unemployed residents fell by 300. But Flagler County’s labor force again shrank, as it has most months for more than a year, to 50,849. The labor force is at its lowest level since February 2023, when it was 50,773 and rising.
Old Dixie Motel Owners Have 5 Months To Secure Building Permits or Face Demolition by County’s Order
A special magistrate gave the owners of the neglected Old Dixie hotel five months to secure four permits from Flagler County or face demolition of the property. The decision by the magistrate, Sean McDermott, amounts to a further life extension for the hotel property, yet again frustrating the county’s attempts since last March to demolish a building it considers to be a nuisance and a danger to public health.
AdventHealth CEO Audrey Gregory Cautions Employers of Labor Crunch Ahead, and to Prize Workers Accordingly
A labor crunch is tightening the job market all over America from IT to education to retail, but more especially in restaurants, hotels, construction and healthcare, AdventHealth East Region Executive Vice President and CEO Audrey Gregory told a sold-out audience at today’s Flagler Tiger Bay Club monthly lunch. The way to manage through it is primarily to nurture and value existing employees, to further their education at the company’s expense, to move them up, and to pay them better.
Vincent’s Clubhouse Spurs Opportunities for People with Disabilities, Bridging Needs Beyond School District
Vincent’s Clubhouse Enrichment Center at Palm Coast’s European Village is an evidence-based program focused on vocational and life skills training, personal development, hygiene, financial skills, marketplace skills, and literacy for adults and younger people. But it was not until late last year, after years of evolution and growth, that Vincent’s Clubhouse’s nomadic years ended with the opening of its permanent home, a 1,600-square-foot facility–what would otherwise be a shopfront–at European Village, with a faculty of five and 20 adult “members” enrolled.
Freytag Cancer Center at AdventHealth Palm Coast Opens
The Freytag Cancer Center at AdventHealth Palm Coast officially opened on Jan. 16, revolutionizing cancer care in Flagler County. This facility, made possible by many donors, including Peter and Sue Freytag of Palm Coast, offers advanced medical treatments and compassionate care closer to home.
It’s Not Your Imagination: Palm Coast Homes Used as Vacation Rentals Increase by 70% in 2 Years, to Over 500
It’s not your imagination. The number of single-family homes used as short-term vacation rentals has increased by 60 percent in two years across Flagler County, while the number of vacation rentals in Palm Coast alone, where most of the growth is concentrated, has surged by 70 percent, with the overwhelming share of those in single-family homes, condos or town houses.
Ag Commissioner Sees No Harm to Florida Farms from Migrants’ Deportations
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson advocated for a more simplified agriculture working visa program Tuesday, but played down prospects that mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration would harm Florida farms.
Vincent’s Clubhouse Enrichment Center Sets Grand Opening at European Village
The Vincent’s Clubhouse Enrichment Center will host the Grand Opening of its new location at 101 Palm Harbor Parkway, Unit B120, in European Village. The celebration will take place on Jan 21, from 4 to 7 p.m., with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m.
Palm Coast Council Signals Willingness to Relax Commercial Vehicle Parking in Residential Driveways
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday signaled its willingness to reconsider the city’s ban on the overnight parking of commercial vehicles in residential driveways without the vehicles’ signage being covered. The City Council considered repealing or amending the ban on commercial vehicles twice before, in 2010 and 2021, falling short each time.
Palm Coast Enacts Vacation Rental Regulations as 10-Guest Limit Survives, But Milestone May Be Sort-Termed
Ending a half-year slog, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved the city’s first-ever short-term vacation rental regulations, with registration and inspection fees and penalties for violators. There are well over 200 such rentals in the city. The 10-guest cap per rental survived after a last-ditch attempt by two council members to raise it, but children exempt from counting against the cap may now be up to 3 years old. The previous exemption applied for children up to 1 year old.
David Allen Gee, Known as Dr. Dave and Voice of FPC and Matanzas Football, Dies at 73
David Allen Gee, age 73, of Palm Coast, Fla., passed away on January 2, 2025 at his home, surrounded by loving family after a long illness. David was a sportscaster in Atlanta and in Palm Coast was a D.J. on WNZF and KOOL – Lunch with Dr. Dave – for 10 + years and a D.J. on The Blizzard for five years. A sports junkie, he was also the radio voice of Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High School football in Flagler County.
Despite Investigation Clearing Starbucks, Moody Targets Company for Alleged Race-Based Hiring
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in May filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations alleging that Starbucks had policies that “appear on their face to be racial quotas.” But after an investigation, the commission’s executive director in November issued a determination that there was “no reasonable cause” to believe that the Seattle-based coffee company violated a state anti-discrimination law.
