If Arabs and Jews didn’t exist, I’m pretty sure developers would bear the brunt of our unthinking bigotries, at least in Palm Coast.
There are times when covering local government hearings on proposed developments feels like I’m watching the theater of the absurd. The hearing a few weeks ago about a planned 500-home development in Seminole Woods was one of those times.
The development is just south of Grand Landings, a bigger development of nearly 900 homes. I recall covering the 2019 hearing when Grand Landings wanted to expand. Neighboring residents came out in opposition, many of them objecting to the size of the development, the allowance for apartment buildings, and 150,000 square feet of commercial space. Not in character with our neighborhood, people said. Nor fit for apartment buildings, people said, trotting out that dog whistle against renters.
Grand Landings, a gated community, has since been filling up. You could see the extent from the number of Grand Landings residents who turned out at a county planning board meeting to oppose the 500-unit development by ICI Homes. It might as well have been an SNL skit. They read from the very same script used against Grand Landings seven years ago. Same arguments. Trees are disappearing. Our way of life will be affected. Our property values will fall. The commercial zone is out of character with single-family residential.
It’s true, the 850,000 square feet of commercial space seems pretty colossal for that area. It would be four times the size of Island Walk off Palm Coast Parkway. It’s doubtful it could function successfully at that size, so on that count the opposition had valid points. I suspect ICI is pulling a fast one, asking for 850,000 square feet now only to convert most of that to more homes later. But there was also opposition to the size of the housing development, with one Grand Landings resident complaining about the woods going away, as if his own gated community hadn’t bulldozed hundreds of acres of woods and wildlife habitat, as if his own backyard sod isn’t the graveyard of former wilds.
Do these people hear themselves talking? It would be as if I were to oppose the owner of a vacant lot across the street from my house from leveling the trees and building there. I got my own. I don’t want others to have theirs. It’s not a tenable position. I’m not even sure it’s moral.
I say this not as an advocate of development. As I’m writing these lines, the insufferable sounds of saws on cinder, roofers’ hammers and the endless beep-beep of a bulldozer backing up are soundtracking my Saturday, as they have most days for most of the last many years. Then I remember that every beep and hammer blow adds to the laborer’s paycheck, feeds a family, keeps a roof over their heads.
It’s not all either-or. Every time a tree falls my heart breaks a little. To me there’s no question that Palm Coast doesn’t regulate developers enough against clear-cutting where some old growth could be preserved. Construction trucks tear up our roads with impunity, when a per-trip fee could generate dollars to help supplement the city’s starving streets fund. The local infrastructure is overtaxed, traffic is a pain, but it’s not as if we live in a village. We want a city. Cities come with urban tradeoffs. The alternative is the Mondex.
I also don’t find builders’ complaints about higher impact fees–the one-time development fees imposed on the price of a house to defray the impact of development on parks, schools, roads and so on–convincing. The fees, which well exceed $25,000 on a typical Palm Coast house, are passed on to the buyer, and have no more of a dampening effect on the market than property taxes, which lawmakers, in the rush to eliminate homesteaded property taxes, equally blame for discouraging home-buying even as houses keep getting built, sold and bought at a ridiculous clip.
Builders aren’t without fair arguments about (not against) impact fees. They’re just not making them. Impact fees bear a disproportionate share of development’s impacts because of Florida’s perverted property tax system. That system has commercial, industrial and non-homesteaded properties, including renters, subsidizing the taxes and services of homesteaded property owners like me: my property tax bill has fallen over 35 percent since we bought our house in 2008 even as my property value has doubled.
That, in essence, is why development doesn’t pay for itself, why local governments are forever chasing growth to capitalize on those couple of years of full-tax authority on a new house before the homestead exemption lobotomizes revenue, and why impact fees increase even as our infrastructure continues to decay. The restriction on impact fee spending to “new” infrastructure is also a nonsensical artifice that financially segregates new and old infrastructure as if all residents don’t impact both equally.
And there’s no more ridiculous doctrine than “if you don’t grow, you die.” The slogan is the fabrication of developers, by developers, for the benefit of developers.
