The Palm Coast City Council this morning approved an engineering contract for the first phase of what will be a three-phase, 7-mile beltway connecting Matanzas Woods Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway west of U.S. 1. The ambitious road incursion through 12,000 acres of empty wilds in West Palm Coast would open that part of the city to development while cutting a north-south artery parallel to Belle Terre Parkway.
The council approved a $5.7 million contract with Jacksonville-based England, Thims & Miller for the final design and permitting for Phase 1, including roadway lighting, extension of the city’s broadband network, a traffic signal at Matanzas Village Avenue and Parkgate Boulevard, and the
northern bridge crossing of the FEC Railroad that the city is calling a “flyover.” The contract also includes the final design of the southern bridge crossing over the FEC Railroad, to Palm Coast Parkway.
“Due to several factors the city identified the western extension as its first priority due to its close proximity to U.S. 1, the connection to I-95, and it has fewer environmental constraints than some of the other areas,” Carl Cote, the city’s construction and engineering director, said.
This month the city secured $25 million in a legislative appropriation for construction of Phase 1.
The project will be a four-lane divided roadway with curb and gutter, with allowances for six-laning in the future. The bridge over both FEC crossings will be six lanes, and the storm water collection system and treatment ponds will be designed as if for a six-lane highway.
It will be ETM’s responsibility to provide the city with a construction cost estimate for the entirety of the 7-mile project and all its ramifications, including rights-of-way acquisition costs, wetlands mitigation costs and FPL costs, by the end of this year. ETM will also be responsible for the environmental assessment, which will include an analysis of the project’s potential impact on historical sites in the area.
The design is currently halfway complete for the 0.6-mile portion of the initial extension of Matanzas Woods Parkway, where the rights-of-way have almost all been obtained. But there’s a lot more to do.
Among the challenges: the city has to obtain approvals from the Florida East Coast railroad, whose rails cut north and south just west of U.S. 1. “That is a long process but with DOT’s coordination and support behind us,” Cote said, referring to the state Department of Transportation, “they are 100 percent committed to assisting us in moving through that process smoothly.”
The city’s goal is to start construction in 2024 on the initial phase. But most of the rights-of-way along the 7 miles have yet to be acquired, and the wetlands have yet to be identified, though a recent Supreme Court decision allowing for a much easier obliteration of wetlands will make that easier.
The council has previously contracted with ETM to analyze extensions of Whiteview Parkway, Royal Palms Parkway, and Palm Coast Parkway west of U.S. 1. ETM was the county’s contractor on the Matanzas Woods interchange with I-95, which broke ground in May 2015 and opened to traffic in March 2016.
Totaling $55 million, Palm Coast’s legislative appropriations this spring beat the city’s expectations and accelerated its aggressive plans–what Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin is mapping out as his legacy–to conquer west Palm Coast with roads, rooftops and taxpayers. The city intends to seek further appropriations as it takes advantage of Rep. Paul Renner, Flagler County’s representative, who happens to be the House speaker for one more year–a powerfully lucrative position for the city and the county.
The full cost of the 7-mile beltway is unknown. “Phase two will be determined based on how much state funding we get in the next request,” Cote said, betraying some of that city confidence in the Renner effect. “So how much more money we need will will depend on how far we can take the project.”
For now, the city is using its own transportation impact fees to pay for the engineering contract. Once ETM has estimated the cost of the entire project, the administration will return to the council after bidding out construction of the first phase.
As Cote described the project to the council this morning, he noted that ETM will not be responsible for the acquisition of conservation releases: that’s the city’s responsibility. But the city’s westward expansion so far has tended to focus on its more triumphal potentials for development rather than on its conservation challenges.
“I appreciate you referencing the conservation because it is one of my concerns,” Council member Theresa Pontieri said. Referring to the land manager in county government, she continued: “I hope that we’re working with Mike Lagasse on that. There’s obviously some really important components out there that we need to make sure we’re keeping an eye on.”
Pontieri was also concerned about the missing regulatory approvals, including those from the railroad. She did not see those issues getting resolved within the current scope of the proposed contract, and wanted to ensure that the ETM contract had built-in extensions. “That seems like a pretty big project and I just want to make sure we’re protected,” she said.
“I’ve been keeping a close watch on every detail for the last several years on this,” Alfin told Cote, “so I feel comfortable and confident that you are moving this forward in the right direction.”
