Palm Coast’s Westward Expansion is dead for now. Raydient, the Rayonier Corp. subsidiary that spent the last three years crafting plans for a 22,000-home development west of U.S. 1, this afternoon announced that it was withdrawing all those plans. It suddenly turns the $126 million, taxpayer-funded “Loop Road” into a road to nowhere.
Palm Coast City Council
Stunningly, Palm Coast Will Pay $17 Million, Assume Debt and Lose Tax Revenue for 259 Acres from Town Center Developer to Settle Lawsuit
The Palm Coast City Council voted 4-1 to settle a lawsuit by purchasing 259 acres from the Town Center developer for $17 million. The agreement forces the city to assume $1.9 million in debt and remove $775,000 in annual property tax revenue from the tax rolls, including $620,000 to the city. City officials think the settlement prevents worse financial losses from litigation and secures control over the property, which they see as an investment.
Rob Wood and Cathy Moon Decisively Win School Board, Tucker and Chong in Runoff, Pennington and Pontieri Win
Rob Wood and Cathy Moon decisively beat Will Furry, a first-term incumbent, and Jill Woolbright, who was attempting a comeback, for Flagler County School Board, while former Board member Trevor Tucker will be in a runoff against incumbent Christy Chong. Incumbent County Commissioner Leann Pennington easily won, and Theresa Pontieri won her County Commission primary bid. Tony Amaral, Jeani Duarte, Dylana Gallery and Darlene Shelley are headed for runoffs in Palm Coast City Council races.
Palm Coast Launches Housing Empowerment Workshop Series for Residents
The City of Palm Coast, in partnership with local community organizations, is announcing the upcoming Housing Empowerment Workshop Series to provide residents with essential tools for long-term housing success. This free, public educational series is designed to help community members protect their properties, strengthen financial stability, and better navigate complex housing programs.
Our Local Governments Are Drunk on Tallahassee’s Homestead Kool-Aid
The proposed amendment to sharply raise the homestead exemption and slash government revenue relies on vilifying government workers to appease taxpayers, and decades of hostile political rhetoric designed to dismantle public services. Even in Palm Coast and on the County Commission, politicians are prioritizing fabricated narratives of rampant waste over actual local needs. It’s a reckless strategy that will inevitably results in severe cuts and firings.
With Eye on West Expansion, Palm Coast Council Advances Preservation Ordinance To Protect Historic Sites
The Palm Coast City Council advanced a newly drafted historic preservation ordinance to catalogue and protect local cultural resources and certify the city among the state’s historic preservation governments, which requires meeting certain criteria. The measure establishes a five-member board to review discoveries and seek grants. The ordinance parallels Raydient’s westward expansion on acreage rich in cultural and historical resources.
Judge Rules Palm Coast’s Doubling of Impact Fees Illegal, a Devastating Blow to City’s Revenue and Victory for Builders
In a devastating blow to Palm Coast government, a judge this morning ruled that the city’s doubling of development impact fees in 2025 violates a state law that forbids local governments from imposing restrictive development regulations.
Palm Coast Council Tables Westward Expansion Development Plan, Demanding Economic and Other Guarantees
Nearing midnight following a six-hour meeting Tuesday night, the Palm Coast City Council tabled until Aug. 25–the week after the primary election–the land-use proposals that would clear the way for the so-called westward expansion, the plan to build 22,000 housing units on 21,000 acres west of U.S. 1. The council signaled it would approve the development plan by Raydient pending changes to the development order that the council wants.
Facing Devastating $140,000 Cut, Flagler Humane Society Urges Palm Coast to Fully Fund Animal Care
The Flagler Humane Society faces a severe financial deficit because Palm Coast underfunds mandatory stray animal care, Treasurer Rebecca Reynolds argues. She notes the city covers only a fraction of actual costs, leaving the shelter to absorb the difference. With proposed budget cuts looming, Reynolds urges the city to preserve adequate municipal funding.
Know Palm Coast’s New E-Bike Rules As You Ride Back to School
As students prepare to head back to school, the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and Flagler Schools are reminding families that electric bicycles (e-bikes) remain a popular way to get to and from school—but they also come with important responsibilities. Officials are encouraging parents and riders to review Palm Coast’s e-bike ordinance and practice safe riding habits before the first day of school.