For all that, we existing residents are on very thin ice when arguing that builders and developers should not be allowed to use their land exactly as ours was not that long ago. None of us has been here for very long. All of us live in homes that wiped out Edens of green. All of us contribute shocks to the city’s infrastructure no more and no less than yesterday’s arrivals. It’s not because some of us live on obscenely sprawly quarter-acre lots or larger that we have the right to tell a homebuyer not to dare buy on a smaller lot. If anything, smaller lots are more environmentally responsible, and density makes for more vibrant, less suburbanly stupefied cities.
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris got elected on a promise to stop development. He’s stuck to his TNT. He doesn’t yet have a council majority to second him, even though the council has hardly approved any new developments for the past two years. Norris may get his way at the next election: it’s every local government’s right to set policy. If stopping development is policy, then so be it.
Even then, he could not stop massive developments on the west side of Palm Coast that were approved 20 years ago, such as Neoga Lakes and Old Brick Township, or development on the 7,000-odd lots ITT platted. Norris and I live on that kind of lot.
ITT originally designed Palm Coast in the 1960s as a city the size of New Orleans, then scaled back to a city of 250,000. We’re only halfway there, thanks to the very same people who moved in and who now want to shut the door. You could call the hypocrisy DDS–development derangement syndrome.
Pierre Tristam is the editor of FlaglerLive. A version of this piece airs on WNZF.
Ricky says
I think a lot of complaints stem from the lack of infrastructure and jobs to support the incoming numbers. When impact fees and taxes are to cover the costs associated with growth and yet the city continues to raise rates and blow money turning to the citizens already bare pocketbooks to foot the bill when developers should bear the largest burden.
Greg says
Many are against it, for one simple reason, they have no desire to live in an Orlando setting. The quality of life goes down with.extended traffic waits, and roads falling apart. Many don’t eantbto live on a big city rat race.
Pogo says
Money will be made…
RobdaSlob says
I always appreciate those that put the energy into pushing back on the developers, as it does seem to slow the development. But I also wonder if people who move to along the southeast I95 corridor between South Carolina border and West Palm do any kind of research into who owns the land and what is the master plan.
There are massive tracts owned by companies like Rayonier and their subsidiary Radient (one of Flagler County’s largest land holders). They hold these as timber lands which is treated as agricultural and taxed accordingly (read that as low). To their credit they are fully transparent. Raynoier is timber, Radient is land development – and ultimately their intent which is to develop the land. They are patient and will do it when it makes sense. And quite frankly I have seen them do it well.
Ultimately my frustration resides not with these companies – I’ve been aware of them for most my 60 years. Rather my frustration resides with the local government and their reliance on a pyramid tax scheme of develop or die. This scheme allows the County / City governments to not be good stewards of tax payer dollars. And that is not acceptable.
Tom Oelsner says
You are right, Rob. Whose fault is it if when people decide to move to PC to a “small” community, they don’t look to the master plan for projected growth and to not do a thorough investigation of the various neighborhoods.
I would think before someone buys a car, they do their homework. Yet to not put the level of effort when deciding to relocate and buy a house? Putting aside infrastructure, you want to complain about growth? Please….
Manny says
Palm Coast was the fastest growing city in America in the 2010 census.
JimboXYZ says
While the ITT original concept was taking out the environment from the entirety of Flagler County, this growth is a new level of grid lock for traffic. And every fatality we’ve read about is attributable to Alfinville, FL concept. The crimes we’re seeing attributable to a Vision of 2050, that was sold on paying for itself, a better quality of life. The costs of litigation alone wasn’t worth the growth. In the end the core +/- 92K population in Palm Coast alone is footing the STF expansions. Any of the experts care to shoot straight & tell us what the capacity is going to be like for the Bunnell approval of 6K new residentials ? Bunnell is not growing 6+X the +/- 3,600 population that it has peaked to in the 100+ years of it’s existence. And until it does, the tax base to pay for that expansion won’t exist to pay for it all. That means the +/-100K population foots the bill for capacity that is over what the water supply/table of Flagler County can sustain ? We have droughts, normal & monsoon seasons, the water table is what it is, treating that water won’t increase the water supply. Add in data centers & the global warming from trying to cool server farms, let alone power them is not a net neutral impact on the environment. FL recently passed legislation so that these data centers wouldn’t pass their power costs to the rest of us. In concept that’s one noble thing, how it actually plays out in the real world is another. It’s like affordable housing that in reality was anything but truly affordable.
