The Flagler County Commission Monday evening unanimously approved rezoning 28 acres just east of what will be the BJ’s Wholesale Club shopping center, clearing the way for an eight-building, 240-apartment complex called Republic Palm Coast there.
The apartment complex will not be visible from the road. Rather, eight businesses will line State Road 100 as outparcels. The complex will be built behind the businesses. The combined commercial and apartment development totals 38 acres.
The complex will rise beyond the northwest end of two of the county airport’s runways, and east of Aldi, the grocery store. The Flagler County Planning Board had voted 3-1 against recommending the rezoning, citing potential noise and the board’s preference for keeping the parcel in its current zoning–general commercial and industrial, rather than high-density residential.
“One thing we’re going to face in the future, I think, is that people are really against sprawl these days,” County Commissioner Dave Sullivan said. “So at some point, the only way to avoid sprawl is to go up. And this would be an example of that. It’s in a commercial area anyway. So putting an apartment house there to me is not that big a deal as long as it’s safe.”
As is the case with the BJ’s acreage, the land is owned by Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, under the corporate name of Flagler Pines. It would be developed by Steve Grigg, president of Republic Properties Corporation, a national developer of apartment complexes, office and retail centers. In Orlando, for example, Republic is developing the 400-unit, $116-million Avida apartment complex on Valencia College Lane, near the college by the same name.
Grigg, who founded the company some 40 years ago, appeared before commissioners this evening to describe a complex that would be integrated with the BJ’s development as a community mixing living and shopping, with walking paths connecting the lot.
The eight, three-story buildings would have one, two and three-bedroom apartments–40 percent of them will be one bedroom, half will be two bedrooms, and 10 percent will be three bedrooms. The smaller apartments will rent for $1,600 a month. Two-bedroom apartments will rent for $1,900 a month, and three bedrooms for $2,100. “That’s what we think the market rate is right now in Palm Coast,” Grigg said. “We don’t anticipate it to be a gated community. We don’t think Palm Coast needs gated communities, really.”
The complex will have a community center, a fitness center and a pool.
When the planning board took up the matter, not a single member o the public addressed the panel (which barely had a quorum, with just four members present). But there are no residential homes next to the planned development, and it is likely those who saw the signs announcing the planning board and county commission meetings, to the extent that the signs could be seen, assumed the announcements were related to the BJ’s development. They were, but most people will likely be surprised at the rezoning.
Only one member of the public addressed the commission this evening. “Just about every development that has been happening here in Flagler County has been moon-scaping,” James Fisk said. “What jobs or are these apartments going to bring? None. Absolutely none. Oh, excuse me, there will be maids and stuff like that. But what about real jobs? We need commercial businesses. That’s what we need, industry. We need real jobs. We don’t have it right now.” He also cited the airport’s noise and the need for an archeological study.
Jay Livingston, the land-use Palm Coast attorney who represents the developer, echoed Sullivan as he advocated for the rezoning. “This is a perfect example of good infill development planning,” Livingston said. “It’s not an appropriate place for single-family houses, but it is a very appropriate place for multifamily. And there’s already other examples in the immediate area as well as elsewhere, where planning decisions have been made, where you’re putting multifamily development within commercial areas to create that mixture. It not only provides the opportunity for multifamily housing to develop in a way that doesn’t create problems because of residential developments adjacent, but it also reduces trips that allows people to walk and shop. So it has a lot of net positive benefits to place a residential project in an area like this.”
A traffic analysis produced by Traffic Planning and Design or the developer shows total morning peak-hour traffic of an additional 112 vehicles, an additional 143 vehicles per hour at peak time in the afternoon, for a total of nearly 2,000 additional daily trips. All that traffic will funnel into and out of already-congested State Road 100.
Livingston attempted to diminish the impact of those numbers by comparing them, accurately but somewhat irrelevantly, to the much larger number of vehicles that would be added to the traffic flow if the land was developed in accordance with its highest commercial potential–as, for example, the BJ parcel immediately adjacent, to the east, is being developed. So in comparison with that nonexistent development, yes, the traffic the apartment complex will bring looks like a “reduction.” But in reality, it’s a net increase of close to 2,000 vehicle trips a day.