Seven Palm Coast Employees Escorted Out of City Hall in Broad Cost-Cutting Layoffs and Resignation
In a grim day at Palm Coast City Hall Friday, six employees were laid off and a seventh resigned, five of them in code enforcement and animal control, including long-time Code Enforcement Manager Barbara Grossman, and two in planning, cutting roughly $700,000 from the budget. The administration was under strict directive from the City Council to reduce the budget, though internal issues at code enforcement may also have played a role.
Palm Coast Requests Trial Delay In Lawsuit By Town Center Developer
A hearing before Circuit Judge Sandra Upchurch is scheduled for Aug. 14 to address a motion by the city of Palm Coast to delay the trial of the Town Center developer’s case against the city. The trial is scheduled for mid-November. Palm Coast is seeking a delay until March.
Palm Coast Council Members Push to Pause New Deputy Hirings Amid Budget Tensions Over Taxes
The Palm Coast City Council reached what looked suspiciously like a tense impasse over property tax rates, public safety funding, and municipal services at a workshop this morning. The administration outlined three budget options, but council members demanded revised scenarios setting rates at rollback or rollback plus inflation. Proposal discussions included a pause on hiring new sheriff’s deputies.
Ray Stevens Challenges Dave Sullivan Over Palm Coast City Council Seat Timing Dispute
Ray Stevens is challenging Council member Dave Sullivan over who should occupy the Palm Coast City Council District 3 seat before November. Stevens won the special election unopposed and is pursuing immediate seating under city charter provisions. Sullivan refuses to step down early, insisting appointed members must serve full terms. Stevens consulted state election officials to compel his seating, rejecting Sullivan’s assertions.
Bob Cuff, Palm Coast Pioneer Whose Wry Wit and Humanity Shaped Policy and Moved Friends, Dies at 75
Former Palm Coast City Councilman Bob Cuff died Wednesday at age 75 following a prolonged battle with cancer. A legal pioneer, he served 17 years as general counsel for ITT Community Development Corporation, shaping the city’s early expansion. Colleagues remembered the former attorney for his sharp intellect, dry wit, unyielding integrity, and deep dedication to authentic public service across decades of local governance.
Bob Cuff, 1950-2026
Letter from the Magic Mountain
We formed an unlikely bond over a shared disdain for local political spectacles and a mutual passion for books no one reads anymore, Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain especially. And now an illness from the underworld is doing its ravages.
Palm Coast Council Considers Deep Cuts Affecting Cops, Code Enforcement and Humane Society
Anticipating revenue losses from a proposed homestead amendment, the Palm Coast City Council capped its maximum property tax rate while weighing severe service cuts. Council members proposed reducing a request for nine sheriff’s deputies to five, eliminating funding for a school resource deputy, cutting code enforcement staff in half, and trimming animal shelter contributions. Leadership remains divided on balancing the budget without compromising core municipal services or raising property tax rates on local homeowners.
Palm Coast Planning Board Unanimously Rejects 22,000-Home Western Expansion Over Unanswered Questions
The Palm Coast Planning Board unanimously voted down land use and rezoning changes for a 22,000-home western expansion by Raydient Wednesday evening as board members cited inadequate information on infrastructure, school capacity, tax base diversification and other issues. They expressed concern over the loss of regulatory control to future developers. The non-binding denial moves the requests to the City Council for a decision.
Palm Coast Council Struggling to Match Budget Needs, Including Cops, With Deepening Revenue Crunch
The Palm Coast City Council set a higher tentative maximum tax rate for next year that nevertheless does not close a $3.3 million gap between needs and projected revenue, including nine additional sheriff’s deputies. A slowing economy and a proposed constitutional amendment could severely reduce municipal revenues by 2028. Officials are struggling to balance funding for essential public safety agreements with cost-of-living increases and recurring operating costs amid declining local property valuations.
Tempers Flare As Palm Coast Council Advances Parts of $600 Million Utility System Expansion and Improvements
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved $8.3 million in utility infrastructure spending on Tuesday. The routine approvals, part of the much larger $600 million plan to expand and improve the water and wastewater system, provoked confrontations with local candidates and residents over public comment boundaries even as council members spoke of the approvals’ transparency. The oldest municipal treatment plant requires expansion to meet a state environmental consent order.
Palm Coast Council Pushes for Pedestrian-Safety Crosswalks and Signs Near Lehigh Trail at Royal Palms
The Palm Coast City Council is pushing for crosswalks, signs, and traffic safety enhancements at several busy Town Center intersections following safety complaints from a P-Section resident who described difficulties safely crossing Royal Palms Parkway to access the Lehigh Trail.
