The development of 12 three-story buildings on 92 acres of woodlands and lakes near U.S. 1 in Palm Coast has drawn little attention and none of the opposition that traditionally barnacles to large apartment complex proposals in the city.
Real Estate & Development
Palm Coast Now Conducting Indoor Building Inspections Virtually
Palm Coast building inspections are rendered on cell phones using Google Duo or FaceTime. Installation projects may include new windows, doors, water heaters, minor electrical work or air conditioning.
Judge Quashes Flagler Commission Decision on Hammock Boat Storage Facility, Halting Project for Now
A Flagler County circuit judge quashed a November decision by the Flagler County Commission that had opened the way to a controversial 240-boat storage facility and restaurant in the Hammock, next to Hammock Hardware. The judge ruled that the county reached its decision without substantial evidence.
The Gardens Development on John Anderson Highway Clears Key Planning Board Hurdles in Near-Unanimous Votes
The Gardens, the big development proposed to go up on the two sides of John Anderson Highway, and that’s galvanized strenuous opposition from residents in Flagler Beach cleared the Flagler County Planning Board with near-unanimous recommendations Tuesday. The proposal goes before the county commission next, possibly in September.
Bryan Says City Manager’s Letter on The Gardens Made ‘Total Clowns’ of Flagler Beach Commissioners and Wants It Rescinded
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Ken Bryan was sharply critical of City Manager Larry Newsom over a letter Newsom wrote assuring The Gardens developers that the city has capacity to provide water and sewer to some 355 proposed homes along John Anderson Highway.
Down to 11 Owners Holding Out, Army Corps May Decide on Aug. 19 Whether To Kill Dunes Project
County government is dueling with 11 property owners in Flagler Beach who are refusing to sign easements that would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild dunes along 2.6 miles of beach. Without the easements, a $25 million projects 15 years in the works could be cancelled.
Despite Building Fiascos, County Now Wants ‘Due Diligence’ On Buying Old $1 Million Bank of America in Flagler Beach
Despite a nightmarish history of buying old buildings and having to unload them at a loss, the Flagler County Commission Monday will hear a proposal from its tourism department to gather information on buying the 40-year-old $1.1 million former Bank of America building on State Road A1A in Flagler Beach, opposite the pier.
15 Years On, $25 Million In, Flagler Beach Dunes Project Near ‘Dead In the Water’ as 13 Property Owners Hold Out
Just 13 property owners are essentially holding hostage a fully funded beach and dune-rebuilding plan Flagler Beach and the county have worked toward for 15 years, a resistance based on what the county considers extortionist motives for money that doesn’t exist.
In Major Coup for Palm Coast, UNF in Town Center Is a Go as MedNex Initiative Survives Veto
The University of North Florida’s plan to build a satellite presence in Palm Coast’s Town Center as a feeder of health care practitioners to regional hospitals and clinics is a go as the $24 million dollar MedNex initiative survived Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto pen today.
Scaled Back Gardens Development, at 453 Homes, Expected to Clear Regulatory Hurdle
The Gardens, at one point a 3,966-home and apartment development planned for the two sides of John Anderson Highway in Flagler County, is now almost a tenth the original proposal.
Palm Coast Council Raises Parks and Fire Fees on Builders, Largely Returning to Pre-2012 Levels
The Palm Coast City Council voted to raise fire and park impact fees, the one-time levies builders pay on residential and commercial construction. The fees will defray the cost of a new fire station in Seminole Woods and a new community center, among other plans.
Palm Coast Considers Sharply Raising One-Time Fire Levies on Future Homes and Businesses
Homeowners would see a negligible impact on fees despite a proposed 65 percent increase in the one-time levy assessed on a new home, a cost generally folded into the price of that new home. The impact fee is not levied on existing homes.
Flagler County Will Sell Moldy Sears Building at $170,000 Loss and Indemnify Realtor in Settlement
The county will sell the building for $1 million, and will settle out of court with one of the three parties it threatened to sue–Realtor Margaret Sheehan-Jones–following the debacle of the original purchase a year ago.
City Planners Urge Significantly Scaling Back 300-Home Matanzas Golf Course Development to Preserve Views
Palm Coast city planners’ response to a planned 300-home development along the disused Matanzas golf course cites rules that prevent building on fairways and blocking existing residents’ backyard views. That would eliminate swaths of planned homes within the 278-acre project.
Flagler Airport Advisory Board Chairman Resigns After One Last Sally, Criticizing Land Buy
Daryl Hickman had been critical of airport Director Roy Sieger, citing noise and planned construction issues, before he resigned Monday, telling the county commission that a $250,000 land buy was poorly executed and may have been unnecessary.
Rezoning of Long-Gestating Mega Development on Old Kings Road Stirs Residents’ Anxieties Anew
The Bulow Creek development starting just south of State Road 100 on both sides of Old Kings Road would consist of 2,250 houses and apartment units and 1.7 million square feet of commercial and office space, built over four phases stretching over 20 years or more.