“Derangement Syndrome (DS)” is a Govt. buzzword for Biden/Trump that really has started to lose it’s meaning. Applying it to development is just another excuse. Is it derangement when property taxes increase every year, that anyone’s Utility bill increases 8 % every year religiously & guaranteed. “DS” is a gaslighting to those that are ultimately the victims of being forced to pay for something they didn’t want ?
Recreational boating was supposed to save Flagler County for it’s industrial contribution. Well, that failed, Boston Whaler is closing down the facility in Flagler County. Yet there still seems to be a need for the Hammock boat facilities for dockage & repair ? And that has an implied environmental impact for polluting the waterways, canal dredging projects, etc. ? Hopefully FCSO can seize enough drug boats for auction in the process to pay for that impact. Then again this will be like Miami or Tampa, anytime a vessel is abandoned & sunk, anchor lines cut to drift & come ashore like the sailboat that’s been on Flagler Beach for months now. And that falls on taxpayer, because the deadbeat yacht owner isn’t to be found to pay for removal. That’s what we’re getting hit from every direction & more. Flagler County is becoming that landfill for debris, top to bottom, side to side. Enough already ?
Kath says
I think the problem is county , looks at it more houses bigger tax base . The people are smart enough to know, it mean more traffic, louder, more people, more water more sewer, more police . This area is taped out! We don’t have water& sewer up and running. We need more traffic lights more fire &rescue. Our electric grid is ,not built for this . We have a database center moving in . And if they had a brain they would, put a stop to it, why because it needs water to cool it,millions of gallons of water . it’s loud, & everyone elictric bills are about to be 3 to 4 times higher. All over the country, they are shutting these data centers down. They only create about 6 to 10 jobs if that. This area has (no good paying jobs). 😕 and if we get hit with a storm where is all the water going??? Our canals are not big enough. Our roads are a nightmare. .people moved here because of the nature &trees.& slower pace . Flagler beach just look at that mess. First the bridge ,it could have been built. And not looked like something out of mad max ! The hotel doesn’t fit, it looks out of place! This county looks like someone, just through paint at it . Just didn’t give a u know what.. stop spending money and just think about it. People that move here, do not have school age kids. These are old people, with limited incomes . County is out of touch.
BIG Neighbor says
NIMOBY sounds like the same argument against immigrants, don’t do as I do…do as I say…mmmm my stuff….let go!
I don’t know much about the land use comprehensive plan or entrenched realtors czars, but the fact that taxes have held at the same rate resonates with me also. You would think that would be a good thing for a twenty five year resident. And it is, for the short term as self interests. The heck with my cousin that can’t afford to pay taxes on his new home in St. John’s county. But now, we have momentum to get rid of property taxes because a consumer tax is more desirable to the tea totalers. Never mind, to quote Archie’s Meathead the cost of living traditionally increase of 3% ever since coming off the gold standard vs inflation makes me sick when I hear the solution to 2bed, 2 bath costing half a mil is a fifty year mortgage? Wow, yeah….more of that please. Oh, and build is more storage sheds for ‘stuff’.
FedUp says
Having grown up in Flagler County and enjoying the quiet of a beachside community, I was fortunate to experience this area at its prime (and people before me will tell you how great it was before my time). However, as it is today, the job market was limited, so I left for South Florida and settled in Broward County, FL (Ft Lauderdale), and built a career. Afterwards, I returned to the same house I grew up in. During that time, I also often visited family in Flagler, so I was aware of the county’s growth. However, now that I’ve been retired for nearly eight years, I’m done with Flagler County and cannot wait to get out of here. The beachside has been destroyed by developers and private wealth. Gone are the days of seeing nothing by seaoats waving in the wind and a few people on the beach. Gone are the quiet evenings outside, hearing the ocean surf crashing on the shoreline. What we have now is traffic congestion, people who think they’re better than everyone else, and one private gated community after another. If I wanted this, I would’ve stayed put in South Florida. This isn’t the quiet beachside community of Flagler County anymore; the developers and local elected officials don’t care about us; they are in it for the money and the next housing community, no matter what they tell you.
