The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved four related measures that will advance the opening to development of 12,000 acres on the west side of U.S. 1, from the Matanzas Woods Parkway area, including a $25 million state grant contributing to the cost of a $31 million connector road, dubbed a “flyover,” that will cross above the Florida East Coast railroad corridor.
Other measures include spending $450,000 to design and calculate the cost of relocating Florida Power and Light infrastructure for the extension (FPL calculates that cost at $3.3 million), a $420,000 land purchase from Forestar Real Estate Group, and the providing of an easement to Forestar. The FPL appropriation rankled some of the council members, especially in the manner in which FPL explained the cost to the city.
“We’re not a small city anymore. We give them a lot of money,” City Council member Theresa Pontieri said of FPL. “They’re a very large service provider for us, and I think we deserve a little bit better.”
The city believes that one or more western-extension roads are needed to promote development in that part of the city. So this one could be only the first. “Opening these quarters will promote economic activities in Palm Coast and Flagler County,” said Carl Cote, the city’s engineering and stormwater director. Last June the council approved a $5.7 million contract with England-Thim & Miller for design and engineering services on the project. That design is 90 percent complete, with some, but not all, the necessary rights of way purchased or obtained, and approvals for the project from FEC, whose own right of way is being crossed, in progress. The completion date for the flyover is set for Oct. 31, 2026, according to the terms of the agreement with the state.
Palm Coast secured $25 million in a legislative special appropriation last year, to be provided through the Florida Department of Transportation, for the flyover. The city will spend spend $6.5 million of its own for the project. Because of the city match, the state’s contribution is all but guaranteed, up to the $25 million obligation. The city’s portion is drawn from transportation impact fees, the one-time levy on new construction designed to defray the “impact” of new development.
The long-term goal is for a loop road that will go from Matanzas Woods Parkway over the railroad, curve south through the west-side expanse, then loop back east and cross the railroad again, with another flyover, at Palm Coast Parkway and U.S. 1, thus opening that corridor.
At a County Commission meeting on Monday, Commissioner Dave Sullivan, during a discussion about roundabouts, said he’d “heard that the Route 1 roundabout that we put in recently is going to go away, because it didn’t work.” He was referring to the roundabout at U.S. 1 and Matanzas Woods Parkway. Sullivan was not correct. A transportation department spokesperson confirmed that the roundabout at U.S. 1 and Matanzas Woods Parkway is staying–and doing the job of reducing severe crashes. There has been no fatalities at that intersection since the roundabout was built several years ago. The roundabout that appears to be on its way out is the much smaller roundabout–a roundabout almost to nowhere–west of the U.S. 1 roundabout, which, according to Palm Coast’s design plans, will be replaced by the flyover intersection.
The $450,000 to FPL is only a non-refundable deposit on what will be the much larger sum of $3.3 million to relocate electrical infrastructure. The $450,000 will be applied to the total cost of the infrastructure transfers, and the city intends to use state grant money to cover those costs.
FPL cautions strongly that even the $3.3 million is only an estimate that, according to Thomas Colucci, FPL’s relocation coordinator, “does not include the cost to relocate any distribution facilities, facilities belonging to another utility or potential third-party costs associated with the relocation, such as survey work; acquisition and recording of easements; clearing easements of trees and obstructions which are calculated on a case by case basis as part of the overall cost of the relocation.” Colucci made his points to the city in a letter last September. So the final bill could increase substantially.
Colucci’s letter was oddly curt, considering that Palm Coast is among the company’s largest customers in the county. “This estimate is not an offer from FPL to perform the requested work and should not be construed or used as such for detailed planning purposes,” he’d written. “It is provided only to assist your decision-making, and will remain valid for 90
days from the date of this letter.” (It has been more than 90 days since the letter’s authorship.)
“This is a ridiculous letter to me,” Pontieri said, noting that FPL was charging the city $450,000 just to provide a more precises estimate of the final cost. “FPL is already taking, like, two months to fix streetlights for us. So to give us this ballpark, nonbinding preliminary estimate at $3.3 million doesn’t really allow us to budget appropriately in my opinion. Then we’re going to go ahead and give them $450,000 just so that they can give us a proper estimate at what this will cost. I just find this to be incredibly unprofessional on behalf of FPL. And I would hope that in the future, this is not the type of communication we get from FPL, and that we can perhaps get something that’s a little more reliable without having to pay half a million dollars for it, that we can properly budget with our taxpayers monies as well. So whoever wants to relay that message to FPL, or you can just tell us where we are in the meeting and they can just play the tape. But I expect different from FPL in the future.”