The noise study produced for the developer concluded: “Based on the sound levels measured on the project site for seven consecutive days, and using [Federal Aviation Administration] criteria for land use compatibility, the proposed residential land use on the project […] is compatible with the Airport, and would likely remain so in the future, provided the airport does not expand to include larger/louder commercial airplanes or does not significantly increase the nighttime (10 pm to 7 am) air traffic beyond the current average of two planes per day flown between 10 pm and 7 am.”
Livingston also noted a financial boon often overlooked, or misunderstood, by single-family homeowners resistant to apartment complexes: “Residential apartments actually pay more than $2,000 per acre more than the commercial developments,” he said.
Commissioner Andy Dance attempted a caveat: “When you compare the tax base,” he said, “the multifamily far out uses the services that commercial uses, and the calls to service that the sheriff for instance would be” seeing.
But that’s not necessarily born out by the evidence. “So if you compare it to single family in terms of the number of calls in the same number of units, it kind of evens out,” Livingston said. “Now residential versus commercial in terms of calls, absolutely.” But the assumption that apartments don’t carry their tax weight is not accurate, he said. “it’s higher, if not the highest tax generator on a per acre basis, so it’s at least attempting to carry its own weight,” Livingston said.
Latoya says
It needs to be affordable housing with blacks, browns and LGBQT given preference and lower rents. But no it will cater to the privileged class.
Tired says
Hi Latoya. I am sorry you feel this way and it is apparent that your view is limited based on your own circumstances. If you’re poor, get an education, don’t job hop, and act professionally. I’ve had that modeled by the “blacks and browns” you speak of in my own family. Hard working, successful, and educated. Neber without an option to move to the next level. There’s no excuse other than laziness, entitlement, and apathy these days. What a sad world we are living in.
Concerned Citizen says
Tired,
What a shallow minded individual. My wife who is African American is getting ready to retire as a PA in a 30 year career.I watched and defended her many times as she had to work harder than everyone else to prove an African American could do the job.
Sadly there are people who will instantly discriminate just because.
Gay or Pay??? says
So let me get this straight, like I am. If I have sex with another male or if I’m queer lets see I guess that means I think about having sex with another male, I am then entitled to lower rent? How does that work in your head exactly? I am far from privileged but recently signed a year lease and I don’t recall this provisional option for decreased rent?
Gark says
PERFECT >.<
Kiki says
You can’t discriminate
FlaglerBear says
So, if someone were to write, “it needs to be priced just right so that only white people can afford it, since we know black, brown and LBGTQ people can’t afford a nice place to live.” How would that play out? Is that an accurate statement? Think hard. Enough said.
Al says
I guess I am privileged because I worked 2 and sometimes 3 jobs to support my family in a middle class community……. don’t rely on freebies, discounts or special accommodations – go out and find a way to earn your way in life, being black, brown or LGBQT does not mean you can not be successful….. do not fall into believing you are a victim.
Sure says
Now we all know the comment above is meant to stir up drama.
Hmmm says
I hope this comment is a joke. Hard to tell nowadays. Im all for affordable rent. Based off of income, not race or identity.
Mark says
Why? People need to pay their own way. Nobody owes you or those groups anything.
Mary Fusco says
Latoya, I would like to think you are kidding but…… I assume you are referring to “white privileged class”. My daughter is a home health RN Case Manager in JAX. She is so privileged that she gets to work 7 days a week most weeks. After taking care of patients, she is privileged enough to spend half the night documenting so that insurance will pay her employer. She rent a condo which is about 100 years old. She thought about maybe looking for something with 2 bedrooms. She went out looking. No one told her that the rent would be lower because she was “privileged” to be working like a dog. Guess what. The rents were too much for her “privileged” self so she signed the lease on her current apartment. Get real.
TR says
Yep just keep approving more apartments. I can’t wait for all this housing development to come back and bit the city council in the butt when the economy really tanks. It’s already showing signs of falling apart. Just do a search of foreclosures in Flagler county. So adding all these new apartments is suppose to be a good idea, for what? With a low possibility of finding a job, who’s going to be able to pay the rent? This is just another idiotic move by the council to allow another large number of units to be built, and still not to do anything for the infrastructure. How about start working on that instead of just pushing it off to the side? Oh I know because then Alfin and the rest of the realtor friends can’t make any more money. They still won’t be able to make any more money when all these apartments are built but no one pays to rent them.
pete says
Your right its falling fast
Laurel says
TR: The same exact thing is happening along the South Carolina coast. Charleston marshes are being filled in, apartments are going up, and the traffic is atrocious. In fact, you have to know what time of day and which road to take, to get to your destination without being completely stalled, bumper to bumper, in traffic. Charleston’s charm is waning. Meanwhile, the roads in SC are not being repaired. Nearly every intersection has deep ruts on your turn, and apparently, there is no road sweeping. The roads are in bad shape.