Waste Pro Posts $900 Million in New Contracts in 2024
Waste Pro closes out 2024 as a record year for new and renewed municipal contracts and acquisition growth. This includes 32 new and 32 renewed exclusive long-term municipal contracts.
Bunnell Says No to Developer Seeking To Reduce Open Space By 10% at 8,000-Home ‘Haw Creek Reserve’
The 8,000-home development called Reserve at Haw Creek in Bunnell may proceed, but it will have to respect the city’s minimum requirement of 60 percent of open space. Rejecting a developer’s claim that his due process was violated or his veiled threat to build more apartment buildings if his request was rejected, the Bunnell City Commission voted 3-2 to deny an exception that would have allowed reducing open space at the Reserve at Haw Creek from 60 percent to 50 percent.
Ragga Surf Eviction Stands as Marineland and Flagler County Snipe at Each Other and State Snubs Them All
If the 50-some of supporters of Ragga Surf Café who turned out for a Marineland Town Commission meeting Thursday evening to hear some hope, any hope, that the café can stave off eviction from its temporary home at the River to Sea Preserve on Dec. 31, they were disappointed. The eviction stands. The earliest Ragga may have a chance to reclaim its spot, if at all, may be March, judging from what County Administrator Heidi Petito estimated, though it would likely be longer.
Colossal 6,000-Home Plan in Bunnell is Now 8,000 Homes, and Developer Wants to Cut Open Space by 10%
The developer of the proposed Preserve at Haw Creek, a 2,800-acre development west of Bunnell that would dwarf the city in size and population, has raised the number of dwellings from 5,000-to 6,000 in a May presentation to 6,000 to 8,000 now, and is asking the city to lower the minimum required open space from 60 percent to 50 percent. The city’s planning board unanimously rejected the request. The Bunnell City Commission hears the appeal on Monday.
Commissioner Pennington Assails County Administration Over Ragga Surf Fiasco: ‘Issues Didn’t Get Handled Properly’
Flagler County Commissioner Leann Pennington late Monday night sharply criticized the county administration, including its legal department, over a series of errors and missed steps that led to a state rebuke of the county’s permission to Ragga Surf Cafe, a for-profit company, to use public land at Marineland’s River to Sea Preserve to run its business. County Administrator Heidi Petito and County Attorney Al Hadeed defended their actions.
Ragga Surf Cafe Supporters Urge County Commission for Eviction Reprieve, But Hear Only Silence
A little over half a dozen people–fewer than expected or feared by county officials–urged the Flagler County Commission this evening to reverse its ordered eviction of Ragga Surf Cafe, the for-profit business operating rent-free at the River to Sea Preserve in Marineland in violation of state rules. County commissioners offered no solace or hope of further talks other than restating a terse explanation of what led to the eviction.
Ragga Surf Fiasco: How Flagler County Risked Losing River to Sea Preserve Over Botched Favor for a Private Business
Flagler County government and the town of Marineland have come close to losing their joint ownership of the 90-acre River to Sea Preserve, the public park, after the state’s land trust discovered that the county and the town were allowing the for-profit Ragga Surf Cafe to use the preserve for its operations since September without permission from the state and in violation of the county’s own rules and procedures. Here’s what happened.
Veranda Bay Annexation in Flagler Beach Tabled Until Next Year as City Mulls Threat of Lawsuit
At the suggestion of Scott Spradley, its chair, the Flagler Beach City Commission this evening voted unanimously to table the proposed annexation of Veranda Bay until next year so city officials have time to study the merits of what Spradley described as a threat to sue the city if annexation went ahead.
Flagler Beach May Start Policing Grease, Fats and Oil Discharges at Restaurants and Other Businesses
The Flagler Beach City Commission this evening will hear a proposed ordinance that would create a “fats, oils and grease” (or FOG) inspection program that would apply to all restaurants, fast food establishments, automotive businesses and others, with a $25-a-month fee. The program is intended to reduce grease clogging city infrastructure and causing taxpayers expensive repairs.
Threat of Lawsuit Over ‘Enclave’ Is New Snag on Eve of Flagler Beach Vote on Veranda Bay Annexation
The lawyer representing opponents of the Veranda Bay annexation into Flagler Beach sent a letter today to city officials warning them that annexing would create an illegal enclave, implying that a lawsuit might follow. The City Commission was prepared to annex at its meeting Thursday evening. The letter could pause those plans.
