Starting Monday, June 27, Florida Park Drive will be closed to thru traffic for at least four months to accommodate a major utility reconstruction project. Local access will still be possible. But accessing either Holland Park or most of the neighborhoods along Florida Park Drive from Palm Coast Parkway will not be possible without a wide detour.
Palm Coast
A Green Lion Deal Dims as Positions Harden in Acrimony, Accusations and a Deadline
Green Lion owner Tony Marlow called Palm Coast City officials “crooks” as a council segment on a proposed lease resulted in a take-it-or-leave it offer from the city, and a 10-day deadline, or else the city will terminate the lease and seek a new vendor for the space.
2 New Cell Towers, Including on Club House Drive, Clear Palm Coast Council Hurdle, But It’s Not Over
The Palm Coast City Council today in a pair of unanimous if somewhat guarded votes approved two lease agreements with Diamond Communications to build 150-foot cell towers at the eastern edge of Royal Palms Parkway and in the heart of Club House Drive in Palm Coast.
Lease Negotiations Between Green Lion Café and Palm Coast Crumble Again on Eve of Council Decision
A year into the negotiations, relations between the Palm Coast city administration and the Green Lion Cafe at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Club have again broken down over several additional changes on the even of a scheduled City Council vote on a proposed five-year agreement with the popular restaurant.
Another Cell Tower Plan Near Palm Harbor Golf Has Palm Coast Council Fearful of Public Reaction
The Palm Coast City Council is set to approve leases for two new cell towers–one off Royal Palms Parkway in Town center, one off Club House Drive, near the Palm Harbor Golf Course. But the Club House Drive tower is controversial, as was a similar proposal for a tower within the golf club in late 2020. Public opposition defeated that proposal. The council is worried about a replay.
3 Arrested, 4th Sought in Murders of Noah Smith and Keymarion Hall by ‘Wannabe Badasses’
In a major break in two related murder cases, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly today announced the arrests of three of four individuals in the shooting deaths earlier this year of Noah Smith and Keymarion Hall, both 16, both in South Bunnell, both in drivebys resulting from a simmering feud between wannabe gangs in Bunnell and Palm Coast.
As Sheriff Staly Asks for 10 More Deputies from City and County, Alfin Floats Impact Fee Budget Model
Sheriff Rick Staly is asking for 10 more deputies from Palm Coast and the county and renewed focus on better salaries. Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is proposing to shift law enforcement budgeting to an impact fee model, thus having new development shoulder a substantial part of the cost.
Flagler Pride: Local LGBTQ+ Community Celebrates Itself, with Activism, Avowals and 2 Mayors
The third annual Flagler Pride weekend held at Palm Coast’s Town Center and in Flagler Beach this weekend drew some 500 participants, featured musicians, comedians and a belly dancer on Saturday, a vigil on Sunday, and two mayors along the way–Palm Coast’s David Alfin and Flagler Beach’s Suzie Johnston–reflecting Flagler Pride’s growing local imprint and embrace.
The Live Profile | Raise High the Roof Beam: Kyle Berryhill Is Palm Coast’s New Fire Chief
Kyle Berryhill, 42, was named Palm Coast’s next fire chief when Jerry Forte officially retires on Oct. 14, though Berryhill has been gradually taking the reins for months. It is the culmination of a career that started in 2005 with his first job as a firefighter-EMT in Palm Coast, and that’s been defined by a combination of command and humility both as a union leader and a manager.
Another Unprovoked Attack at a Local Business Lands 35-Year-Old Palm Coast Man in Jail
Dustin M. Patrick, a 35-year-old resident of Breeze Hill Lane in Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler County jail on a felony child abuse charge after allegedly attacking a teen employee Friday at Red Crab in Palm Coast. It was the second unprovoked attack by a stranger against another in six days at different Palm Coast businesses, in front of others.