Katie Berry says
Great, so before any safety improvements are done for Matanzas Parkway, they are going to add more through traffic that causes even more dangerous traffic to the little children walking to the dollar general. Bless their hearts! How sad! The children in the L section deserve better crosswalks to get to the otherside of the road before an additional road and more through traffic is created! I see close calls all the time and I’ve requested a better light from the State and the traffic department will not do that for a child! How sick can you be? There should be a no turn on red signal at Matanzas and Lakeview/Belle Terre when a pedestrian crosswalk is active. Turning right and yielding left at a traffic light is dangerous and a stupid design flaw! Ive almost been hit by people traveling and turning on red and yielding to pedestrians is becoming a thing of the past! What more do you need to understand? It is NOT safe off Matanzas and Lakeview. Additionally plowing down what trees we have left is insane! The L section will flood more so if you tear down the surrounding trees! Stop all the building NOW and consider other families besides yourselves. This area will flood the more trees you remove and more pedestrians will be out using unsafe crosswalks. This is OUR section and you can’t just go plowing it. How about fixing Matanzas Parkway and adding additional traffic cops? If we don’t have resources then stop building!!!!!! No homes=less people, less problems. Over capacity!
TR says
Katie, you will be happy to hear what I heard today. The road starting at the round about of Matanzas Parkway to the I-95 overpass is being resurfaced starting this Monday.
Brian says
How in the hell did Palm Coast get the Tree City award again? With all the devastation of forests for new developments and roads? The paper companies were way better stewards of our forests. At least when they clear cut they replanted. This bunch of rubber stamping “politicians” make me sick.
Denali says
Am I the only one questioning why the city is deigning and planning to building a road through private property? Of what benefit is this to Joe Taxpayer? “Transportation Impact Fees” are being used to pay for the design work? What the hell? Impact fees are to be used for a developments impact on the developed area, not some delusional mayor’s goal to build a legacy to himself far away from the actual source of the funding.
An alternative to Belle Terre Parkway? For who? This no more of an alternative to Belle Terre than Pine Lakes Parkway!
If some developer wants to buy the land and build houses, apartments, condos or mini-storage warehouses, so be it. Let the developer, “develop”. It is not up to the city to provide ‘shovel ready’ parcels for any one of a number of developers to throw up 1,000 homes with a bundle of cash in his and the mayor’s pockets.
These jerk-dogs are totally out of step with reality. They are so far up Alfin’s rear end in his nightmare of a dream that they cannot see the reality of a town with failing infrastructure. If you cannot take care of what you have. you do not deserve more.
David Schaefer says
Thank You. Can’t wait to vote that old fart realtor out of office he has destroyed this town.
Think people think! says
So they’re going to award money to a company before they even have the approval to go west from the right entities?
Dennis C Rathsam says
With all those new homes comming, Matanzas is a parking lot now every morning people trying to get to 95 or the high school. Whats gonna happen when you add more people to this pot hole 2 lane road. Add the dump trucks, feeding this new indever. Then to top it off my taxes will go up again. Ignorance is bliss, Stuff EM In Alvin Strikes Again….Maybe they should build another school over there while thier at it.
Ray says
More BS Time to pack up and leave.
Celia Pugliese says
Our hard earned taxes all to benefit vacant land owners and developers way west of Rte 1…makes no sense for current city needs What about the widening of Old Kings Road, my question to Carl Cote Engineering and Mayor Alfin and the desperately requested Cimarron walkway? When is Old Kings Road going to be widen to 4 lanes and turn lanes for the current needs of our bottlenecked traffic and relief of speeding traffic in our residential roads like Florida Park Drive, Clubhouse Drive and others on F section..? A Beltway not needed now, as which of our current residents will take that huge detour west to come from Matanzas Parkway to PC Parkway when they can make it faster using in I-95 , or Rte 1 or Palm Harbor Parkway or Belle Terre. These futuristic plans is what makes our taxes revenue insufficient not used for what is a current priority. Am I missing something here or maybe I do not have the C. Columbus discovery mind and instead an overspent tax pocket? To me is a case of taking to big of a bite and choke on it, a la water desalination plant in our shore, the splash pad in Holland Park , the city owned fiber optic, etc.
Marty Reed says
This continued unchecked development is abhorant. There appears to be absolutely no regard for conservation & environmental degradation. All of the residents of Flagler County will soon pay the price for this destruction of our wetlands!
Sad and disgusted says
There will be nothing left of what was once Flagler County soon. Pack those houses in as close together as possible and leave not one tree or shrub standing. Don’t even use the wood you mow down for anything either. Just burn it and pollute the air while destroying our ecosystem and wildlife habitat. Disgusting.
Concerned Citizen says
Forget Renner, forget Alfin, forget staff, whether you like it or not, Mori made this happen and no one else!
Concerned Citizen says
Forget Renner, forget Alfin, forget staff, whether you like it or not, Mori made this happen and no one else!
tom mutschler says
Madness !!!
The Sour Kraut says
All the trees will be bulldozed flat so they can build houses practically on top of each other. All the wildlife will be gone and we will need traffic lights everywhere. This is Alfins dream? I call it a nightmare.
