The city conceded that it has–and continues–to lose money through its current lease, which requires the Green Lion to pay only $600 a month in rent and no utility costs. The aim of the new lease is to bring the city to a break-even point, but how utility payments are figured in–as part of, or in addition to, rent–remains to be decided.
Local Business
Palm Coast Council Tries Again With Green Lion Café, Almost Tripling Rent, But Differences Remain
The Palm Coast City Council this evening will consider approving a new lease or an amended lease with the Green Lion Café at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club, raising the popular restaurant’s rent from $600 to $1,665 and ending subsidies for utilities. But key differences remain between the Green Lion and the city.
Smoke and Ash from Development’s Burn Pile Near FPC Clouds School’s Hosting of District Track Championship
On Monday and Tuesday, the burning of cleared woods on State Road 100 near Wawa, for a future self-storage facility and a shopping mall, produced enough smoke and ash to cause concern on the nearby campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School as track athletes on Monday trained through the smoke, and on Tuesday had to compete through it as FPC hosted nine schools in the district track and field championships. The conditions produced a poorer image of of Palm Coast to visiting athletes and families than the district wished.
City of Flagler Beach and Golf Course Company Duel with Lawsuit and Eviction Notice
Flagler Golf Management, the company running Ocean Palms Golf Club in Flagler Beach since 2015, has sued the city just as the city has filed an eviction notice in circuit court, and six weeks since the Flagler Beach City Commission voted to end its 35-year lease with the company.
GOLA in Flagler Beach Dons ‘The Face of Ukraine’ for Benefit Art Show
The Gallery of Local Arts’ “Face of Ukraine” show will benefit World Central Kitchen, an aid organization whose website, wck.org, says it is “first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises.” The show will be accepting monetary donations from patrons who do not wish to purchase art.
Between Missing Toes and Blood Spatter, the Play’s the Thing at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s $1 Million Simulation Center
The $1 million simulation center at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s campus on State Road 100 uses high-tech, interactive, realistic mannequins, flesh-and-blood actors, makeup artists whose creations rival anything concocted by Hollywood splatter films, sophisticated computer equipment, and seasoned medical personnel to simulate a variety of health conditions and scenarios. The center provides realistic training for AdventHealth nurses of all skill levels, as well as nursing students from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University studying in Palm Coast.
Flagler Pines RV Storage Will Soon Be History to Make Way for BJ’s Wholesale Club Shopping Center
The Flagler County Planning Board on Tuesday approved the next step–the first with significant construction–in the development of the 31-acre site that will be home to BJ’s just west of the RaceTrac gas station along State Road 100 in Palm Coast. The shopping center is to be called Cornerstone at Seminole Woods.
Waste Pro Offering $2,000 Bonus for New Drivers at Hiring Drive Saturday
Waste Pro, the garbage hauler that’s provided trash and recycling services in Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler County since 2007, is holding a hiring drive Saturday (April 16) at its Bunnell plant and offering $2,000 signing bonuses to new drivers. The bonus is paid out in installment over the first year of employment.
Northeast Florida Regional Airport Marks Arrival of Elite Airways Nonstop Jet Service to and from Portland, Maine
Elite Airways LLC began scheduled operations this past weekend between Northeast Florida Regional Airport (UST) and Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine—marking the expansion of commercial air service at NFRA in St. Augustine, Florida.
At Belle Terre Swim Club, Hours Cut 28%, Rates Stay the Same, and Plans to Migrate Programs There Are Shelved
The Flagler County School district is planning to cut back hours at the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club significantly, including ending Sunday hours, while shelving plans to consolidate several programs onto the grounds of the club, which still has an identity crisis.
An Inside Look at AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Parkway Construction a Year from $164 Million Hospital’s Opening
AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway, as the 188,000-square-foot, $164 million campus will be known when it opens in spring 2023, is currently Palm Coast’s largest construction site and represents the largest health care investment in the county’s history. As a construction site, it is a living metaphor of the permanent mission ahead: a reconstruction zone for human bodies.
A Fund-Raiser for City Repertory Theatre at Chez Jacqueline on April 7
The popular Chez Jacqueline Boutique is staging one of its celebrated fashion shows on April 7, this time as a $25-a-ticket fund-raiser for City Repertory Theatre, Palm Coast and Flagler County’s cutting edge theater company.
In Place of Old Dixie Motel Relic, Developers Promise a Jazzed Up ‘Henry Hotel,’ With a Year’s Construction
Representatives of the new owners of the long-derelict motel on Old Dixie Highway unveiled plans for a 96-room upscale hotel called “The Henry Hotel” that would be built in a year’s time, but some questions remain about the project’s timeline.
