Palm Coast may finally revise its commercial-vehicle ordinance, removing a ban on the parking of commercial vehicles in residential driveways. The proposed allowance would apply to commercial pick-up trucks, work vans and similar work trucks, including trucks with ladders and racks and a few other allowances.
Commercial messaging–or any messaging, including political, poetic or polemical messaging–willl no longer have to be covered up if it exceeds 3 square feet on each side.
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday directed its administration to amend the code relating to commercial vehicles accordingly. Bans will remain in place for larger vehicles, such as Mack trucks, dump trucks, tractors, utility trailers, commercial limousines and other large-sized vehicles. The code enumerates allowed and disallowed vehicles.
“My intent is to be more business-friendly, and I think it can be accomplished pretty easily,” Council member Theresa Pontieri said. She proposed removing the regulation that prohibits any signs exceeding 3 square feet. She prefers the term “work vehicles, not commercial vehicles.” She does not think it would be an unreasonable change, nor would it alter the residential character of neighborhoods.
The proposal will have to go through two public hearings and two votes by the council before it is approved. That proposal is expected in coming weeks. It will likely go through as close a reading by the council as did the short-term rental ordinance.
Mayor Mike Norris, noting his previous employment with the Florida Department of Transportation (he was a safety compliance officer from 2013 to 2016), said “what we’re dealing with here, basically is signage and advertising on vehicles within the community,” not the parking of large trailer trucks.
Council member Ty Miller wanted to relax rules for work trucks with ladders and other tools of the trade for many tradespeople. He does not think they should have to loan and unload their supplies, ladders included, just to park in their driveways. “We’re allowing the rack, but we’re asking them to remove the ladder nightly,” Miller said.
“What about pipes, wood? I’m just thinking other equipment?” Council member Charles Gambaro asked. “What about trailers? The box trailers. Then I go back to the short-term discussion about boat trailers.” (The city’s new short-term rental ordinance prohibits the parking of boat trailers in front of short-term rentals. Gambaro has been stressing consistency in city ordinances.) There are also culvert and plumbing pipes, and numerous other equipment that can hang off the bed of trucks.
“We’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” Pontieri said.
Norris said he had no objection to any signs as long as they are not offensive. Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo cautioned the council, however, about policing sign content. Over a decade ago the Supreme Court ruled that local governments may regulate the location, the size and the timing of signs. But they may not regulate the content of signs, once signs are permitted within those parameters. The city recently updated its ordinance. Last year the council opted against loosening rules for Realtor signs to avoid slipping down the kind of slope that would open the way to all kinds of signs.
“So if a neighbor has an issue with a certain political party or their neighbor themselves, they could plaster that on their vehicle, and we will not be able to do anything about that, because wording will now be allowed on vehicles,” DeLorenzo said.
“Which is the case now if they stay within the three feet, right?” Miller said, accurately. Norris raised no objections, and supports the overall approach.
“It’ll free up code because, you can’t enforce everything,” the mayor said. “ I said this for a while now. Palm Coast is not an HOA.”
In fiscal year 2024 (from October 2023 to September 2024), the city got 1,072 complaints about commercial vehicles. Of those, the city’s Code Enforcement Board heard 119 cases. So far this year there’s been 888 complaints, of which the board heard 80.
Still, relaxing the working-vehicle rule has invariably drawn impassioned responses for and against every time the council has considered the issue.
So it’s been in Palm Coast since the origin of the city. The City Council has maintained a relatively hard rule against the parking of commercial vehicles in residential driveways. Workers have had to park their vehicles elsewhere, paying at times hundreds of dollars a month for storage and extending their work day in drives back and forth to the storage unit. Or they’ve had to cover up their vehicles.
“Think about the AC worker who is on call,” Pontieri said. “My dad owns a pest control company. He gets called out to remove rats from rat traps out of attics on Sundays at 11 o’clock at night. He has a work vehicle, so in the neighborhood that he lives in, he has to go and take all these magnets or whatever off at 11 o’clock at night to go get somebody’s rat out of their attic. And I can tell you, when they want to run out of their attic, they want it out now. When you want your AC on, you want it out now.”
In 2010, after the chamber of commerce tried to eliminate the rule at least for work vans and the like, the council allowed commercial vehicles to park during lunch hours, or to park overnight as long as they are covered with tarps. The city did not set standards for tarps, which could be uglier than the signs they cover.
The council came close to relaxing the rule significantly in 2021. That year, a non-scientific poll the city conducted found residents split 49-49 on the proposal, though both in form and responses, the survey was flawed: a single IP address returned over 2,000 votes against relaxing the rule, with the top 20 IP addresses accounting for almost 6,000 votes between them, out of 16,491 responses. An attempt to repeal the rule failed in a 3-2 vote.