AdventHealth Partners with District’s Project SEARCH to Prepare Disabled Students for Workplace
Project SEARCH partners Flagler Schools with local businesses, like AdventHealth Palm Coast, and provides students with real-world job experiences that build skills for future careers and confidence in navigating the workplace.
Palm Coast’s Vacation-Rental Rules Ready for Prime Time as Council Refines Them, But They Could Be Short-Lived
Palm Coast’s debut short-term rental ordinance is heading for approval over the next few weeks as the City Council today, inheriting a draft in the works for months under a largely different council, signed off on it with minor adjustments. The council will vote on the proposal on Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, when the public may yet address it.
Five Star Pizza Owners Building $2 Million ‘Party and Play’ Indoor Playground in Bunnell, 1st in County
The owners of Five Star Pizza in Palm Coast, Ormond Beach and Deltona are preparing to build a $2 million indoor playground in Bunnell, making it the first of its kind in Flagler County. The playground will be called Party and Play and will be part of a 10,000-square-foot building that will be built on Steel Rail Drive in Bunnell, with projected construction starting in January or shortly thereafter.
Turtle Shack Cafe in Flagler Beach Sustains ‘Significant’ Damage in Early Morning Fire
Turtle Shack Cafe, the popular Flagler Beach restaurant operating for two and a half decades between 21s and 22nd Street on State Road A1A, was damaged in an early-morning fire, drawing firefighters from across the county. The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, but is still under investigation by the Flagler Beach fire marshal.
Hot Diggity Dogs & Shakes in Bunnell Has a New Top Dog: David Zummo
Hot Diggity Dogs & Shakes, a Bunnell icon known for serving classic comfort food, including specialty hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, milkshakes and more, has been purchased by David Zummo.
Why Palm Coast’s Debt Referendum Failed
Palm Coast’s debt referendum failed because it was deceptive and unnecessary. The city has several options to raise new revenue. It refuses to tap them. Enabling debt is not a solution. It’s a pander to the local chamber and private companies seeking to use city taxpayers as collateral for their projects.
Wawa Opens 2nd Flagler County Store on Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive Friday
Wawa, the national convenience store chain with a strangely fervent following, is opening its second Palm Coast store and gas station Friday morning, on Palm Coast Parkway and Florida Park Drive. The store was built on the 2.5 acres formerly occupied by the Paul Katz office building, one of the many landmarks of Palm Coast’s earlier days as an ITT project that have been leveled to make room for housing or commercial redevelopments.
Craig Flagler Palms Hosts 20th Annual Candlelight Service of Remembrance
Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home, Memorial Gardens & Crematory hosts the 20th annual Candlelight Service of Remembrance on Sunday, December 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Garden of Memory Mausoleum. The event is held to help those that have lost loved ones cope with the loss during the holiday season.
Developer of Disputed 204-Boat Storage Facility on Scenic A1A Must Apply for Special Exception, County Rules
The Flagler County Commission Monday evening rejected a settlement agreement recommended by its own attorney to end the four-year-old dispute with a developer who wants to build a restaurant and 204-boat dry-storage facility in the Scenic A1A corridor. What would be called Hammock Harbor is a planned dry-storage marina, or warehouse, as the developer himself had described it in an early building plan, and as its opponents still describe it. A lawsuit by the developer is likely.
Pilot Faces Eviction from County Airport After Emergency Landing Infringed on Director’s ‘Authority’
Roy Sieger, director of Flagler County Executive Airport, is allegedly threatening to evict a pilot from the hangar he’s leasing there after the pilot made an emergency landing during Hurricane Milton, when the airport was closed. The pilot, who cites federal regulation in his defense, said he worried that Sieger’s anger would devolve into a physical altercation when Sieger confronted him soon after he landed.
Palm Coast Developers Will Pay Public Arts Fee on Projects Above $1 Million, But Spending Is Unclear
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved imposing a 0.5 percent fee on all commercial projects in the city with a value of $1 million or more. The city will use parts of the money to fund its long-standing cultural arts grants, but it’s unclear how else it will use the money. It would largely be the purview of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, with a more specific policy to come to set out spending and installation criteria.
Palm Coast Walmart Will Build 10-Pump Gas Station in Its Store Parking Lot Off Cypress Point Parkway
Palm Coast’s Walmart in the heart of the city has submitted a site plan to build a 10-pump gas station and convenience store that will take up a substantial portion of the parking lot at that store. The 10-pump station will be located in the northwest corner of the parking lot, toward the corner of the property along Cypress Point Parkway and Cypress Edge Drive.