Developers don’t care about us, or our quality of life. They get their money and leave. We get the mess from the people we voted for.
G A says
We haven’t heard any updates to the proposed BJs in quite awhile. Have they bought additional land to allow for entrance and egress off Seminole Woods or is an additional stop light going up on Rt 100. Inquiring minds want to know
FlaglerLive says
They have not.
Tim says
Stop light going in on 100
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
“They used sound levels measured on the project site for 7 consecutive days using FAA criteria for land use compatibility and its compatible with the airport”. Yeah, LMAO, Roy told the flight schools not to operate during that time and maybe to finally comply to the airports noise ordinance policies for that week. LMAO , don’t buy it for 1 second these people are all liers, it’s all about greed, money and grafts.
Concerned Citizen says
Imagine that. A unanimous decision by the BOCC. To allow property owned by our very own property appraiser to be developed.
Shouldn’t this be some sort of conflict of interest?
Celia Pugliese says
I do not see any conflict of interest here…since when a public official is not allowed to sell a real estate property probably bought or inherited after held for many years, sold to the best offer just because is a public official?
Thou most the time I do not agree with all these growth when based on rezoning or amendments this time I believe this multifamily units are no problem in that location. For us better in Rte 100 than in already overcrowded Palm Coast Parkway section. So no complaints here and congratulations Jay for a successful sell transaction! You better watch it while feeling up your wings now..!
Laurel says
Celia: You are okay with the traffic on 100 rather than Palm Coast? Do you realize where that traffic is going? To the small beach town of Flagler Beach. So now, locate the masses to Flagler Beach rather than Palm Coast. Gee, thanks.
Celia Pugliese says
Laurel I meant the location on Rte 100…better for us in crowded Palm Coast (Parked)Parkway made worst since City Chief of Staff worked for two years to bring a WAWA in the center of our already crowded parkway alleging that that commercial location allowed for a fuel depot…and I am still wondering how…because in this city and everywhere if the code allows for professional offices site how come can be approved a fuel depot there. Is like me buying a lawyer practice location and decide instead to run there a fish and tackle instead…? I will need approval from the city …so my question is DeLorenzo approved the Wawa all by himself..? What about us the adjacent affected home owners? Laurel I am sorry I never meant to overcrowd your Flagler Beach…as you have enough…but remember that every coastal town endures the same crowds from inland, vacationing, weekends and holidays. no one can keep a coastal even if litlle city free from massive amounts of visitors…they have their right to use the beaches! Would I buy a house beach front in a city NO!. We in Palm Coast are also affected by the crowds in FB…trying to have dinner at Golden Lion and was NO parking available. Maybe is time that you and I start lobbying for public transport in Flagler County…and will be less parking problems ocean front and less DUI”s . Rte 100 is still bearable man you git to see PC Parkway shpuld be call Parked Parkway instead often during the day…as at nights is the Daytona 500 with open mufflers! Remain in FB you have it better off there. By the way is only some of us that post on the sunshine with our names…why some very critical of us use alias…what are we supposed to be afraid off? After all we are not asking for anyone to be send to the gallows just to consider also the residents needs!
Fernando Melendez says
It’s called government nepotism, and favoritism, favoring other elected officials over our own county’s comprehensive plan to non conforming rezonings and more importantly over our county citizens objections. All career politicians except one who joined the bandwagon voting for this rezoning.
Tony says
Why are they ruining palm coast it sucks here now and they dont care just money
Atwp says
Good question, were the jobs to support the rent? Saying the rent prices for the future is interesting because the apartments are probably many years from fruition. Speaking todays rent for tomorrow apartments is funny. No doubt the quoted rent prices will probably double by the time the apartments are built. We will see what happens.
coyote says
I give them 2-3 years – by then, State Road 100 will look like Palm Coast Parkway (and drive like it. too).