The few people who addressed the council Tuesday reflected the split that typically frames the discussion, with some residents asking: “where does it stop,” one said.
Another, who runs a business out of his home, said his home has three liens from over $10,000 fines he’s accumulated for having a work truck in his driveway. “I get so much business off my truck. It’s incredible. I don’t know where my business would be without that,” he said.
“You’re running people like me out of here, is what’s happened,” he said. “If you’re not going to be supportive of small businesses like myself, then you’re just running me out of here. And if I got to go and live in Volusia County or St. Johns County, all that’s going to do is raise my prices and things of that nature. So it’s really, really making it hard. So I love this conversation.”
The dude says
Oh dear.
As if the over age toddlers who live in Palm Coast didn’t already have enough to fight about…
Tony says
Time to get rid of Pontieri and the rest of her cohorts !!!!!
Vincent A. Liguori says
Has the council considered the safety of children playing on congested driveways blocking the vision of drivers?
Fernando Melendez says
I sincerely hope not, it would destroy the residential feel of Palm Coast. It’s why many of us moved here, at least those that did our homework. If commercial vehicles are allowed in driveways, your political careers are over. Don’t bother running again.
DP says
Smart move by the council. Its about time to loosen some of the stupist of rules and regulations. They do nothing but punish the working class. And before people say it will lead to semis, tractor trailers, dump trucks and others parking,. Or it will bring down the value of my property. They still won’t be allowed to park . An no it won’t bring down the value of your home. We are not an HOA, and if people want those type of rules and regulations, then move to a HOA community.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
A step in the right direction, now to work on boats and trailers as long as they are not within 10 feet of the street and fit in the driveway not the grass.
tulip says
My complaint is the signage part. I don’t think political signage, or any other non business related signs should be allowed on the vehicle. People shouldn’t have to be forced to live with trucks in their neighborhoods that have this type of non business signage, because that can cause anger and frustration with neighbors. The only thing that should be allowed is the name of the business, the phone number, and a description of what they do. such as plumber, electrician, etc. and maybe an appropriate icon.
YankeeExPat says
Palm Coast is circling the drain !
Incompetent Mayor, feckless City Council Members.
Oh and by the way,…. your Insurance carrier can legally raise your🤔 premium if your next door neighbor’s commercial vehicle stores a truck with hazardous materials, ……. I.E. gasoline, roofing tar, propane tanks , pool chemicals , cleaning solvents etc..
This alone ill truly do wonders for resale values, not to mention potential buyers seeing a roached out F-150 or Silverado with a trailer hanging out the driveway towards the street.
YankeeExPat says
Palm Coast is circling the drain !
Incompetent Mayor, feckless City Council Members.
Oh and by the way,…. your Insurance carrier can legally raise your🤔 premium if your next door neighbor’s commercial vehicle stores a truck with hazardous materials, ……. I.E. gasoline, roofing tar, propane tanks , pool chemicals , cleaning solvents etc..
This alone will truly do wonders for resale values, not to mention potential buyers seeing a roached out F-150 or Silverado with a trailer hanging out the driveway towards the street.
Dennis C Rathsam says
More crap the people don’t want! Next we,ll have jet skis, cabin crusers, & lawn trailers!!!! You cant fix the traffic, builders shit all over you. You all should resign, your all as useless as a screen door on a submarine! Leave what’s working alone, & fix ALL the other shit!
Veronica Williams says
Thank God I started to read about how messed up the city of Palm Coast and the local government is before I bought a home and relocated there. While I appreciate a nice community this group and their HOA style of government and rules along with high taxes is just too much. Sad!
Another taxpayer says
How about TOW TRUCKS? We are always some of the first ones called whether it’s an emergency for police or fire departments, or if it is you or your family broken down on the side of the road? Just curious?!
Robjr says
No he*l no.
Next there will be parking on the front lawns.