TR says
More wasted money. Looking at the map, why would anyone in their right mind take the beltway out of your way instead of going straight on US-1? Morons. How about taking the money for this idea and applying it to fixing the roads we have now, fix the timing of the traffic lights and add some more lights on some of the heavy traveled road that are dark at night, like the US-1 stretch they want to build around with this beltway.
Katie Berry says
Agreed!
Carol Caso says
Before our city spends all this money on roads going West, and a fly over, and an artery from Belle Terre Pkwy why not address the traffic issues on Belle Terre and all the fatal accidents because there are NO safe cross overs from the developments. Cars sit backed up, waiting for a chance to pull out of their development onto Belle Terre and its just not safe at any time. Plus our roads in our developments our old, crumbling and feel like riding on a wash board. Why not repair our roads first before spending money on roads West, that will end up like Old Kings South, from the town center to Old Kings. That portion was developed, with 4 lanes, lights, and there is NOTHING built there, It originally was promised a new Walmart, but never happened. Now all that money for road infrastructure and its nothing but woods and a Racetrack Gas station on the corner of Rt. 100. Our city planning is terrible. Take care of the roads that are being used before spending all that money on an area that will be bordered by WOODS . Bring businesses and shopping to Rt. 100 first, – not out in the wilderness!!!!!
Katie Berry says
Do they hear us? Council! Fix the already built roads FIRST for the already living in Palm Coast residents and then you can work on the development. We matter, our community matters!
Jimbo99 says
Beltway ? How much is projected to be commercial vs residental ? Maybe these are where the new baseball fields are projected to be built ? Still not a solution for alleviating traffic from the growth, if anything it adds more because anything residential has to come back to Palm Coast Parkway for commercial, there’s nothing but residential on Matanzas Woods Parkway. More phases will end up at Royal Palms Parkway or perhaps around Whiteview Parkway prior to developing West of US-1 ? Seeing how the State & Federal has no roads linking several counties, this is just a Palm Coast Loop for the NW 1/3 of the county, that has to return to US-1 or I-95 ?
Cindy D says
Mr Mayor, Can we get the current roads paved first? Please? It’s terrible that we have to dodge repaired holes that wash out after a rain!, it’s not fair, just wrong to add new roads. Take care of the ones we have and your existing residents.
Katie Berry says
Agreed! Now Mr. Mayor, please approve to fix our roads first!
Joe says
Developers should pay for and build there own Roads! Why are taxpayers subsidizing developers Residential projects?
It’s time to elect new leaders that aren’t in the pockets of residential developers!!!
Katie Berry says
Agreed! Developers don’t care about communities!
Atwp says
A long road ahead. Roads, roof tops, tax payers. Wow.
HJC says
Fix the roads we have already?
Robjr says
Money for an engineering contract for a new road?
When is paving scheduled for the existing roads?
The Truth Told says
Definitely ambitious… But is there any reason to build this? Is it more conceivable to just take US1 to Palm Coast Parkway? Or would that be too easy?
Pat says
Really? Two thoughts come to my mind.
One you want to build more roads, when are current roads are deteriorating rapidly.
And second thought, a new road to bring in more developers and more population. Guess who benefits from this move??
jeffery seib says
This roadway, while the funding was bestowed by our state legislator Renner, will result in a number of changes to our community which many will not be happy about. First, the attention of the city council will be on carving up all the property around this road for their sponsors, the builders, developers, and their lawyers. Next, this will insure that Palm Coast will be removing large areas of forests, wetlands, and anything that can’t generate a profit for somebody. This action will begin the process that will guarantee that our stormwater fees and our property taxes will be increasing forever and our roads and other city obligations to the residents will be decreasing forever. I’m not happy with this at all.
Denali says
I do not want to make you more unhappy but as of yet, there is no funding for this new road. Renner has not coughed up a single red cent. To make it worse, the funds for the design work is coming from “Transportation Impact Fees” from previous projects. You know, that money previous developers have paid to reduce city expenditures on the specific project where the fee was paid.
FlaglerLive says
The spring session’s appropriations did include $25 million for that project.
Shark says
When I hear the word development in Palm Coast all I can think of is pizza joints and storage facilities
Regulator says
Why
Tony Mack says
This would be funny if it weren’t so sad. Atlanta has a “Beltway;” Washington DC has a “Beltway”, Dallas, Houston, Denver — have “Beltways”. Now Palm Coast will have a “Beltway”?
Well, more money from developers going to the politicians (Realtor Board, actually). Still, no shopping for those of us here in the Northern Territory but potholes on Matanzas Woods, yeah, we’ve got those. Folks going 70 on Belle Terre, yeah, we’ve got those (never see a cop); what a mess. My 12-year-old Grandson does a better job as Mayor on his Sim City app than these bozos!