(Sighs) So much for the retirement-like community I moved into almost 20 yrs ago.
Jay Tomm says
Y’all are mad….SHOW UP!!!!
Don’t just complain…SHOW UP at these meetings!
Laurel says
Jay: It looks like, more than once, that the posting for the meetings about development are done in areas where they are not seen. So if they notify in a 500 ft radius, and there are few homes within that radius, few show up for protest. All very legal, all very intentional.
They are constantly doing us all a favor, according to the developers, commission and Chamber of Commerce. Flagler Beach will be so full of people, shoulder to shoulder, with little parking, that it will be an entirely different place, as Palm Coast’s development is right there west of Flagler Beach. City to city to city with no country in between. Taxes will be higher, more development needed for jobs, life will be more expensive, and wildlife will suffer. There is noting more important than green paper for some. So very sad.
Mark Huston says
That’s right and make sure there’s advanced warning suffi ently ahead of time and not just a couple confusing signs hidden in the bushes, thanks too Flagler live for interpreting gov./commercial rhetoric – you have to get a lawyer too under stand commercial advocate 🐬😎🌴
dbhammock says
Why is all the development residential. Where is the industry development that should be happening out on Route 1 so our property tax increases can be mitigated by lite industry. My brother in law was here recently looking at real estate. After checking our taxes versus Volusia, he is seriously looking at Halifax Plantation or Plantation Bay because taxes are so much lower. Why would that be, industry.
Celia Pugliese says
Because in Palm Coast and the county they are having us pay for growth…these developers use our city and county staff in Planning, Engineering and Community Development for years months, weeks and millions of hours paid by us…while staff frantically works to make sure that these developers plans will be approved by Planning boards county and city ,FCBOCC or city council…County and city bureaucracy is growing at six figures pay by our taxes but working for developers projects to be approved in council and county meets. Have all heard about Compton CA…well we are heading to be like that one.
Arlene says
James Fisk…..
Really?????
Maids and stuff not real jobs…
How offensive….
James Fiske says
Arlene, unfortunately, that was a very poor judgement on my part. It was offensive and I humbly apologize for that.
Concerned Citizen says
James Fiske,
I know a good many maids, maintenance people,pool cleaners etc. All very hard working individuals. And most enjoy doing what they do. If you stayed at a hotel that room was cleaned by house cleaning Those folks work 40 hours a week or more. Flagler County has a whole department of cleaning people that make it possible for us to enjoy clean facilities. I could go on but I digress.
I never realized that wasn’t a real job. Even though they aren’t sitting at home collecting unemployment
Dennis C Rathsam says
To all my senor friends in Palm Coast who are finding it hard to make ends meet. Between the yearly tax hikes, and insurance companys raising the rates, if you can get insurace, or your stuck with Citizens. Consider N. Alabama! Yes its a little colder, but not much. Seniors 65 + pay no property tax! Think of the money you can save, no traffic, a quiet country community. You have all the big stores, + discount outlets, with no crime. Housing prices are about the same in Al, as Florida. Gas and food are cheaper too! You owe it to yourself to at least go on line and check it out. I wish I could go but I’ll be damn if I give Biden over 100k for property gains tax. Im just gonna wait, & die here, this way my kids get my estate for free, in my family trust.
Denali says
Wow, you must be in one heck of a tax situation and have one high priced piece of property. $100K in ‘capital gains’? Even if your house sells for $100K over what you paid the tax is only on that $100K at your regular tax rate or lower if you go through the schedules. So if you are in the 20% bracket in order to hit $100K in capital gains taxes your property must sell for at least $500K more than you paid. But then if you have owned the property for two years and it is your primary residence the capital gains are waived.
Dennis C Rathsam says
I own 3 homes in town, all worth over $400k. I refuse to give Biden a dime!
David Schaefer says
Thank You we will….