Stand-Off With Armed Individual Ends Near 8-Hour Mark With Arrest
What started as a potential domestic violence situation at 6 Welling Place in Palm Coast in mid-afternoon today turned into a nearly 8-hour stand-off between 51-year-old Mark Francioni, who had barricaded himself in his house, with firearms, and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Crisis Negotiating Team.
In Trial of Lyft Driver’s Attacker, Dramatic Moments for Prosecution Yield to Lapses by Alleged Victim
The prosecution and defense traded successes today in the trial of Travis Smith, the 38-year-old Palm Coast resident accused of violently attacking a 49-year-old Palm Coast Lyft driver unprovoked and spitting on him during Covid’s early days in 2020. Smith faces from 21 months to 17 years in prison if convicted.
Palm Coast Fire Department Dedicates New Fire Engine to Cpl. John T. Schmidt III, Felled in Iraq War
The Palm Coast Fire Department hosted a Gold Star Dedication ceremony in which they dedicated a new Fire Engine in memory of Marine Lance Corporal John T. Schmidt III on this past weekend. The ceremony took place at Fire Station 21 with the family and friends of Lance Corporal Schmidt, Gold Star Families, and Fire Department personnel.
Palm Coast Marks Inaugural Tunnel to Towers 5K
The May 14 event benefited Tunnel to Towers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services to our nation’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes and their families. The inaugural event raised over $20,000 for the organization.
James Hirst Appointed Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Director
Hirst joined the City of Palm Coast in June of 2014 as an Aquatics Supervisor and has risen through the ranks, achieving Outdoor Recreation Manager in September of 2018.
Rezoning Would Clear the Way for 243 Apartments on Old Kings Road, Against Public Opposition
The Palm Coast Planning Board recommended approval to rezone acreage off Old Kings Road north of Town Center Boulevard for a 243-unit apartment complex. The proposal drew mis-statements by opponents of the project. A cover letter with a 100-name petition opposing falsely claims apartment dwellers do not “contribute anything to a community.”
Several Road Projects and Lane Closures planned Along Sesame Boulevard in Coming Days and Weeks
There will be periodic lane closures at the intersection of Sesame Boulevard at the eastern Smith Trail starting today (May 18), and on May 31 a portion of Sesame Boulevard near Sedgwick Trail will be closed as Stormwater Crews replace a pipe that has become faulty.
95-Home Subdivision in R-Section Draws Concerns Over Smaller Lot Sizes, But Council Approves
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday voted 4-0 to approve a gated subdivision of 95 homes, most on 6,000-square foot lots, on Ryan Drive in Palm Coast’s R-Section, against objections by residents that the development is built of smaller lots, would generate more traffic and could impact children’s safety at a bus stop.
The First Organized Women’s Basketball League Comes to Palm Coast
The Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Department is organizing its first-ever women’s basketball league this summer, beginning June 8 and continuing through July 27.
77-Year-Old Patient Beaten and Choked to Death at Assisted Living Facility in Palm Coast
A 77-year-old woman who’d been a patient at Gold Choice Assisted Living and Memory Care in Palm Coast was beaten and choked to death by another patient overnight, and was only discovered by a staffer during rounds early this morning.
A Voluntary Pledge on Ethical Campaigning? Danko Convinces Palm Coast Council Not to Sign On.
A majority of the Palm Coast City Council was prepared to approve a statement on ethical campaigning that would have candidates voluntarily sign a pledge to that effect, until Council member Ed Danko, calling it a “slippery slope” of government intrusion, convinced the council against it. The council will adopt a mere statement issued to candidates, without a signature line.
Palm Coast Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Sean Major Retires After 31 years
In 1991, Sean Major was working at a Lawn & Landscape with then-Lieutenant Mike Beadle. He was encouraged to check out the fire department as a volunteer. Lieutenant Beadle’s encouragement would lead to a 31 year career of service to the citizens of Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Council Looks for ‘Break-Even Point’ in Lease With Green Lion Café at Palm Harbor Golf
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.
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.
Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko’s Husky Mix at the Center of a Dog-Biting Incident at Holland Park
Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko was accused of belligerence toward two Palm Coast animal control officers, initially refusing to quarantine his dog and provide the dog’s veterinary history, after his dog was accused of biting another at Holland Park. He signed the required documents five days after the incident.