Tony Mack says
I just add to add a note on this incredible planning and foresight by our esteemed City officials and the developers for this project. I was sitting on my patio just now — about 11 p.m. — and sure enough, here comes a big, old freight train rumbling along. I live near Louisiana just off Matanzas so about two miles away and the noise was so loud it scares the dog. Happens at 7 in the morning as well!
Imagine what those folks buying all those $300K and $400K homes are going to think when that freight train noise comes rumbling through their living rooms. Too funny. Great planning folks! Hey, here’s a thought — how about building a large international airport up there? Then the homies can have both trains and planes and their automobiles.
Considering the thought going into this project, and the neglect of the roads we already have turning into third world streets, wouldn’t surprise me.
A Concerned Observer says
Yet one more project which will benefit greedy, money hungry realtors and developers at the cost of residents who moved here because of what Flagler Counts is. These projects keep coming and coming. More high density, low income housing without regard to the additional toll on the infrastructure necessary to support them. Does anyone understand why we have PEP tanks? It is because the existing homes where they are in place overload the infrastructure necessary to get the sewage to the treatment facility. PEP Tanks are at best a Band Aid. So what comes next, more PEP tanks? US-1 is handling the north, south traffic fine. The problem comes at the already overloading east, west roadways to and from US-1. Can our local politicians not understand the overwhelming cries of their constituents? Our ONLY recourse is a grass roots groundswell to vote every one of them OUT. Read My Lips (keystrokes)! STOP THIS MADNESS!
Ed says
Take a look at Indianapolis Indiana on a map.
There’s a city you can traverse in no time, look at the long game, not just today and tomorrow.
The dude says
I was talking to an engineer on this project the other day. He told me that soon there would be development west of US-1 that would have a footprint larger than what Palm Coast currently has. Seemed a little far fetched to me at the time.
I see now what he was talking about.
That’s a lot of retirees from NJ going to be packed in out there. Bunnell will also have to expand to be able to support all the support workers needed to maintain those retirees.
And what about storage? They’ll all need storage units…
MITCH says
SADLY, we are seeing more projects approved that put more lives in danger; more homes built; adding more residents, without their safety planned for. Presently I-95 cannot accommodate a hurricane evacuation of those already here. We have seen this reality more than once. City staff, doing their job, in support of development, are blindly following where city leaders go. Frightful how many could lose their lives, to include children. SAD!
Katie Berry says
I am noticing that too Mitch! Safety should never be #2 in road and infrastructure design especially in 2023. There is alot of opportunities to design a very safe laid out plan without over crowding and effecting negatively the current residents. It is very sad and upsetting to see that safety is not #1 and growth/profit is #1 . If it was up to me, I would first correct the already poor design, pay my deputies more, add additional sheriff’s and have more traffic officers to combat the 80 percent of speeding, aggressive drivers. The reputation would eventually spread that Flagler cops are everywhere watching and people soon learn they have to obey the traffic laws and this problem will drop. Without it, you have no control and as the county expands this bad traffic behaviors spread fast like wildfires. I see people speeding, running stop signs and pushing other cars that don’t speed in the group s of speeders. I’ve lived in the area since 2012 and I’m tired of seeing this here and in St. Johns county. It use to be much more friendly and most people drove normal. Now if your not doing 10 miles over the speed limit than you get pushed. I am praying something drastic changes. The white circles with names of people dying in car accidents are going up between these two counties way to quick and the reason is because of these groups of speeders. They must be stopped and I really believe that this new project is going to increase traffic flow and more people will move in at a fast rate because they can travel through faster. I moved here to relax with my family, but lately everytime I get in the car I feel annoyed and completely confused how these group of aggressive speeders are on every single road I drive on and I usually drive about 5 miles over on main roads to avoid them. It’s not their city! It is our city and we should demand change now! It is not too late.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Ive read all your comments, we are all in agreement. We want the roads & traffic fixed first, the hell with more homes. Too bad no body at city hall gives a rats ass about us. Its time to stop the madness and impeach the mayor. Stuff Em in Alvin only listens to all the money comming his way.
David Schaefer says
I fully agree I will be one of the first to sign the paper get him out of here NOW.
Tony Mack says
So all this talk about fixing our roads is certainly welcome and necessary. The one thing I’ve seen nothing about is who is going to pay for a new fire house and Sherriff’s substation to handle all these new housing developments? I’ve seen no discussion about any infrastructure — water, underground electrical, sewer (PEP Tanks???). The closest fire station I can figure is located on Belle Terre and that’s pretty far from Sawmill and every other new development on US One.
Doesn’t anyone around here know anything about “planning”. Guess not. Pitiful, really.