Laurel says
FedUp: On this too, I agree with you 100%.
Jim H says
FedUp and Laurel – Oh, those days along Florida’s Gold Coast! Those years of no A/C because there was a constant 75-degree SE breeze. Oh, those years at Pinecrest and Charlie’s Chicken House (CCH). By the 60s, “Where The Boys Are” began to reshape Broward for the worse kind.
We sold out on FtL’s North Beach and moved to Winter Park, and fell head over heels in another remarkable lifestyle. Orlando, a town with fewer than 100,000, was nearly a ghost town! But that didn’t last long either.
Disney, my single biggest account, and its tourist attractions changed everything identified as “Florida”. Ka-ching, ka-ching was now the Florida anthem!
Palm Coast was the next five-year stop on my way outta there.
BTW: There are a dozen x-Browardites now living in Franklin and Waynesville.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Thanks to the builders,the builders lawyers & the fools at City Hall.For turning Palm Coast into a SHITHOLE!
Gail says
I guess what I expected when I moved here 25+ years ago from Volusia County was not what is happening. We moved here because we loved what it was, a lot of space, woods, quiet beaches. We also knew if the expected plans to grow. The lots and grass-filled streets all in place. Grass-filled because the county seemed very lax about taking care of the infrastructure, no repaving plans observed.
So we voted to become a city, with our own leaders to be voted for. We were excited to be a part of the growth to come. And it came, to be sure.
Our leaders showed thoughtful commitment to our little city, and although we didn’t agree with everything they decided, we felt they had our best interests in mind.
That changed. The developers came in and it seems they made the decisions of how we were to grow, IMO.
Is there any thought being given to what our county is going to look like, what arts are thriving, how we’re being caretakers of our wildlife and abandoned pets. Our roads and water supply? Those plans were lost I guess, gone like the leaders of the past.
That, Pierre, is what I think most of us are crying out about. It’s what I’m thinking of. Not that another ‘planned community’ has been approved. But approved with no thought to its surrounding communities. No parks added, no tree lines along the way, buffers so we don’t hear every blast of noise on US 1 that’s 2 miles away as the crow flies. SR100, the airport, same thing. No trees to absorb the noises.
No trees to give us fresh air, and beauty to enjoy.
Hold Up! says
“Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris got elected on a promise to stop development.”
I don’t agree with your premise. Mayor Mike didn’t get elected by promising to stop development. He was elected because he believes in smart growth. It’s not hard to figure that out when 90% of your tax base is home owners.
Mayor Mike actually exposed that there are 19 thousand houses in development at some level or another, which the city utility will not be able to support and sustain even with the 330 million dollar bond. Gambero brought to light that it’s a 60/40 split concerning rate payers and impact fees. Meaning, development doesn’t pay for itself.
Whatcha got here is a self imposed moratorium. Developers are reluctant to pull permits because of the increase in impact fees. Let’s see if it holds.
Atwp says
And growth continues. This growth will stop eventually. Unchecked man made growth is very seldom have a good ending.
Laurel says
Y’all just can’t get over ITT, can you? Aren’t they long gone? No? Still some sort of blueprint? No, here’s where you lose me.
No, not all of us are not from here. My husband and I are native born Floridians of seven plus decades. And, when we moved here, to get away from the congestion of a million strangers, we moved into a house built decades ago, and we did not take down one, single tree. There was one post office, with no line ever. The river was green more often than not, and lots of fish (where are they now?). There were small fishing boats, not oversized boats with too many motors flying north, then south, then north, then south. There was Peggy’s Place with seriously good breakfasts. There was a new Publix being built before it was necessary to take out a loan to shop there. There were families who have known each other for generations. But now, gentrification has set in. Subdivisions have gated off the beaches, with no parking on public roads and the northerners on the beach want us to pay for their luxury. They try to convince us that we cannot live without protecting their clubhouses.