Judge Declares Old Dixie Motel Owners in Contempt Over Continued Snubs, $1,000-a-Day Fines Loom
After warning them that he would do so if they did not comply with his previous orders, Circuit Judge Chris France last week declared the owners of the Old Dixie Motel in contempt of court and warned of $1,000-a-dy fines starting on Nov. 15 if they do not comply with a pair of orders.
Chick-Fil-A Will Open Second Palm Coast Restaurant in BJ’s Wholesale Shopping Center
Chick-fil-A, the popular restaurant chain that drew a small tent city of eager customers before it opened its first franchise in Palm Coast eight years ago, will be opening its second restaurant in the city in the BJ’s Wholesale shopping center, according to construction plans recently submitted to the city. City Manager Lauren Johnston dropped a hint about the restaurant in a presentation at a local chamber event earlier this week.
At Chamber’s Future of Flagler Forum, Rousing Cheer for Years Ahead from City, County and School Leaders
The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce gave a crowd of over 100 people the chance to hear the state of Flagler County’s cities, county and school board in less than 60 minutes, presented in rapid, compelling, and at times rousing succession by men and women more knowledgeable, less vapid and generally more intelligent than the elected officials who hire them: city and county managers and the school superintendent.
Company Building Data Center in Palm Coast Clears Undersea Cables’ Final Hurdle in Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach’s South 6th Street will soon be the landing point for up to six of the 600-some transatlantic data cables that form the backbone of the internet. The cables will then snake underground, across State Road 100 and into Town center, where DX Blox, the Atlanta-based company, will build a “cable landing station,” or a data center, near the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Royal Palms Parkway.
Cajun Beach Restaurant in Flagler Beach, In Rare City Rebuke Over Noise, Is Denied Music Permit
In a rare rebuke that reflects a history of complaints about the business, the Flagler Beach City Commission denied an outdoor entertainment permit to Cajun Beach Boil and Sushi, the restaurant on State Road A1A at South 12th Street, after the business flouted a city ordinance.
‘Significant Reservations’ About Approving 2,735 Homes at Veranda Bay as Development Advances on 4-1 Vote
The Flagler Beach City Commission is slowly moving toward approval of annexing Veranda Bay, the 900-acre development along that could potentially double the population of the city, change its character as a small town and upend its political center of gravity. But commissioners are pushing back against the number of homes, which could be a deal-breaker. The developer has made several concessions and is continuing to negotiate, but the total number of homes has so far been a hard line.
AI-Driven Technology Changing Heart Care at AdventHealth Palm Coast
The new tool, called CathWorks, is enhancing the way doctors at AdventHealth Palm Coast and AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway detect and treat heart blockages, making procedures safer and more precise for patients. CathWorks uses advanced computer-based software to help cardiologists accurately pinpoint areas of concern within the heart’s arteries.
Palm Coast Council Wants Another Re-Write of Vacation-Rental Ordinance, Pushing Approval to Next Year
Four months after it directed its attorney to draft it, the Palm Coast City Council again delayed approving the city’s first-ever vacation-rental ordinance as numerous issues and new proposals arose after the latest draft, which was due for a first read on on Tuesday. Instead, the council agreed to table it and schedule another workshop in December or January, when three new members will be on the council. That means the council will barely have time to approve the ordinance before the state Legislature again tries to pass a law that invalidates local ordinances.
AdventHealth Offering Free Video Consults Through Centra Care Wednesday and Thursday
AdventHealth is deploying its extensive safety preparations as Hurricane Milton approaches the region. The health system has stockpiled thousands of gallons of water and generators are standing by to run the hospital on emergency power if necessary. Sandbags are prepared should they be needed to secure doors and windows.
Stand-Alone AdventHealth ER Once Planned for Matanzas Woods Parkway Will Be Built a Few Miles North
AdventHealth has announced the first phase of plans for 10.75 acres in St. Johns County. The health care system will build a 12-bed off-site emergency department (OSED) to expand services in the rapidly growing area. Located east of I-95, near the intersection of State Road 207 and Wildwood Drive, construction is anticipated to begin in 2025 and be completed by early 2026. The location is roughly 23 miles from the center of Palm Coast, and a shorter drive for north and northwest Palm Coast, where development has been brisk.
Senator Who Sponsored Vacation Rental Bill Deregulating Local Control Says He Won’t Do So in Next Session
Florida lawmakers may once again attempt to pass legislation tightening regulation of short-term vacation rentals next year but, if they do, the state senator who has sponsored those bills during the past two sessions won’t be the one carrying it.