Flagler Beach Commission Finalizes Historic Annexation of Veranda Bay, Increasing City’s Size by Almost a Third

The Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening completed the annexation of Veranda Bay’s 211 acres, which, added to the previous annexation of Summertown’s 545 acres, increases the city’s land mass by almost a third. The city’s total acreage went from 2,624 to 3,380 acres. The two developments will add some 2,200 housing units and 840,000 square feet of commercial space over the next decades. 

Three annexation-related items passed on 4-1 votes. 

The annexations of the sister developments on the two sides of John Anderson Highway are the largest annexations in the city’s history, facilitated by the commission’s elimination in April 2025 of a requirement that voters approve larger annexations. 

It is doubtful that residents would have approved had the matter been up for referendum. But over time, and as the annexation proposals–first under the single name of Veranda Bay and as an even larger land mass, then as split properties–hurdled through a series of obstacles and two threatened lawsuits, opposition diminished. Thursday’s approvals of three related ordinances completing the annexation were anticlimactic, likely to the relief of Ken Belshe, who represents the two developments for SunBelt Land Management, and his attorney, Michael Chiumento. . 

“We’ve been through this presentation a few times. I don’t know if you want to go through it,” Chiumento told the commissioners when the annexation items were finally up on an overloaded agenda. 

The questions were few, with occasional confusion about what provisions and compromises applied to which development. For example, it’s at Summertown, not at Veranda Bay, that the number of planned units (over 1,600 at Summertown) would go down proportionately to the land sold to the county, if it is to be sold, for conservation. The developer and the county have agreed to a three-year window to allow the county to buy 153 acres out of Summertown for conservation. Chiumento said the state’s review of the comprehensive plan amendment that was part of Thursday’s approvals returned without questions. 

Earlier this week the Flagler County Commission voted to settle its dispute with Flagler Beach over the annexations, after threatening a lawsuit. The city commission ratified that agreement Thursday night as well. 

Commissioner Eric Cooley worried that the county would re-start litigation steps against the city over Veranda Bay. The county had claimed that the developer had not secured individual signatures from all Veranda Bay residents approving of the annexation. In fact, the county has said that the settlement addresses all concerns. “In that agreement, it specifically states that the county is waiving–I could read it to you, I’ll paraphrase it–but basically waiving their rights or claims and won’t participate in lawsuits against the city as it relates to these specific ordinances,” Chiumento said. 

A claim by John Tanner, the John Anderson resident and attorney who represents Preserve Flagler Beach and Bulow Creek, the nonprofit created several years ago to oppose Veranda Bay, when it was still known as The Gardens, said that the signature issue has not been resolved. That does not appear to be accurate. City Commissioner John Cuningham echoed Tanner’s concerns, worrying that Veranda Bay residents could possibly sue. 

“I can tell you with certainty that I have not talked to all 122 lot owners,” Chiumento told the commissioner. “But they are aware of it, and they’re contractually obligated to do it. And your attorney, our attorney, and the county attorney have all reviewed that, so I’m not sure–I’ll be very candid with you–where you get your information from, but this has been vetted by many, many attorneys and legal experts.” 

Commission Chair James Sherman noted a perennial concern: will the city have “the water ready at the rate of consumption,” and will the infrastructure be in place to ensure water and sewer services to the developments. City Manager Dale Martin said the city is producing 600,000 gallons of water per day. “We actually have an operational capacity of over 3 million gallons a day,” Martin said, “and that does not include the likely addition of at least two or three more wells. So current operational total well capacity right now is over 3 million gallons a day.” The city is using four wells, and has four more in the works. 

Commissioners Rick Belhumeur, Scott Spradley and Mayor Patti King had no questions. 

Public comment was more acidic, with the opening speaker immediately citing the $6,000 Belhumeur accepted from six companies related to the developer–almost the totality of the money he’s raised for next week’s election. (Belhumeur and Spradley are running for reelection.) A resident who’s attended every meeting on the development and the annexations for two and a half years, claimed the majority of residents are still opposed to annexation, and doubted that there would be a financial windfall. “I feel like we’re giving up,” he said of the commission. 

Tanner when he spoke called for the annexation to be tabled to ensure that the county doesn’t yet again threaten a lawsuit. He questioned the wisdom of the annexation. Several others who spoke were also opposed, but the number of speakers–or opponents–was modest, at least compared to what it had been at the height of the conflict, and some of the stalwarts of opposition did not speak or were absent. 

If there was a last-minute concern–and there was–it was over the planned marina’s 150 boat slips. Cooley wondered whether that number could be reduced to 100. “A marina needs a certain amount of units to operate effectively and efficiently,” Belshe said. The 150 is a maximum. He is planning a feasibility study. “We would not want to do anything more than what the feasibility study said that the area would support.”

Sherman, Spradley, Belhumeur and Cooley voted for the three measures. Cunningham, voted against. He also voted against ratifying the settlement agreement with the county.