The problem is not that there are not enough houses, the problem is investor companies are buying up more and more houses and apartment buildings, and setting the price of living. Just building more houses for them to invest in, is insane. Vacation rentals have moved into residential neighborhoods also reducing the housing market. The County doesn’t want any more trailers, but you sure can build a house the size of a multi-story medical complex for two people (or a large group of vacationers).
The other complaint of many is “there’s no jobs!” Why on God’s green Earth would you move to an area that doesn’t have enough jobs if you need a job? Hello? Anybody in there? Questionable.
Flagler County, and its municipalities, have had an abundance of examples of what to do right, and what to do wrong when it comes to planning an area, and failed. Palm Coast boasts of its umpteen miles of sidewalks, with nobody on them. Every single event the average person needs to perform for daily living requires a car. Sidewalks to nowhere. Same with the rest of the county. Traffic backed up, clogged up and few know how to drive. Traveling Palm Coast Parkway is from red light to red light, and take your chances.
As for developers? They suck. They have no part of the brain that has appreciation for wildlife, for local fauna or for the suckers who buy their matchstick creations, with zero lot lines, failing pep tanks and endless blacktop. It’s all about take the money and run. In Charleston, they are filling in the lowcountry waters that are homes for the local, favorite shrimp and crabs. Don’t need no shrimp for the shrimp and grits, they can get shrimp from China. We need a BJ’s, two Walmarts, nine car washes and nine storage facilities, don’t we? We don’t need bobcats, deer and pileated woodpeckers now do we? Tortoises can be continuously moved to that mysterious sanctuary somewhere, right?
The people who buy these “houses” are from an area where, apparently, being friendly is not an option. They plant their shopping carts right in the middle of the isle, or like what I recently experienced, while I had my hands full of cat food cans, a woman parked her cart smack between me and the cat food shelf, as if I were invisible. Desirable quality of life, right? Heck, Jax Beach is 100 times friendlier than this area. Got to hand it to the Southerners.
It’s comical what y’all believe about the Mondex. Ever heard of Wellington, Loxahatchee or Parkland? Just keep thinkin’ what you’re thinkin’.
Gosh, how did Flagler Beach ever to manage to exist without Margaritaville, on the Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway? Was everyone there on the streets with “feed me” signs? No, Florida does not need to house the world just so some northerners can brag that they are moving to Florida. It’s very sad what has happened to the beautiful State of Florida. Most of the people who moved here don’t have a clue, now that it’s the “Free State of Florida,” and the newbies keep voting in the worst politicians possible.
Such a shame.
JC says
“Heck, Jax Beach is 100 times friendlier than this area. Got to hand it to the Southerners.”
Lady, no offense but you acting like a stereotypical boomer. I left Jacksonville and came back to Palm Coast. Jax Beach is overdeveloped with even worse traffic than Flagler Beach, and don’t get me started with the shootings which is sadly becoming more common in Jax Beach. Jax Beach isn’t Southern friendly since the same Northern that you complain about too much have moved into Jax Beach.
Every single person who lives in Jacksonville when they visit Flagler Beach for the first time is amazed that there’s still an old school Florida Beach left in NE Florida, and they said it is much more cleaner and nicer than Jax Beach any day of the week!
Laurel says
You’re right, Jax Beach is crowded and over developed. But my experience is, every time I go there, the locals are way more polite than Palm Coasters. No comparison.
You, and 120,000 people are looking for “Old Florida.” So is Walmart, BJ’s, the urban style Bronx Pizza chain and all the storage complexes you can dream about.
The “boomer” thing you added was just an inane brain fart. Weak.
BillC says
Regarding DDS: the flaw in your argument is it assumes nothing changes. For instance, 50 years ago there was no such thing as recycling. Air pollution was barely a concern. Now they are major concerns because of the elevated harm level. Can you now dump used engine oil in a vacant lot because people thought there was nothing wrong with that 50 years ago?