JimboXYZ says
Even if the ordinance is relaxed for commercial vehicles in the driveway, it’s where the other 3-4 cars park that used to be in the driveway, which end up parked on the street & in the swale. Those worst offenders are always going to be pushing where they park a huge truck & a trailer with materials or equipment that make doing the speed limit, whether that remains 30 mph or reduced to 25 mph a problem for streets that are quite often lack street lights. Nobody really wants the street lights either for the cost of operating & maintaining that lighting. Safety becomes the biggest concern really. I have plenty of neighbors that are parking 3-4 cars in the driveway,their 250/2500+ sized truck and a trailer in the street. Those neighbors are inconsiderate a5540735, pure & simple, they know exactly who they are. Others have to slow/stop, 0-5 mph around their vehicle, trailer or both in the road at the crack of dawn, out of fear that some child or pet will dart out from behind or that passing around the vehicle, trailer or both results in having to stop & wait for a situation that shouldn’t ever exist. Which is why I think the ordinance shouldn’t be relaxed or legalized across the board. In my immediate residential, I’ve also had the car carrier types that transport vehicles park their rigs in the street just the same. Someone is always trying to pull off the inconsiderate neighbor on steroids constantly. The council may have their majority, the voting public as a majority is still against relaxing to abolishing that ordinance. Count me as the one that wants the ordinance to remain unchanged, for the reasons in this comment. I don’t want my residential or any other I may have to drive thru to be cluttered with commercial vehicles. Like the moratorium had it’s developers/contractors on board, the commercial vehicles types would be on board with relax/abolish the ordinance. City of Palm Coast may not be an HOA, but it needs to be on this issue. If those commercial vehicle types want no ordinance, they need to move to the deep woods & buy enough property hat nobody can see their commercial vehicles. Especially when 80×125 lots became 50×125 to pack people on top of each other, under Alfin.
Respectful neighbor says
This is like the people that move next door to a farm and then complain about the smell and want the farm shut down. You knew or should have known the rules. Don’t like the rules then freaking move. I visited a friend in Sebastian and was horrified at what was parked in peoples driveways. The neighbor was just dumpy, I was so thankful that I live in Palm Coast. Is this what Palm Coast really wants, dumpy/trashy neighborhoods? I park my stuff in a storage yard, its the deal I made to live here.
Atwp says
Republicans, Republicans, O Republicans. Why should I blame the Republicans, why not blame the voters. You get what you vote for. Mess up the city like Trump is destroying the Country.
Debbie says
So the residential area I live in will now become a commercial area. GREAT JUST GREAT! There are people in this world who are given a finger and they take a hand and arm with it. Just in my area on a corner there is a huge boat and trailer that DOES NOT fit in any ones driveway parked on the side swale. Down the street from there is a home with 5 cars 3 in the driveway, one on the side of the house on the grass and the other is in the sawle. Up the street from there is another corner house with cars parked to the end of the driveway and unless you creep into the main street you cannot see any cars coming and this is within a 3 block radius. A truck like the one in the picture above will not stop there!
Tired of it says
Here we go again. They haven’t stopped to consider the condition some of this “work vehicles” are in. Once the gate is open it will become a free for all. Tow trucks, boats, jet ski trailers, lawn mowing equipment trailers and who is going to police the signage? There are already repeat violators thet nothing is being done about. We are already seeing some of this on the driveways of the short term rentals and it looks ugly. No one is suppossed to park on the swales overnight and that is happening all the time with no one to police it. Let’s put it to a real vote and see who really wants to live with toe truck next to the home they paid so much for.
Greg says
One more step in destroying Palm Coast. Let’s paint all the houses bright orange or pink too.
Deborah Coffey says
Boy! Republicans sure know how to wreck an economy and crash a housing market!
JC says
Those who are against commercial vehicles of working class people on their property are discriminating against working class people period. If you still don’t want any adjustments to the ordinance, you are no different than someone who don’t want minorities in their neighborhoods. Stop discrimination against working class people, which is in a way very NIMBY. Times are changing and you are having more working class folks who are moving into Palm Coast making decent salaries with their hands able to afford their homes.
I love people who don’t want to see commercial vehicles, what about deputies with their police cars vehicles on their property? No one complains about that but they of course complain about commercial vehicles. And yes, I have a few deputies who live near my house.
Mr. David says
A lack of enforcement of the commercial vehicle ordinance was one of the main reasons I sold my house in Palm Coast and moved to an HOA in Ormond Beach. My old neighbor was a commercial painter who would pressure wash all of his equipment on his driveway once a week. The swales were grey-pink, his driveway was grey-pink, the road became grey-pink and eventually the grey-pink ended up on my new vehicle. Absolutely no help from the city despite numerous complaints. When I come back to the old neighborhood to visit friends I am horrified at how bad it has gotten. Just glad I got out before it got totally trashy and the property values tanked.
Susan says
Drive around Palm Coast they are already parking commercial vehicles in driveways, so they put a cover over them to hide them.
It has been going on for years and the City hasn’t stopped them. So, for the City of Palm Coast to make taxpayers think they have been enforcing this rule, they have not.
Steve says
My Family lived in FPC for over 30 years. Myself for a Decade. I never really liked the Commercial vehicle ban and frankly never paid any attention to it with my toys or vehicles. My neighbors said they didn’t care. It wasn’t enforced anyway so Why not.