Atwp says
Dennis your comment sounds good. Is it true? You are not moving because of Biden? I’m guessing you’re suggesting other older people move. Very interesting.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Go on line & see what you can get in Huntsville…Id move in a flash if it wasnt for Capital gains. When I came to P/C, they were giving houses away. So I capitalized on the economic free fall that was under way. Im not suggesting, I just stated a fact…Now in todays paper Huntsville is the #1 city in the USA! Its on the front page!
oldtimer says
The cheapest apts will be 1600 a month? That means the renter would probably have to work 3 part time jobs because there sure isn’t any good paying full-time work here. I give it a couple of months till they start subletting to make ends meet. A few more years we’ll be just like Daytona…..Yahoo
Celia Pugliese says
O yeah and they call them affordable housing once built…and the young workers in the service industry can’t afford them. There is a long waiting list to rent one of those as per young friends looking for housing here. Builders get the feds and state perks to build them but no one checks the affordability after CO.
Dee says
All the board and the mayor are either in real estate or construction they are lining their pockets remember that when they come up for re-election
Florida Voter says
I’m wondering how all of this development can take place. I don’t mean financially or if there is a need. I mean environmentally, specifically regarding the gopher tortoise. We have a ton of them around here; I saw three in that area yesterday. Are the developers really relocating them? To where?
This might not be a current listing of the FL law, but:
https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/rules-and-regulations/
This has been bothering me for a while.
Laurel says
Florida Voter: It is not uncommon for developers to bury the tortoises alive, without any reporting of the animal being in the development. In fact, they have buried or not reported many things that would be in the way of progress. I’m certain not much has changed.
Mary says
So glad this is close to bunnell side of county
Flatsflyer says
Graft and corruption strikes again. Our Property Appraiser is making more millions, the developer doesn’t care, he will unload the project before the first Tennant moves in. This complex will turn into a real shithole with units so close to the airport operations. Sooner or later the Commissioners will see their mistakes but by then it will be to late. RT 100 will be a death trap and there will not be sufficient property remaining even address the problem no less develop a solution.
Gina Weiss says
Flatsflyer: the REAL SHITHOLE is the airport, perhaps NOW Roy Sieger will ENFORCE our airports noise abatement policies and procedures since he will be forced to do so and not think he lives on his own private island anymore, this is what he is REALLY scared of since he tried to purchase that parcel to expand his shithole. What happened Roy claims that there is no noise from the flight school planes which he does NADA about??? Now all of a sudden there is??? We are thrilled he did not get the land, we rather frequent nice amenities that will be going up there too, rather than having more low flying student pilots hammering our community , perhaps now he has to do his job whch he has not done, so stop BSing the public!
Skibum says
I have lived in several other communities where developers and individuals build right next to or very close to existing airports that have been in the same spot for many decades, and after these newbies build up around the existing airport, all of a sudden there are a slew of noise complaints filed against the airport that was there forever. Hilarious!!! When you build or move into a home or business that is next to an airport, you should know what you are going to experience. Don’t want to hear the noise from aircraft taking off and landing? Stay clear of airports, because they are NOT the ones making shithole decisions about where to locate.
Gina Weiss says
Skibum: You missed the point and stop the spin! Our airport is a small county airport and should remain this way. The great thing about this airport is its Teens In Flight program and Jack Howell goes out to the West to practice respecting the surrounding community, when the military does their practice drills they are respectful to our community plus they are seasoned pilots not
student drivers flying very low and loud over, doing constant touch and goes all day long over our homes. The time machine argument is moot because there are airports everywhere today, so where do people “just move” to. There needs to be a balance and we need to focus on balance and zoning. The airport is smack in the middle of a community of homes, school, hospital, businesses and busy roads, you can’t expand something too big to run that does not fit into our community, by the way there were and still are more homes being built off runway 11/29 so what do you have to say to those developers??? No one can see the homes, why complain about the apartments why, cause Roy wanted that parcel for his madman ideas. Don’t take on something too big when he can’t handle or control what he has now. And he does not control the flight schools which he can. He has no connection with our community and , he is careless and irresponsible and is in violation with many FAA regs. My point is that aviation should be a PARTNERSHIP with the community not us verses them, this airport needs to be kept small and sane. Now that there are good new partners with the restaurent people should be able to go there and enjoy not with flight schools circuling over them too. This way all can benefit Roy should be caring more about the safety of our community then his buddying up with the flight schools, we are residents and taxpayers who contribute to Flagler county. Flight students need an empty air space to practice, not over homes, school and hospital, streets and businesses..It not just about noise, it’s also about safety impact. Most of these flight schools are LLC so if something goes wrong they can just disolve and skirt liability/damages. Flight schools should not be FORCED into our community then leave it to the citizens to clean their mess up and whoever did this initially should have been fired immediately for their irresponsibility of not looking into, enforcing and abiding by the FAA regs since Roy receives grants, the FAA is more on the citizens side when it comes to safety and you airport trolls do not want residents to know this. Therefore all your arguments are out of touch and in “BAD FAITH”. There will be a workshop meeting about this coming up at the FCBOCC meeting either end of June or beginning of July, I urge all to attend and look at the county site for a date.