“They’re in a position of power here and that’s the problem,” Council member Nick Klufas said. “It’s their sandbox, their shovel, we’re playing with all their rules. So yeah, the same frustrations also when they replace poles without giving the city the option to at least discuss undergrounding some of the infrastructure. I find that also kind of not very team player-ish, but here we are and the lights are on. Thank goodness.”
Mayor David Alfin wondered what kind of “line in the sand” could be drawn against FPL. He suggested approaching FPL through the city’s lobbyist in Tallahassee. “This is the moment in time when if you want to squeeze them a little bit, trust me, this is the right time to do that,” the mayor said.
“If they turn out your lights, we’ll know the answer,” Council member Ed Danko said.
Cote said the FPL portion of the project was “critical” to its overall advancement of the flyover project. He cautioned: “FPL is in an easement. They don’t have to move. We’re asking them to move. This is their process. So that number could go up. It could go down. But with the information they have today, they can’t give us a better number until they do design work, and they can’t do design work until they spend money or we give them money to begin the design process.”
The council approved all the flyover-related measures, the FPL “deposit” included, in unanimous votes.
The Sour Kraut says
They can plan for this and spend millions just in the planning, but can’t spend money to fix the roads we have.
Gary Kunnas says
More of the city tax payers money down the drain. The builder should be paying for all of this not us ! Paving and lining the roads. Improving safety on the roads and cleaning out canals aren’t important to them. What ever the builders want they get. There are some tracks that are free from paying impact fees, nice move council.
Deborah Coffey says
Does this council do anything but build more houses? What is the infrastructure plan to match the amount of growth? More restaurants? More businesses? More jobs other than developers? More shopping? Fixing existing roads? What?
JimboXYZ says
Yep, that’s the way this crew operates. Belle Terre was repaved in 2020 during the pandemic shutdown under Trump, same with Old King’s Road. With higher traffic volume, the roads are in need of repairs and they’ve been patching the potholes. The FPL lighting on Belle Terre even went in under Trump. What a mess Flagler County will be for construction over the next couple of years, from the pier rebuild, FL 100 commercial development, increased residential development county wide for unaffordable Biden housing. Ambitious plans.
David Schaefer says
What a joke the city council has to go.
Bill says
Wow all of Flagler county will be asphalt, housing, and strip malls! I think its time to move out before the Orlando effect starts!
Greg says
Never happy. Got to get bigger, but I ask why! Maybe fixing what you have would make more sense? Roads are crap.
John Stove says
Get a grip…..What are you saying? That The President has no say or power for local government issues. You think that Trumpo told our council to pave roads or install lighting?…..ha…ha…ha
Oh yeah, meanwhile Republitards continue to take credit for President Bidens Infrastructure Bill money even after they voted against it! Imbeciles….
Dont worry, you can ask Trumpo for infrastructure help soon…just write him in care of the Federal Jail c/o Washington D.C.
Robjr says
Can I please get my street and surrounding streets paved? Potholes are filled and then the same potholes filled again, the bed of the street has sunk so that the manholes are 1.5 inches above the bed of the road.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Biden has nothing to do with the housing prices here Jimbo. But hey what’s a comment without mentioning the big bad President Biden from Jimbo.
Jack says
Why on earth would we ruin a small quaint town to become like Jacksonville? Can’t we have some woodlands less people less traffic less crime is the way to go. Not more people more traffic more crime.
John says
That’s Alfin and his buidling buddies all over town.
John says
How come we never hear about lighting the roads or doing something about the empty stores around town. How about the gas station by Publix at Belle Terre Crossing, that has been empty for years and is an eye sore, never a word about that? How about the empty Good Will building never hear a word about that. Alfin wants to be Mayor again so him and his building buddies can build more houses that will stay empty like all the empty stores around Palm Coast. Does Alfin care of course not he is just lining his bank account along with his buddies.
The City of PC Counsel needs to go they are useless.
TR says
That’s because we have realtors on the city council and the mayor. Not to mention two on zoning and planning board.