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.
‘Waiting for Godot’ Finally Arrives as Palm Coast’s City Rep Stages Beckett’s Absurdist Masterpiece
Beckett’s 1953 play – which is often and rightfully tagged as part of the “Theater of the Absurd” movement – depicts two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who engage in conversation as they wait for a mysterious figure named Godot who (or that) never shows up. Detractors (and there have been fewer and fewer of them as the decades have progressed) howl “There’s no plot!” Admirers howl “There’s no plot!”
Palm Coast Council Agrees to Keep Frieda Zamba Pool Open Year-Round for an Additional $102,000 (If That)
The Palm Coast City Council today agreed on a plan to keep Frieda Zamba pool at the city’s aquatic center open year-round as an interim measure before the city has the money to rebuild the aquatic center, presumably with a 50-meter pool as opposed to the non-Olympic 25-meter version in place now.
Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s State of the City Address Focuses Unyieldingly on the Upbeat
Hewing to tradition, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s State of the City Address, his first, highlights the city’s shinier accomplishments, focusing exclusively on the bright and sunny and leaving silent all things politics and all controversies. Here’s the full text and three videos for the event.
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.
Palm Coast Council Votes Itself 151% Pay Hike Plus Benefits Plus Annual Raises
Council members’ salary will rise from $9,600 a year to $24,097, a 151 percent increase. The mayor’s salary will go up from $11,400 a year to $30,039 a year, a 164 percent increase, substantially less than the more than 300m percent increase Mayor David Alfin originally sought, but still equally costly to taxpayers as the original proposal, since benefits are now part of the compensation package.
Sheriff’s Office Is Flush With New Deputies, a New Operations Center and a New Mobile Command Center Ahead
The sheriff’s annual address gave him a chance to boast of a crime index 53 percent lower than when he took office in 2017, to summarize the past year in policing, explain current initiatives and project some of what’s ahead, including the big-ticket items–a new mobile command center and the opening of the Sheriff’s Operations Center later this year–and another big ask from the County Commission.
Palm Coast’s Belle Terre Park and Frieda Zamba Pool Need ‘Total Rebuild,’ But Council Is Wary of Another Expansion
Palm Coast with Belle Terre Park and its Frieda Zamba Pool is in the same boat as the school district with its nearby Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club: both facilities are on their last legs and need millions in repairs or construction, but the two agencies have yet to discuss cooperation. On Tuesday, Palm Coast council members were taken aback by the extent of the needs at Belle Terre Park.
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.
Palm Coast Mayor Is Willing to Scale Back Council Raises, But Latest Proposal Is Still a 275% Increase
While Mayor David Alfin said he was willing to lower the amount of the raise, he left it to his four colleagues to propose actual numbers. Council member Nick Klufas is proposing salaries in line with those of School Board members–$36,000, which would still result in a 275 percent increase. Alfin and Council member John Fanelli appeared closest to that number.
Splash Pad Boondoggle at Holland Park: Council Considers Suing Builders and Scrapping $5.1 Million Amenity
Palm Coast’s much-vaunted $5.1 million splash pad at Holland Park It opened for barely a few weeks before failing twice, closing the second time in July and soon closing for good. The failure is causing the city to threaten a lawsuit against the contractor and designer of the splash pad and consider scraping off the whole thing and replacing it with more traditional, less breakdown-prone amenities.
Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins Fourth ATP Tour Title, Besting Isner in Houston Ahead of European Circuit
Reilly Opelka, 24, captured his fourth career ATP Tour title on Sunday in Houston, besting longtime friend and rival John Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the championship match of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court championship.
Volunteer Firefighter Jericho Taylor Recognized for Intervention at Crash Site
At the April 5 Palm Coast City Council Meeting, Palm Coast Volunteer Firefighter Jericho Taylor character was recognized by the City Council for his interventions at a recent fatal motor vehicle crash.