Confirmed: BJ’s Wholesale Club Is Lined Up for Palm Coast on SR 100 Near County Airport
In a deal close to completion, BJ’s Wholesale Club will build a 103,000 square foot store on SR100, with two restaurants, a gas station, a tire store and a few other businesses. Jay Gardner, the Flagler County property appraiser, who owns the land, confirmed the development on Friday, as did regulatory documents before the county planning division.
No Moratorium Here: Palm Coast Approves Another Dollar General, This One on US1 Near White View
The Palm Coast Planning Board approved the addition of a Dollar General–the seventh such discount box store in Palm Coast–on U.S. 1 just north of White View Parkway, currently considered a food desert. Discount stores have faced criticism for exploiting just such food deserts, but the developer pledges to have fresh produce on sale.
We Bought a Home in the Hammock. Vacation Rentals Are Turning Our Street Into a Commercial Strip.
Angela and David Bailus bought what they thought was their dream home on Hernandez Avenue in the Hammock. Now their short street is a cluster of vacation rentals that has changed the complexion of their residential serenity into a commercial zone.
Florida’s Employment Level Falls Back to Pre-Pandemic Level; Flagler’s Revised Unemployment Jumps to 3.9%
The number of Flagler County residents with jobs–46,902–is almost 1,000 greater than it was in January 2020, just before the pandemic caused widespread job losses. Flagler County’s labor force, at 48,779, is still shy of the record set in 2021, when it hit 49,000 in October.
Flagler Beach Commission Votes 5-0 to Break Ocean Palms Golf Lease and Seek New Management Company
Seven years into a rocky marriage that never lived up to its promise and twice before verged on dissolution, the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening finally ended its relationship with Flagler Golf Management, the company that since 2015 had managed Ocean Palms Golf Club, the city-owned, nine-hole golf course framed by scores of homes at the south end of town.
Flagler Beach Government’s Audit Eviscerates Golf Course Company’s Books, Leaving Its Fate in Doubt
A long-awaited audit of Flagler Golf Management, the company that runs Flagler Beach’s city-owned Ocean Palms Golf Club, found serous irregularities, unaccounted dollars and unexplained expenses as the city commission and the management company’s officials prepare to meet face to face for the first time since 2017 this evening.
Walmart Voids Trespass Warning Against Ex-Councilman Victor Barbosa
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has voided the Feb. 27 trespass warning against ex-Palm Coast City Council member Victor Barbosa after receiving a request to do so from a Walmart employee.
Ultimatum from Flagler Beach, Husband in Prison: Ocean Palm Golf’s Unintended Owner Tells Her Story
Belle McManus had to take over the city-owned, privately managed Ocean Palms Golf Club in Flagler Beach after her husband was imprisoned on a DUI conviction. The city and the golf course already had rocky relations, and now the golf course faces a lease termination ultimatum. McManus describes her attempts to save the business in her new, unexpected role.
Treasured, Embattled Whispering Meadows Ranch Has New Home as County Seals Partnership Deal
Whispering Meadows, the equine therapy ranch on John Anderson Highway treasured for nearly 15 years for providing a healing refuge to children with disabilities, veterans and others living with traumas, will move to 15 acres at the county fairgrounds as the County Commission unanimously approved a private-public arrangement through a special exception.
Democratic Lawmakers Attempt to Raise Florida’s Stingiest Unemployment Benefit to $375 a Week
Mississippi has the lowest unemployment benefit in the nation, at $235. Arizona is next, at $240, but that ends in July, when it goes up to $320. Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama remain tied for the lowest weekly benefit of $275, but Florida’s is still the stingiest at 12 weeks, while the other three states, plus Mississippi, all offer up to 26 weeks.
Another Self -Storage Facility for Old Kings Road, a Car Wash Near Starbucks and Taco Bell on SR100
The Palm Coast Planning Board cleared the way for the third self-storage facility approved for Old Kings Road in the past four weeks, and a car wash near Aldi and Taco Bell on State Road 100. The self-storage facility was not permitted to have boats and RVs.
Metronet Adds Flagler Beach and Bunnell to Gig Cities as Broadband Wiring of All Neighborhoods Starts in Spring
Metronet, the broadband company that announced it would make ultra high-speed service of 1 gig available across Palm Coast available by 2023, has now sealed similar agreements with Bunnell and Flagler Beach. Those agreements were secured with a lot less fanfare, if any, than the one with Palm Coast, which the city announced in mid-December.