Celia Pugliese says
The Flagler county airport was no problem at all until in very early 2,000’s the FCBOCC with Jim Darby chair also an airport enterprise owner, decided to invite these mostly foreign student to set camp at the airport I attended those meetings and in my 3 minutes told them they were opening a can of worms for the residents to endure. I was right! So the airport was fine and all the communities of Palm Coast were already there built as they are today…So saying not to buy next to an airport is not the solution…as the national guard, the executive and commercial aircraft on and off the airport are not nuisances some of the arrogant flight schools with their foreign instructors and students are the culprit. They violate airport and FAA policies in an airport that is not fitted for these many schools when does not even have a radar. Touch and goes of students over our residents roofs should not be taking place is a tragedy waiting to happen…and these residents were there way before early 2,000’s and any of these nuisance schools camping there.. The airport makes the profit while residents endure the nuisance? This needs a solution…now. By the way while you are undermining valid residents complains why using an alias? what are you afraid off…maybe you are one of the airport m….anagement benefitted by these schools?
Celia Pugliese says
First of all our Property Appraiser does not deserve to be called corrupt for selling his property to the best offer! Why is your Flatsflyer witch hunting against him? maybe the airport director wanted to buy it with more FAA or FDOT (hard earned taxpayers funded grants) after all the millions that he already got…and for what ? to increase the nuisance usage very profitable for him of all these foreign students arrogant flight schools doing “touch and goes” in an airport not fitted for it and at 300 feet or less over residents homes roofs producing nuisance noise and emissions contamination? No problem with this property appraisers sold parcel planned complex as is in the right location and nit in the center of already crowded Palm Coast Parkway. Now the airport director has denied any noise etc. nuisance to the residents complaints for years and just until now but suddenly the airport noise can bother the future condo residents in this parcel? What a 100 degree turn from you all airport “organized m…groups” . What Mr. Siegert has to do is to stop asking for more FAA and FDOT (our hard earned taxes) to expand operations to further damage our airport surrounding communities with so many arrogant flight schools that violate the airport policy of “Fly Friendly” around the adjacent communities. How come the FCBOCC and if so the FAA approve these many pilots schools on an airport not fitted for it as does not even have its radar, making the crowded student pilots practicing of it a serious danger for the residents on the ground…Why is the airport being named the busiest to FAA because incorrectly Siegert is counting the hundreds or thousands of “touch and go students practice”, as regular aircraft departures and arrivals? Touch and goes should not be counted as real flight destination counts those are nuisance practice that violate the peace an health of the surrounding residents and start around 6.40 am into past midnight some violating air space over homes roofs at 300 feet or less altitude only, as reported complaints! FAA needs to receive the real information regarding these pilots schools in this little unfitted airport and move them inland to an airport paid or better say built by these foreign interest for that type of practice away from dense communities and take the director Mr. Roy Sieger and his associates along with them! We bought in Palm Coast to live in residential areas and not crowded, noisy, contaminated and traffic clogged overhead and on the ground dumps! Lets look at the legacies we inherit for 2024…and also the administrators they revere.
Gina Weiss says
Celia Pugliese: That’s what I say KUDOS to the property appraiser and thank you for actually salvaging what is left for a decent quality of life for our surrounding community, school, hospital, Quail Hollow. The county appraiser cannot make Roy Siegers airport, cause that’s what they should name it, his exclusive right of use such as flights schools spilling in from other airports constantly circuling over our community, our homes, our school our hospital, this airport is incompatible with the existing and expanding community and it is surrounded by too many noise sensitive areas. I heard that Roy stormed out of that meeting because he was pissed that he could not get that parcel, he should step down as the airport manager if he cannot be a non partial liasion between airport activity and the community when he storms out and has a tantrum over community changes.