One Side Says Defamation. The Other Says Intimidation. The Gardens Development Spins-Off a Lawsuit.
Ken Bryan, a candidate for Flagler Beach City Commission and a board member of the group opposed to The Gardens development, was sued by the developer’s parent company. Bryan’s attorney charges the suit has no merit and says there may be a counter-suit.
Single-Family Homes No Longer Sacred as States Turn to Zoning Laws to Lower Housing Costs
Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., last year passed a variety of legislation that addresses the housing affordability problem, from tax credits for developers to rental assistance and eviction protections for residents.
City Tells Anxious Matanzas Woods Golf Course Community ‘The Fix’ Is Not In, Nor Is a Proposal
Residents surrounding the Matanzas Woods golf course have been critical of the city’s silence on a proposed development of 300 homes there, but city officials say their hands are tied as long as they don;t have a concrete proposal to discuss–and none has been submitted yet.
Marina del Palma Grand Opening Saturday
Marina del Palma is hosting a special grand opening event on the property Saturday, Jan. 25, Ken Belshe, senior sales director said.
Palm Coast Prepares for $20 Million Sewer Plant Expansion in Anticipation of Growth
The Palm Coast City Council is supporting the city’s next-largest utility expansion–a $20 million project that will add 2 million gallons a day of capacity to its second sewer plant on U.S. 1. The expansion will be financed through a loan and is not expected to affect customers’ rates.
How Wealthy Towns Keep People With Section 8 Housing Vouchers Out
Section 8 vouchers should give low-income people the opportunity to live outside poor communities. But discriminatory landlords, exclusionary zoning and the federal government’s hands-off approach leave recipients with few places to call home.
What You Need to Know About How Section 8 Really Works
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is a form of government rent assistance. In 2018, upwards of 5 million people across the country lived in a household that used a voucher to help pay some or all of their rent.
Lubert-Adler Sells Hammock Beach Resort and Other Properties to Tampa Company For $18 Million
The complex deal included two undeveloped but well-positioned commercial properties and closed December 31. The total value of all recorded transactions is $18.26M. The buyer is Tampa-based KDG Capital, a private equity fund headed by Dr. Kiran Patel.
Proposed 300-Home Development in Place of Matanzas Golf Course Draws Public Doubt and Ire
A neighborhood meeting about the planned developer of some 300 homes along the disused Matanzas golf course drew considerable protests and doubt from some 200 people Thursday evening.
Paytas Homes Begins Construction on Model Home at Marina del Palma
Ken Belshe, senior sales director for SunBelt Land Management, is pleased to announce Paytas Homes has broken ground on the construction of its model home at Marina del Palma.
Home Sales Were Steady In October
Single family home sales remained steady in October across the Daytona Beach area, according to the Wyse Report.
County Administrator Cameron Sells Land to Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Company for $405,000, then Pays Off Home Mortgage
Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron sold a parcel of land on U.S. 1 in St. Augustine to the Mullins Companies for $405,000 in August in what Cameron described as an “arms-length transaction” with Joe Mullins, the Flagler County county commissioner.
Flagler County Tells Sellers, Realtor and Inspector of Damaged Sears Building to Buy It Back or Get Sued
Flagler County commissioners voted to offer the sellers of the $1.25 million Sears building the chance to buy back the damaged structure or face a lawsuit. Flagler bought the building in November and discovered it to be damaged from a pre-existing water-intrusion condition.
Flagler’s Fair Housing Rules Would Add Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence, Veterans and LGBTQ
The Flagler County Commission in the next few weeks is expected to hear a proposal to revise the county’s fair housing ordinance, which hasn’t been revised in 30 years. The proposal would add or clarify several protected classes.
At Opponents’ Meeting on The Gardens Development Off John Anderson, More Vigilance Than Chest-Thumping
A community meeting by a group that opposes The Gardens development off John Anderson Highway drew some 100 people Thursday evening but kept the shrillness and triumphalism to a minimum, focusing instead on how to maintain “positive, respectful pressure,” in the group’s president’s words.
The Gardens Development Off John Anderson Scales Back Significantly, But Still Faces New County Obstacles
The Gardens off John Anderson Highway was originally planned as a 3,966-home and apartment development but was scaled back to 330 lots. Even then, county regulators said it would need a rezoning to go forward, a politically uncertain step the developers are loath to take.
ICI Homes’ Latest Expansion at Plantation Bay Approved, 3-2, But Not Before a Drubbing Over Stinginess
County Commissioner Dave Sullivan said ICI Homes is not doing enough to share in the county’s burdens of repairing Plantation Bay’s troubled water and sewer utilities. The commission approved a 132-home phase of the development.