Palm Coast Approves ‘Shocking and Staggering’ Garbage Rate Increase as Mayor Warns Waste Pro
The Palm Coast City Council this afternoon voted 4-1 to approve the one-year contract extension with Waste Pro with a 47 percent rate increase and several cut-backs on services and fines. The mayor warned the company that the rate will not be an acceptable starting point for Waste Pro’s expected bid for a five- or seven-year contract later this year.
Palm Coast Council Sharply Reverses Course on Green Lion After Crush of Unanimity Against Severing Lease
Faced with a rare, unanimous backlash against its arbitrary decision to end the city’s lease with the Green Lion restaurant at Palm Harbor Golf Club last week, the Palm Coast City Council executed a 179-degree turn Tuesday morning, dropping its order to sever the lease and opting instead to reopen negotiations with the restaurant, toward a five-year extension of the current lease.
Elite Airways Adds St. Augustine-Portland, Maine, Non-Stop Beginning March 26
The new service starts March 26 and will operate on Saturdays traveling southbound and Sundays going northbound.Tickets are $199 each way for Portland/St. Augustine.
Calling it ‘An Embarrassment to the City,’ Flagler Beach Manager Issues 30-Day Ultimatum to Golf Operation
Flagler Beach City Manager sent a harsh letter to Flagler Golf Management, the company running the city-owned golf course at the south end of town, giving it 30 days to “cure” a long list of problems, including compliance with a requested audit of the company’s books. It’s the latest showdown in a seven-year history of showdowns.
Palm Coast Turns Nasty Against Green Lion Café Lease After 5 Successful Years and Turnaround at Palm Harbor Golf
The Palm Coast City Council’s distempers have not been unusual, but council members’ attacks on the Green Lion Cafe’s proposed lease renewal at the city-owned Palm Harbor golf club was especially mean-spirited despite a proposed rent increase of over 300 percent over the next five years, and the restaurant’s key role in turning the golf club around since 2017.
Vacation Rental Bills Would Eliminate Flagler’s Ability to Regulate Occupancy or Conduct Inspections
Nearly identical Florida House and Senate bills that would all but eliminate Flagler County government’s authority to regulate vacation rentals are making their way through committees. The Senate bill started as more friendly to local regulations, and one committee approved it unanimously. But amendments have since pared that local regulatory power.
Bronx House Pizza Opens Feb. 13 Near Airport in Palm Coast
Residents of Palm Coast are invited to enjoy the newest and most dynamic member of its restaurant scene. Bronx House Pizza is formally announcing its opening at 5615 State Hwy 100 East, Suite 204, Palm Coast. The new location will open on Sunday, February 13th.
It’s Groundhog Day at Flagler Beach’s City-Owned Golf Course as Commission Again Issues Lease Ultimatum
The Flagler Beach City Commission is yet again reenacting its recurring drama with Flagler Golf Management, the company that’s been running the city’s nine-hole Ocean Palms Golf Club at the south end of town since 2015, issuing its third threat to end the lease since 2017. Meanwhile, the company’s founding owner is in prison.
Senior Partner Marc E. Dwyer Wins 2021 Flagler County Pro Bono Attorney Of the Year Award
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida has recognized Marc E. Dwyer as the recipient of the 2021 Flagler County Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. This award was given to attorney Dwyer recognizing his contributions to providing pro bono services to the community and championing the cause of creating access to the courts for the disenfranchised.
Flagler Unemployment Hits Post-Covid Low of 3.8% as County Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Job Totals
Flagler County’s unemployment rate in December fell to a 12-month low of 3.8 percent, matching the rate in December 2020. Flagler has now made up the jobs lost during the pandemic, and exceeded the pre-pandemic level, even though for all of 2021, unemployment in the county averaged 4.9 percent.
Palm Coast Clears Way for 2nd Self-Storage Facility in 24 Hours on Old Kings Road, Near Toscana
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday approved a 155,000 square-foot self-storage facility on Old Kings Road, a short distance north of a facility the Palm Coast City Council approved on Tuesday. The two would be the 10th and 11th self-storage facilities in the city.
City Approves Self-Storage Facility on Old Kings Road, Near Hidden Lakes, Against Public Opposition
The rezoning for a 23-acre site for a future self-storage facility–another one–between I-95 and Old Kings Road, and not far from the Hidden Lakes and Toscana subdivisions, drew some pointed opposition from nearby residents and people with family at a neighboring assisted living facility. The self-storage grounds would also accommodate RV’s and boats, neither of which may be parked in Palm Coast driveways.