Celia Pugliese says
Well lets not forget that before him (Sieger)a while ago the good airport advisory board was disbanded by Cameron I think was…after its chair a great experience airman resigned for not being able to achieve compromise thru Roy Sieger and FCBOCC that the flight schools needed to operate (noise) on manner to respect the surrounding communities… as I recall. also about FCBOCC buying more land for Sieger’s airport. https://flaglerlive.com/daryl-hickman-resigns/#gsc.tab=0 , Then the surrounding communities enduring tsome of the flight schools nuisance lost a very fair ally on Mr. Hickman.
Gina Weiss says
Celia Pugliese: you are right Celia we use to have a Airport Advisory Committee, a Board which act as a liason between the airport and the FCBOCC, but is was disbanded by Jerry Cameron as he commented that the advisory board was powerless because of how the bylaws were written. Cameron mentioned that there was a lack of communication between the Commission, the Advisory Committee Board and the county administrator but Sieger is listed as the liaison so go figure that one out! Cameron said that the bylaws were “anemic” and a “formula for confusion” He also stated that “it is inconceivable” that the committee does not have a formal defined relationship between the Advisory committee and the the airport director. Les Abend , who was also an Advisory board member said that he was advocating of changing the bylaws. Cameron then stated that he was going to ask the county commission to direct the county attorney, Al Hadeed, to review and to rewrite the bylaws. Was this ever done is my question to Hadeed? But the commission was to insruct Hadeed to do so. Was that ever done is another question I have. Cameron stated that he sees no problems with Hadeed getting an informal head start. When Camerons term was up he asked Heidi Petito to contact me as to setting up a new Advisory committee, we did get in touch and Ms. Petito did set up a temporary one, but it was temporary,worked for awhile with lots of great ideas but then went sour, as a matter of fact at one of the recent FCBOCC meetings someone put on the agenda to completely strike the Airport Advisory Committee off the records. So here we are now still no Airport Advisory Committee but at this meeting some of the commissioners agreed to have airport workshop meetings quarterly so that residents and homeowners have some transparency with the airport. I am hoping that some head flight school instructors attend like Raj from Phoenix East who has been very concerned about residents complaints and very helpful in resolving some issues as well as Ivan Kraus from ER will attend, they have been perfect gentlemen and do lend their ear better than Roy Sieger which is mind boggling to say the least. Only goes to show we can have a working relationship with the flight schools if controlled by the right people.
Over it says
Gina, why are you so obsessed with Roy. ROY ROY ROY, you bought your house when the airport existed. You knew what you were getting yourself into.
Gina Weiss says
Over it: another airport troll again no right full name. Oh you mean our airport manager .He has a history with treating his previous airport advisory committee with disrespect as he treats residents and taxpayers in our community as well as myself, and he recently treated a county official disrespectfully, he knows what he did. Obviously you overlooked the previous comments about how he is not doing his job to serve and protect our community when it comes to safety he has a complete disconnect, I get better results from Raj from Phoenix East and Ivan Kraus from ER to handle our airport flight school problems, if they do it why can’t he??? Sounds like you would love to shut me down, I am my community’s voice and advocate and I think your obsession is more with me and the fact that you don’t like what I and my community has to say and what we know. Again, Over it, its not the airport stop twisting people’s words, Sieger is a PUBLIC EMPLOYEE, FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, LIFE , LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS which means that EVERYONE THRIVES, not only “PILOTS” The aviation community should not expand to the point where people on the ground cannot exist, that is UNCONSTITIONAL and not as you call it an obsession. If a disaster happens with this flight school air congestion of students unlicensed pilots and people lose their lives you are the type of person who will turn blindfully turn your head the other way the problem lies with you airport trolls not with us residents and taxpayers, once again your comment to me is in bad faith.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
Over It: how about he becomes a good neighbor to all our communities and stops with his” obsesssion” of selling that leaded poison AVAGAS that he brags about in his annual report making tons of money from it and dropping it all over and poisoning people, our environment and our communities.