Pat Stote says
If people are really, are so against this then maybe they should consider moving to a HOA where they have regulations against this. We lived in Arbor Trace for 12 years, it was a very nice place to live and there were no commercial trucks allowed overnight in the driveway
Personally, if I had a business and had truck, I would put it in the garage where my truck and equipment would be much safer than in the driveway.
Ed P says
Omg, first short term vacation rentals, and now parking a commercial vehicle. What’s next, chicken coops?
Get over it, don’t I have any happy neighbors?
Reading the posts, maybe Palm Coast is a city full of curmudgeons.
Billy says
Palm Coast is so overpopulated and over built. It’s crazy! This will start turing the town in to Daytona in Holly Hill very soon.
AngelMom says
There is ZERO enforcement. It’s all a game. If you tell on me, I will destroy your life. Bravo Sierra stuff as all complaints are open to the public. People park in the street over night…Not the Swale but the STREET. Someone is getting paid off. Boats in the driveway as big as the home. Happy to be here but its not what was advertised. Like the democrats in DC..they lie their posteriors off and have for many generations.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
So glad I don’t have to watch my property value go down the drain like you poor folks in Palm Coast if commercialization is allowed to replace your single family residence legal rights.
Edith Campins says
To those who say that those of us who want to keep our neighborhoods lookinng nice should move to an HOA…we were here first, we bought property here because of what the community represented. We are not discrimninating agaisnt anyone but we don’t want the minority wishes to overule the rights of the majority who was here first. I would think if your business is doing well and you can afford a house in a nice neighborhood you would want to keep it that way. Go visit a neighborhood that allows commercia;l vehicle parking…do it in the evening or weekend when all the trucks are parked in the driveways, like what you see?
PB says
FUNNY I read the comments, even post once in a while. Last group of politicians out, new ones in. Same problems! We vent but it does no good. What was the saying? “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”
Mike Demeo says
Code enforcement told my neighbor he was not allowed to leave his bicycle in his driveway overnight, and this is his only means of transportation. Palm Coast is a joke.
Grumpy says
I was under the impression this Council was elected to represent us? Was I wrong? There are so many vehicles parked at some homes that they stick out into the street and block the view. How about a limit on the number of vehicles parked at each home? Garages are being used for extra rooms or storage instead of parking vehicles. My neighbor had a lawn mowing business and quite easily have backed his trailer into his empty garage but chose not to do so. Why should we have to put up with all his equipment in the driveway?
Swale parking is not being enforced.
Shelia hinds says
I am for utility trailers being parked in the driveway.I spoke also. I am a single retired female homeowner in the r section and I have a food truck business. I pay an additional $2000 per year to park.My trailer on somebody else’s piece of property. Do guys think that’s fair? I have been in this home for 21 years.It is my property and I’m trying to hang on to it.This is the business I have run for sixteen years to supplement my income. Why are all of you so offended?At the fact that you have neighbors that have their own businesses?? Normally, business owners have a great deal of pride and ownership.Something we lack in america today ownership! I’m.
Very proud of my home and I keep it beautiful.I’m proud of my business.And I keep my trailer beautiful so I don’t know why you’re offended by it when you drive down the road and say hey there’s another small business in palm coast! Without small business and ponchos there would be no businesses. Call vote I vote yes for utility trailers in the driveway!!!
TR says
DP, you say we are not an HOA? well technically maybe not because the city isn’t certified as one, but it is runned like one. think about it, they have all these rules and regulations so that the citizens have to follow. The only difference is there is no fee to be an HOA by the city. You need a permit for almost everything even if it’s the smallest. Unfortunately the rules aren’t carried out equally and a lot of them contradict another rule.
Robert Joseph Fortier says
I just love it when some of you move here and then try to make this place like it was in your snob community back up north.
Personally, I live in the country so I don’t have to see “YOU” folks.
No one is stoping you from moving back up north.
Robert Joseph Fortier says
If I wanted to be enslaved like this, I would have moved to Palm Coast…lol
I’ve has enough of up north mentality
Readtheconvenant says
This city has a convenant that I thought realtors were supposed to give a copy to buyers. Palm Coast is starting to look like the cities people state they moved from. I have people on my street who have big trailers and trucks which they may work 3 days out of the month. Waste of ladders abundance of ugliness. The other house across parks on the grass of the house. I feel like I live in the Granny Clampet neighborhood. No I won’t move, the town has the covenant and it should stay in place. The inspectors need to do their jobs.
Shelia Hinds says
I am one of these small businesses that this change would save me 2 to $3000 a year because I have to park my food trailer in somebody else. ‘s property, I pay property taxes? I own my property. I should have the legal right to park. Anything I want to in my driveway? I’m sorry that it offends some of you. People who occasionally walk out your front door and look around your neighborhood. But I need my trailer in my driveway.