‘Boxer’ Targets Kay Jewelers for Theft, and is Taken Down Minutes Later on FPC Campus
Dominic Conte, 20, told authorities he targeted Kay Jewelers in the Target shopping center in Palm Coast because he figured it would have fewer customers and stays open later. He may have been right. But he did not figure on 24-hour policing.
Sen. Travis Hutson’s Bill Giving Business Power to Suspend Ordinances Through Suits Worries Local Officials
The Republican-controlled Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 7-2 along party lines to approve the proposal (SB 280), which would require counties and cities to produce a “business impact statement” before passing ordinances and to suspend enforcement of the ordinances amid legal challenges.
David Ayres Is Named President of Flagler Broadcasting and Its 6 Radio Stations
Jim Martin has named David Ayres president of Flagler Broadcasting. Ayres had been its vice president and general manager since 2008. He’ll fill a role previously filled by Martin, who is taking a step back from day to day operations at the network. Martin will be chairman of the company’s board.
Flagler Access Center for Mental Health and Substance Disorders Opens as Glimmer of Help in Crisis
Flagler Access will provide guidance and services to people with mental health or substance disorders through a partnership involving SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+, and mostly state funds, operating from the building that used to house the Bunnell Branch Library and Sally’s Safe Haven on State Road 100 and U.S. 1.
Prosecution Drops Felony Fraud Case Against Terry McManus of Flagler Beach’s Ocean Palms Golf Club
Terry McManus, whose company runs the Flagler Beach city-owned Ocean Palms Golf Course, was convicted on a DUI charge and sentenced to four years in prison last fall. He was scheduled to go on trial on a felony fraud charge this morning. The prosecution dropped it in exchange for his plea to a misdemeanor charge. He claimed the state did not have the evidence to convict him on the fraud charge.
Why We Are Appealing Flagler Court’s Decision Clearing the Way for Development of The Gardens on John Anderson
John Tanner, the lawyer representing Preserve Flagler Beach and Bulow Creek, the organization opposing the 335-home Gardens development on John Anderson Highway, explains why the organization appealed a circuit judge’s decision clearing the way for the development. The appeal is pending at the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
Be Considerate: Do Not Go to Hospital’s ER for a Covid Test
With the recent spike in new Covid-19 cases, local health officials are doing their best to continue maintaining sufficient capacity at AdventHealth Palm Coast’s emergency room for genuine medical emergencies.
Flagler Access Mental Health Center Will Have Its Ceremonial Opening on Jan. 11
Flagler County and its partners SMA Healthcare and Flagler Health+ are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Flagler Access Center, which will provide an open door for education, screening, and connection to behavioral healthcare services in the area. The event will be held at 10 a.m. January 11, 2022 at the center located at 103 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell.
Sheriff Staly Says Target’s Ties to Shop With a Cop Irreparably Destroyed as Company’s Statements Vacillate
What started with an email from target to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Shop with a Cop charity in October and a puzzled response that went unanswered has turned into a full-bore and continuing assault on the company by Sheriff Rick Staly, who has been lambasting Target for “talking out of both sides of their mouths” after abruptly severing a 13-year relationship with what had previously been known as Christmas with a Deputy.
What Renovations? Between County and New Owner, Same Old Stalemate Returns Over Old Dixie Motel
Time after time, Flagler County government has battled with owners of the derelict Country Hearth Inn on Old Dixie Highway to get it repaired, or at least to move it past the eyesore and nuisance stage to something less unattractive–and less attractive to vandals and mischief. Time after time, the owners have fallen short of meeting benchmarks.
Angela TenBroeck, Marineland Mayor and 4th Generation Farmer, Is Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried named Marineland Mayor Angela TenBroeck, an innovator of sustainable and innovative farming techniques, Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture. TenBroeck is CEO of a 30-acre aquaponics farm in East Palatka and heads the non-profit Center for Sustainable Agricultural Excellence and Conservation.
AdventHealth Tops Out Landmark ‘Innovation Tower’
In a spectacular nighttime display, AdventHealth ceremonially “topped out” its newest structure, a landmark 12-story building that will be known as “Innovation Tower,” alongside Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando earlier this week.
The Problems With Banning Cell Phones in the Workplace
Bans on employees using cellphones are relatively common in workplaces such as factories, farms and fast-food chains. Such employer rules are legal, and there is relatively little that employees can do about it. But different situations have indicated the necessity for workers to have access to their phones, for safety’s sake.