Celia Pugliese says
Expansion only were developers benefitted that is why the developers agreement was mentioned in the last meeting . I sure understand that 25 millions promised by FDOT grant, but how did this city get the 6 millions matching grant on impact fees, distributed for that Matanzas project only? Maybe the paid impact fees need to be used to the over due 20 years wait ,widening and turning lanes of the whole Old Kings Road from Matanzas Woods Pkwy to Rte 100 other than throwing us a bone here and there and widen less than a quarter mile at the time every 7 years. . I would like to know how Mr. Carl Cote head master of our city expenditures and grants request, along Mr, DeLorenzo, distribute the impact fees paid by developers as OKR is in need of finish given the rezoning adding density for this ill growth approved! Traffic needs the widening of OKR done as also when some accident takes place in I-95 they bypass it while emergency takes care of it, thru Old Kings Road creating a mad house for Toscana, Hidden Lakes and all of us in Palm Coast Parkway. Maybe is time that Palmcoasters have a say in the distribution of impact fees and like I asked in the last meeting 1/6 we need to be informed how much in impact fees each new project presented contributes to infrastructure needed for growth. The way we Palmcoasters see it is that our elected majority vote, keep spending our taxes in new projects while disregarding the need of the existing infrastructure overwhelmed by growth. 6 millions matching grant to expand in vacant lands while no money for road resurfacing tear an ware by growth. Something wrong with this picture.
Concerned Citizen in Palm Coast says
So true! This money should be utilized to widen Old Kings Rd (ten years overdue) repair Town Center Blvd (crumbling more and more by the day) and calm traffic on the PCP and feeder roads that have become freeways!
Follow the $ says
Yes, and now Danko wants to take his representation for developers to the County? I think not! This is simply a get rich quick scheme for the land owners, developers, and cronies that will profit from this “westward expansion”. What’s in it for the residents of Palm Coast? Higher utility bills, more traffic, overcrowding of our schools, increased burden on our infrastructure, and loss of funds that should be spent in Palm Coast and not for the destruction of the forests of west!
Darlene L Shelley says
Deborah- There is no plan. The Comprehensive Plan went out the window when the wants of developers superseded the protections and needs of the residents Of Palm Coast. The PLDRB and City Council sold out the residents by allowing approval of every Special Exception use application and Zone Change that hit the agenda. Our rights under the Land and Development Code have been ignored, despite the voices and concerns of the citizens and local residents. No high paying jobs (with the exception of City employees), no quality restaurants, no healthy supermarkets options, no quality retail, just storage facilities, dollar stores, and apartments. The residents of Palm Coast need to wake up, speak up, and stand up for our home values and quality of life before our beautiful city is unrecognizable
Mark says
The gas station is getting closer to opening, yeah. They’ve been working on it for over a month now and it looks like it’s going to be called “Squirrel”.
Stephen says
I understand the city council wants building to continue. However, a previous reader brought up about roads. Why are they not re-paving roads anymore on a yearly basis? Under mayor Holland I thought they were re-paving bout 50 miles of road a year. What happened under mayor Alfin?
David M says
We need to replace this City Council. It is full of realtors and all they want is more houses they can sell using our money to get there. Our infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of the housing we presently have. How about investing in water treatment, water supply or roads. When we moved here eight years ago it was busy but bearable. We now plan for 30-45 minutes to get to Island Walk. The water pressure inside our house has dropped so much in the same time. Complaints to the city get the “oh you have a water treatment system” I had that with good pressure. When all the City Council wants is new houses to sell, we have to get them out of there. In time we will have no water and sewage backing up in our houses all for the sake of dollars in the Mayor’s pocket. We need infrastructure improvement!
Darlene Shelley says
How can the City of Palm Coast waste 6 million of our dollars for a “flyover” to the west. Imagine what that 25 million dollar grant could have done for the improvement, widening, and safety features of our CURRENT crumbling roads. Could that money have been utilized to improve our infrastructure, drainage issues, or high water and utility costs? What is wrong with beautiful timber land and why is the Mayor, City Council hell bent on leveling it for development? We know the answer. I cannot think of one benefit that “Westward Expansion” offers to the CITIZENS of Palm Coast, but the list of negatives is a exhaustive.
Jeani Whitemoon Duarte says
Right!