Not One Reason for Palm Coast Council’s 365% Raise for Itself Passes Smell Test
The quadrupling of Palm Coast City Council members’ salaries was shoveled through hurriedly and sloppily on baseless assumptions posing as evidence. Every single one of Mayor David Alfin’s or supporting councilmen’s rationales collapses with a little scrutiny, leaving a proposal contemptuous of the public and insulting to city staff.
In Denise Bevan and Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast Has 1st All-Female Administrative Leadership in City’s 23 Years
Palm Coast made history Tuesday evening. The city council ratified the contract of Denise Bevan, the first female city manager in Palm Coast’s 23 years. Moments later, Bevan announced the appointment of Lauren Johnston as the assistant city manager, giving the city an all-female administrative leadership in a sector still overwhelmingly dominated by men.
Palm Coast Council Approves $8 Million Bank Loan, Its Sixth for Ongoing Repairs to Stormwater Infrastructure
The $532,000 annual financing of the latest loan–which will cost the city a total of $10.6 million by maturation–brings annual stormwater debt costs to $1.84 million. The loans are all is secured by the annual revenue from the stormwarter fee that residents and businesses pay on their utility bills.
In Victory for Mayor But Against Loud Public Opposition, Palm Coast Council Will Quadruple Its Own Salaries
The Palm Coast City Council this evening voted 4-1 to quadruple the mayor’s and council members’ salaries starting after the election in November, a raise that will benefit three sitting council members and two to be elected later this year. The first of two required votes on the ordinance Mayor David Alfin proposed only last month was a victory for the mayor, who was elected less than a year ago, but at a steep price.
Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Top Ensemble Returns to Methodist Church Music Series for Eclectic Saturday Concert
For the first time since 2019, the Flagler Youth Orchestra’s Harmony chamber ensemble, featuring the FYO’s most accomplished musicians, is back in performance at the in the Palm Coast United Methodist Church’s Concert Series. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, April 2, at 4 p.m.
How Palm Coast City Council Skirted Charter Change on Its Own Salaries Even As It Was Claiming to Clarify It
Palm Coast City Council member Nick Klufas, like many residents, thought council members’ salaries could only be changed by charter–not, as Mayor Alfin is proposing, by mere council ordinance. His confusion reflects how the last time the council changed the charter had the effect of deceiving voters into thinking exactly what Klufas thought, even as the city was ostensibly trying to clarify the charter. It’s a revealing history of obfuscation by omission that now undermines the legitimacy of council salary increases.
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.
Senior Planner Bill Hoover Retires After Seven and a Half Years in Palm Coast Government
Bill Hoover has been a planner in the State of Florida for over 33 years. He worked for Hillsborough and Collier Counties and for Butler Engineering, Inc. in Ft. Meyers prior to opening his own business in Naples, FL. He and his wife, Charlene, discovered Palm Coast in 2014.
John Fanelli, Dynamic School Administrator, Is Palm Coast Council’s Choice to Fill Seat Vacated by Barbosa
The Palm Coast City Council this morning appointed John Fanelli, a dynamic school district administrator a council member compared to former Superintendent Jacob Oliva, to fill for the next seven months the District 2 council seat abruptly vacated by Victor Barbosa less than a month ago.
Man Accused of Terrorism Embroils Palm Coast Organization in Controversy Over Ukrainian Orphans
A Palm Coast non-profit called Loving Families and Homes for Orphans, caring for Ukrainian children, is being unfairly tarnished by the involvement with the non-profit of Matt Shea, a Spokane, Wash., man accused of domestic terrorism and tied to hate groups, the husband of the non-profit’s leader says.
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.
Palm Coast Planning Board Unhappily Approves 418-Home Subdivision on U.S. 1 Despite Quality Concerns
Palm Coast Planning Board members were disappointed with both the presentation of the project and its proposed 40- and 50-foot lots, raising questions of quality. “At some point we’ve got to start looking at some better products,” a board member said. The board approved the subdivision in a 5-1 vote.