240-Boat Storage Facility in the Hammock off A1A Will Go Forward as County Rejects Objection
The proposed Hammock Harbor boat storage and restaurant development near Hammock Hardware on A1A drew a legal appeal from residents who disputed the county’s interpretation allowing the re-development under existing zoning rules. But county commissioners saw nothing wrong with the project.
Palm Coast Lines Up Support from County and Cities for UNF’s MedNex Initiative in Town Center
Flagler County commissioners today unanimously endorsed a proposed UNF partnership with Palm Coast to create a medical hub in Town Center as the county’s top legislative priority for 2020.
What’s Flagler County Got Against Affordable Housing? A Forum Attempts to Demolish Enduring Stigmas.
Many Palm Coast and Flagler County residents generally revile apartments, subsidized housing and other forms of affordable housing. A county-sponsored forum attempted to tackle the stigmas and offer fresher perspectives.
Trump’s Trillion-Dollar Hit to Homeowners, and $680 Billion Gift to Corporations
By reducing deductions for real estate taxes, Trump’s 2017 tax plan has harmed millions — and helped give corporations a $680 billion gift. An analysis shows how.
2 Big Developments Would Change Complexion of Palm Harbor Neighborhood; City Would Take Over Marina
Two proposed developments–along the Palm Harbor golf course and at the Palm Coast marina–would total 120 hotel rooms and 318 multi-family units–town houses and condos, as the city prefers to describe them.
Wyse Report: Daytona Area Condo Sales Still Depressed
For the fourth consecutive month, condo sales around the greater Daytona Beach area were down in year-over-year comparisons.
Tiny A1A Subdivision Sees Wells Fail As a Big Development Churns Nearby. Now County Wants To Charge Residents $1,700 a Year for a Fix.
Willow Woods residents sandwiched between Washington Oaks State Park and Matanzas Woods developments would be charged $1,700 a year for 20 years to hook up to city water to replace failing wells, though residents say they’re not at fault: the development is.
After 8-Year Moratorium, Flagler County Will Get Back To Taxing Development for Roads and Possibly More
Flagler County government today hired a firm to study impact fees, or one-time levies on new development, to pay for roads, parks, libraries, fire rescue and public buildings in what could be a significant addition to county revenue by 2020.
UNF’s Palm Coast Medical Hub Clears 1st Hurdle With Board of Governors Committee Approval
UNF’s Palm Coast medical hub was unanimously recommended to the full Board of Governors in a committee meeting Thursday morning, winning plaudits for UNF president David Szymanski overt enthusiasm.
Palm Coast Sewer Line Through Hammock Would Reduce Reliance on Septic, But Raises Development Fears
A Palm Coast sewer line up the spine of the barrier island would help stop a reliance on septic tanks and has been a priority for local governments, but Hammock residents are concerned that it would also spur more intensive development.
Facing Hammock’s Ire, Joe Mullins Proposes Development Strategies, But Residents Are Skeptical
After angering them with his deciding vote approving Beachwalk’s 50-home subdivision in the Hammock, Commissioner Joe Mullins called a town hall meeting before the same Hammock residents to explain his long-range approach to development.
UNF Pitches Medical Hub in Palm Coast’s Town Center in Major Partnership With City, Schools and AdventHealth
The University of North Florida is submitting a $23 million request to the State Board of Governors that includes Palm Coast’s Town Center as a hub of an innovative concept of medical higher education that ties directly to medical-sector jobs in Northeast Florida, a concept UNF calls MedNex.
Setting High-Intensity Precedent, Flagler Commission Approves 50-Home Subdivision in Hammock
The Flagler County Commission in a 3-2 vote approved the 50-home Beachwalk development at the intersection of A1A and Jungle Hut Road, rejecting arguments by Hammock residents that the subdivision is not in line with the Hammock’s low-intensity character.
Flagler Beach Strains To Assure Residents That Big Utility Fixes Have Nothing To Do With The Gardens Development
Many Flagler Beach residents worried that the city commission’s approval of $1.4 million in water and sewer projects were designed to accommodate the planned Gardens development along John Anderson Highway. Not so, city officials insist.
St. Augustine’s Flagler Hospital Planning Medical Inroad in AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Backyard, on Matanzas Woods Parkway
Flagler Hospital–now Flagler Health Plus–has a contract to buy 4 acres on Matanzas Woods Parkway, where it would build a small medical-village type development, down the road from AdventHealth’s planned stand-alone emergency room.
Affordable Housing Push
Challenges Single-Family Zoning
Cities and states facing rising rents, stagnant household incomes and a tight housing supply are beginning to rethink, restrict and in places end zoning that favors single-family homes.
Hammock Harbor Re-Developer Seeks to Reassure Skeptical Neighbors of Project’s Scope
Hammock Harbor is a former boat yard slated for redevelopment as a 240 boat-storage facility and restaurant just south of Bings Landing in the Hammock. Neighbors are worried about the intensity of the development.