Flagler County Celebrates 250th Independence Day with Floats, Hot Diggity Dogs, Warbirds and Fireworks
Flagler County municipalities coordinated the 2026 United Flagler Fourth celebration to mark America’s 250th independence anniversary with a daylong event that began with a morning parade in Flagler Beach then, at the county airport, veteran tributes, a historic warbird flyover, and an inaugural hot dog eating contest. A fireworks display concluded the free regional festival.
Flawed Format Aside, Flagler Tiger Bay Club Forum Exposes Experience Gap Between Newcomers And Incumbents
The Flagler Tiger Bay Club candidate forum Thursday evening for County Commission and Palm Coast City Council candidates exposed a distinct experience gap between seasoned incumbents and ten political newcomers. Candidates faced poorly structured questions regarding development, taxation, and infrastructure. The restrictive format prevented meaningful debate or follow-up questions, forcing most candidates to rely on broad platitudes instead of offering concrete ideas for impending revenue shortages.
Palm Coast Approves Two Commercial Developments That Could Bring More Than 200 Jobs
The Palm Coast Planning Board approved two commercial developments expected to create over 200 jobs. A 82,000-square-foot warehouse project on Commerce Boulevard will accommodate an expansion by manufacturer Alleima, and a 62,000-square-foot Palm Harbor Professional Complex will be a multi-suite medical office building, though developers have not secured any tenants for it yet.
Palm Coast Will Install Flashing Stop Signs At Exasperating Royal Palms and Old Kings Intersections with Town Center Blvd
Palm Coast public works crews will install flashing-red stop signs at two major Town Center intersections on July 2 and July 3. The intersections at Royal Palms Parkway and Old Kings Road will convert to three-way stops. The $15,000 project aims to reduce severe rush-hour backups. Drivers should expect overnight lane closures ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
Town Center Data Center Planned for 100,000 Square Feet, Triple Footprint Size Palm Coast Approved
A DC Blox executive revealed the ongoing construction of a data center in Palm Coast’s Town Center will eventually consist of two buildings totaling 100,000 square feet, not one building of 35,000 square feet, as approved by Palm Coast planners. The disclosure blindsided city officials. The expanded scope should have triggered public hearings before regulatory boards. Future construction phases will face strict city council scrutiny under impending local development code changes.
Record-Breaking Walmart Supercenter on SR 100 Clears Palm Coast Planning Board; Nearly 20,000 Car Trips Projected
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday evening unanimously recommended approval for a new Walmart Supercenter and shopping center on State Road 100, what would be the largest single-new commercial development in the city’s history. The project at build-out is expected to add nearly 20,000 daily car trips to State Road 100, which currently handles between 25,000 and 36,000 car trips per day. The site will feature a temporary wastewater facility to avoid stressing the infrastructure of the city, and to avoid getting delayed for lack of city capacity.
Palm Coast Council’s Pontieri: Why I Reject Mayor Norris’s Flawed, AI-Generated Austerity Budget Proposal
Responding to a proposed “austerity resolution” Mayor Mike Norris submitted as a “shell” for the city manager and city attorney to develop, Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri rejects the proposal as flawed and reliant on artificial intelligence. It suggests redundancies, counterproductive schedule shifts, and harmful community cuts. Real governance, the vice mayor argues, requires human diligence and council deliberations.
Sheriff Staly Blasts Proposed Homestead Property Tax Amendment as ‘Politics’ That ‘Screw Around With the Cities and the County’
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly publicly criticized a proposed Florida constitutional amendment increasing homestead exemptions to $250,000. While local officials fear election-year backlash for opposing tax cuts, Staly characterized the legislation as reckless politics that defunds municipalities. Addressing the Palm Coast City Council this morning, he urged leaders to launch public education campaigns, warning that vague legislative language threatens critical local government operations despite exemptions for public safety services.
FDLE Says No ‘Quid Pro Quo’ From Raydient to Mayor Norris, Who’d Agreed to ‘Western Expansion’ in Private Meeting
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris told state FDLE investigators that he falsely promised to support Raydient’s “western expansion” expansion plans during a 2025 meeting. He later accused the company of offering a quid pro quo for his mayoral tenure. An FDLE report concluded no crime occurred because no funds or services were exchanged.
Ray Stevens Is Reelected to His Own Council Seat Without Opposition, and Suggests Sullivan Should Resign. Sullivan Says No.
Ray Stevens today was reelected to the Palm Coast City Council seat he resigned soon after his first election in November 2024, this time without opposition. Stevens suggested that Dave Sullivan, who was appointed to the seat when Stevens resigned it, should now himself resign and let Stevens pick up the responsibility. Sullivan said he will not do so.