Also, what’s wrong with building up not out? Why not a ten story residential building rather than ten single story buildings?
D W Ferguson says
Economic Development like Infrastructure has lagged population growth for the past 25 years. Whereas, Government spending has tracked the population growth and exceeded inflation rates led by water /wastewater treatment investments and operating costs, in tandem with stormwater projects and maintenance of swales. An idea worthy of study / consideration is to Consolidate Flagler County and Palm Coast Governments ( ala Jacksonville -Duval County since 1968 ) The duplication of departments, doing essentially the same work, could save huge tax Dollars . No more need for Interlocal agreements , and unproductive time spent enacting similar legislation. Considering the dominant population of Palm Coast in the County, there would be a lot less of the ” tail wagging the dog” power struggles in my opinion. Efficiency and Productivity improvements would be another Plus
Laurel says
Oh hell no!
celia says
I totally agree with Mr. Ferguson former city Councilman he sure knows. I have said that we need to materialize the Jacksonville-Duval or Miami -Dade style as they are one entity only and the fact that in our ad valorem from each dollar we pay 45 cents go to the county, 29 cents go to the school and only 23 cents go to the largest city in this county, Palm Coast that on top funds 11 millions or so additional to law enforcement services…Then we should become Palm Coast-Flagler and save in the more expensive county payroll. The greedy growth without sufficient infrastructure is what Palmcoasters have to endure and over pay for as well in like the utility higher rates. My street in the C section, Carlson Lane has not been repaved in 22 years and the cracks pretty soon can become pot holes! Meanwhile the city and specially the county keep asking for the wrong grants. County got about 70 millions in grants if not more since 2019 for an airport that our population at large can’t use as we can’t buy a tkt to fly anywhere on it! They did it to benefit the ERAU schools practice over us all generating danger and lead and noise contamination worse sin 2017. A millionaire airport terminal for these flight schools when our roads are crumbling and traffic is madness? Palm Coast got 100 millions for west expansion not needed now when our current infrastructure crumbles. Not only PC is affected by funding growth, also western Flagler County cabbage farms and homes were flooded for the first time in years because the county no longer maintains as they used to, the swales and ditches that drain the area of western Flagler County! We need change!
Gail says
Celia, there’s much truth to what you wrote. The city/county concept instead of two separate commissions deciding our future could save tax dollars, if we elected the right commissioner, ones Who have as their priority a community with sufficient infrastructure before expanding west.
Re: our local airport and the grants and funding it receives; yes a lot of powerful people are behind the growth of our airport.
I believe it does contribute much to our community overall, even without a commercial airline at present.
The flight schools must adhere to the current regulations (if they’re not), that require how low students can fly when practicing safe takeoff and landings.
By lashing out at the people who complain, saying that they knew the airport was there when they moved to the southern end of PC is not being a good neighbor.
There’s a lot of people who live around the airport. I’m one of them and I love hearing the planes.
Keep our city’s plans for growth in mind and don’t let anyone build without the buffers, the trees, the sidewalks and neighborhood parks to play basketball, skate boarding, tennis or a game of pickleball.
Remember who voted you in, commissioners!
Laurel says
Y’all just want to take over the Hammock and the beach, and screw it up as bad as Palm Coast, and charge us more taxes. No thanks!
Damien says
I may read this article 7 times before I reply there is so much there to digest, Thank you Flaglerlive
Tawny Ratan says
Aside from destroying any type of area not previously built on, the problem is infrastructure. Adding all those homes and businesses is a major problem when the area is not equipped to enlarge all the main arteries. Look at the problems the Imagine School creates – traffic jams while parents wait for drop-off and pick-up. Now they have added homes behind the school and multi-family dwellings across the street. The one lane road cannot be enlarged and the overpass for I-95 cannot be enlarged as well. Town Center drive will be useless soon. There is also a problem with water. The rates are to be raised up to 30%, no new water facility is ready and now they are adding new dwellings and businesses. The complaints made by citizens should be real and accurate. The tourists will not venture in from the A1A more than once if they wait in traffic too long.