Flagler District Halts Plans For New Schools as Enrollment Shrinks While Private and Homeschool Numbers Surge
Flagler County has abandoned plans to build a middle school and a high school by decade’s end due to shrinking district enrollment. Total school-age children grew by 2,359 since 2018, but these students enrolled in private schools or homeschooling programs instead. Fueled by universal vouchers and lower birth rates, this shift leaves traditional schools under capacity. The district projects a 14 percent enrollment decline by 2035. But it is still collecting development impact fees to finance new schools, which may bring objections by builders.
Palm Coast Fast-Tracks Restrictions and Supermajority Requirements For Approving Future Data Centers
The Palm Coast City Council is fast-tracking strict amendments to its Land Development Code regarding data center approvals. Future facilities are prohibited by right, requiring industrial zoning, strict environmental criteria, and a council supermajority vote. The policy shift addresses growing concerns about data centers–concerns that developed before the secretive 2024 administrative approval of the DC Blox facility in Town Center.
Palm Coast Mayor’s Radical ‘Austerity’ Plan: Hiring Freeze, 4-Day Workweek, Cut Departments, Cut Street Light Hours
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is proposing an AI-drafted austerity resolution introducing hiring freezes, department mergers, and reduced public services to counter impending state homestead exemption tax cuts. The draft conflates self-supported enterprise funds with the city general fund, drawing skepticism from city council members and reserve from the city manager. City Attorney Marcus Duffy will format the shell proposal into an official resolution for formal council consideration later this month.
Ethics Commission Dismisses Yet One More ‘Legally Insufficient’ Complaint, This Time Against the Council’s Pontieri
In the last two years the Florida Ethics Commission has tossed out complaints against Flagler County Airport Director Roy Sieger, former Palm Coast City Manager Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris, former Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, former Council member Ed Danko, Bunnell Planning Board member Lynn Lafferty, and Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin. It added one more name today: City Council member Theresa Pontieri.
Palm Coast Council Seeks to Protect Old Matanzas Golf Course Viewshed in Perpetuity. Developer Has Other Ideas.
The Palm Coast City Council moved to tighten its Land Development Code to protect golf course viewsheds from development, specifically targeting areas around the old Matanzas Woods Golf Course for protection. There was intense resident opposition against a developer’s plan to build 39 homes on a protected tract at the old gold course when presented at a neighborhood meeting in April. The proposed code changes aim to make view protections permanent, setting up a potential legal battle over property rights.
Palm Coast Mayor Norris Calls for ‘Austerity Budget’ as Council Grapples with Downturn and Homestead Upheaval Ahead
Palm Coast City Council members will consider an austerity budget resolution to prepare for sharp revenue losses from a proposed Florida homestead exemption amendment and this year’s slight downturn in property values. Existing city property values dropped over one percent, prompting discussions of a potential hiring freeze. Residential properties generate 90 percent of local tax revenue. Construction growth is generating enough revenue to keep the budget growing slightly.
As County Throws More Cold Water on 22,000-Home ‘Western Expansion,’ Developer Defends Retreat from Previous Commitments
Raydient’s plan to develop 22,000 housing units on 22,000 acres wet of U.S. 1 in Palm Coast continues to draw criticism as it did last Monday at the County Commission, and previously from members of the Palm Coast City Council. On WNZF’s Free For All Friday this morning, Mike Hahaj, the director of commercial development and operations for Raydient, addressed some of the issues in contention.
NE Florida Regional Council Declares Data Centers Regional Issue on Andy Dance’s Motion, Empowering Local Governments
The Northeast Florida Regional Council unanimously voted to designate data center growth as an official regional issue on Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance’s motion at a meeting in Jacksonville this morning. The move unlocks planning, legal, and economic resources for seven member counties and two dozen cities that are members of the council, including palm Coast and Flagler County, which are working toward a data center moratorium. Governments face challenges balancing heavy utility demands and environmental impacts against regional economic development.
Palm Coast Joins Flagler County in Considering 1-Year Moratorium on New Data Centers to Rewrite Rules
Driven by concerns over data centers’ electricity and water consumption and their impacts on the environment and quality of life, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday joined the County Commission in a planned year-long moratorium on new data centers to update land-use codes. Existing regulations lack protections against high-impact facilities. A temporary moratorium provides breathing room to study infrastructure limits.
Flagler County and City Officials Warn of Severe Cuts to Government Services if Voters Approve Measure to Cut Homestead Taxes
The Florida Legislature approved a constitutional amendment ballot measure scaling back homesteaded property taxes and capping non-homesteaded property valuations. Flagler County faces a projected first-year loss of $35 million, climbing to $60 million in year two. Local administrators and elected officials warn that this shifting tax structure will trigger severe, programmatic budget cuts for essential municipal services, including parks, libraries, and animal control, and speak with dismay at lawmakers’ silence on alternative funding sources.
Palm Coast Will Deploy Engine Company to Flagler Beach Fire Department, Bridging Staffing Shortfall For $54,000
Palm Coast and Flagler Beach plan to enact a temporary agreement sending a Palm Coast fire engine company to assist the severely understaffed Flagler Beach Fire Department. The emergency measure follows the sudden resignation of five Flagler Beach firefighters. Flagler Beach will pay Palm Coast $54,000 to fund one active shift rotation for four weeks. Both city governments are expected to ratify the agreement next week.
Property Values Fall For 1st Time In 14 Years in Palm Coast and Flagler, Excluding New Construction, Posing Tax Dilemma
Average taxable property values in Flagler County fell in 2026 for the first time in fourteen years outside of new construction. The drop signals a cooling housing market and directly impacts local government budgets. Local governments would now have to raise tax rates marginally to maintain current revenue levels. New construction remains a lifeline that prevents severe budget shortfalls and keeps total county tax collections stable overall.
Palm Coast Postpones Inaugural Beats & Eats
Due to the forecast for inclement weather, the City of Palm Coast has postponed tonight’s inaugural Beats & Eats event at The Stage in Town Center. The event is rescheduled for June 18.
‘You’re Damn Right We Remember,’ Mayor Norris Says of Long Line of Warriors’ Sacrifice at Memorial Day Ceremony
The City of Palm Coast hosted its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park to honor fallen American service members. Mayor Mike Norris led the solemn event, which featured an emotional White Rose Tribute and allowed attendees to speak the names of lost loved ones. Local officials, veterans, and Gold Star Families participated in wreath presentations, a 21-gun salute, and an concluding honor walk.
At New Station 26 in Seminole Woods, an Emotional Grand Opening of Palm Coast’s First New ‘Firehouse‘ in 20 Years
Palm Coast celebrated the grand opening of the $12 million Fire Station 26 in Seminole Woods, marking the city’s first new firehouse in 20 years. The facility features advanced design elements to support firefighter well-being and faster response times. The ceremony was unwittingly themed around the meaning of family and hearth in firehouses. Flagler County cannot currently spare an ambulance for the station. Palm Coast crews will provide advanced life support until county transport units arrive.
Palm Coast Council Counters Fears Over Town Center Data Center: It Is Not a Water and Power-Guzzling AI Facility
Palm Coast council members are reassuring residents that the 35,000-square-foot DC Blox data center in Town Center is an internet cable landing station rather than a resource-heavy artificial intelligence center. The project advanced through administrative approvals without public oversight. It will nevertheless become the city’s largest electricity consumer.
3-2 Council Vote Falls Short of Adding Affordable Housing Component to Sawmill Branch’s Newest 244 Houses
The Palm Coast City Council finalized a 3-2 approval shifting the Sawmill Branch development from townhouses to 244 small single-family homes. Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri failed to secure a workforce housing set-asides as a council majority argued the smaller lots offer flexible, market-rate options for buyers. Damage to the historic Hewitt Sawmill site also drew additional discussion.
Art Dycke, Co-Author of Palm Coast Charter and Dedicated City Historian, Dies at 92
Palm Coast is mourning the death of Arthur E. Dycke, a foundational figure who died Monday at age 92. Dycke co-authored the city’s original charter, co-founded the Palm Coast Historical Society, and served as an official city historian. His extensive research, columns, and books preserved the legacy of early residents. Local leaders praised his profound contributions to safeguarding the community’s heritage.
Palm Coast Mayor Norris Turns Loop Road Groundbreaking Into Lashing of Western Expansion and Developer
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris surprised attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony this morning by lashing into the $125 million loop road project connecting Matanzas Woods Parkway with Palm Coast Parkway, and into Raydient, the developer, attacking it for not shouldering its share of infrastructure funding. Norris discarded his prepared remarks to criticize the environmental impact on wetlands and the financial burden on local taxpayers. Council members Charles Gambaro and Ty Miller rebuked the mayor for his timing.