Over Gina Weiss says
Haha, you are delusional. I am in no way associated with him nor his manager. I am simply a citizen who reads all your psychotic banter about him. I see you get up at the meetings and express your disdain for him… with no FACTUAL back up to your points. In turn, I believe you are obsessed with him. Again, you bought your house in a location where the airport already existed. You made that choice. And he is doing his job to protect the community. If he wasn’t, he would have had his new runway built in the direction of your home directly. Now, wouldn’t that have been funny! Stop wasting your time, Gina, no one is listening to you. If they were, don’t you think they would have fired him by now since you claim he can’t do his job? Bye
Gina Weiss says
Over It: Your internal voice is calling upon you, this is called “projection” when you make false claims about a person calling someone who you don’t know abusive and derogatory names you are really defining yourself! Bullies and narcissist do this to discredit people in an attempt to make them look small to others. No one is listening to your cheap insults. Why don’t you do something better with your time besides being so “fixated” on me, that’s because the truth hurts. I really don’t care what you think about me. Stop gaslighting by minimizing our residents distress which is what a true narcissist does, you fit the description entirely, you also shift blame, ridicule, deflect away from the facts by presenting your jibberish spin. At least I use my REAL NAME and I’m not a coward like youself who lurks in the shadows of evil. See ya at the meetings.
Richard Smith says
Great more traffic, can’t make this stuff!!
Brian says
Build it and they will come
Nunya says
More apartments and our current schools are all over capacity. No talks about more schools or jobs, but yeah….. Bring on the housing developments!
Dave says
The destruction of all things of long and forgotten Flagler County/Palm Coast continues. Before long, NO more hardwoods just concrete and more traffic. Flagler County 2030: Economist says population could double to 200,000. IT looks like our country and city managers are having a field day letting developers that don’t even live around here build, all for those dollars and maybe kick backs, who knows, but greed is in the air and residents have zip to say about it.
tf says
Communities that fall behind on building housing end up with more homeless in the streets. I applaud the effort to take a proactive approach to tackle the issue of our nation’s housing shortage. While I agree with others that the community planners need to include schools and services to meet the residential growth, it’s not practical to put our heads in the sand and take the NIMBY approach. We need to be accommodating ALL people in our community.
Doug says
For those here who have never been to Pembroke Pines, Florida (Broward County), Pines Blvd has five lanes (east/west) with a similar build-out to what is happening on SR 100. The traffic is horrendous, and I foresee the same thing happening here. Thank you for ruining a once tranquil county.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Doug.. I remember when Pines Blvd was a dirt road – one lane each way filled with grazing hoses and cows. Flamingo Road was also one lane each way dirt road – no lights – this was in 1985…. When we left Country Club of Miami 17 years later in 2002 ( just down Flamingo Road ( Broward) / NW 67 Ave -Dade) the intersection of Pembroke/Pines amd Flamingo was the most dangerous intersection in the entire state of Florida and was adjacent to CB Smith Park, a shopping mall and Memorial Hospital.
We hunted 2 years to find a community where we would never see this happen again. …. Fingers and toes crossed SR100 will never be another ‘Pines’ Blvd.
Laurel says
Doug: I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, and am very familiar with excessive growth. Commercial Blvd. is a total sea of cars, all lanes full, and strip malls on both sides of the road, cars filling up all the spaces. It takes forever to go anywhere. It’s all concrete and blacktop. This is all very common throughout the city. You have to get in your car and do some serious driving to get to Loxahatchee or the Everglades to see nature. There was never a time when the roads were not under construction.
My husband also grew up in Ft. Lauderdale as well, and one time when we went back, we actually got lost in the city we knew like the backs of our hands! My family had a shop on Los Olas for 30 years. It was all upscale shops, and really lovely. Now it’s all bumper to bumper traffic with bars and nightclubs. Crazy! We still have friends there, and continue to visit, but always say we will never complain about traffic here when we come back. That will change.
It’s really sad what’s happening here. I try to tell people how it’s going to end up, but to no avail.
pete says
The airport was here long before you people came here from the north so if you don’t like it go back home and bitch.There are a lot of things that aren’t right but the airport isn’t one of them.
Celia Pugliese says
Yes you no real name hiding …what are you one of the airport cossa nostra? Yes you right in one thing the airport was here since WWII to train and serve our country…so was here when we bought but the nuisance mostly foreign students, owners and trainers flight schools so enough arrogant and with no compliance of airport Fly Friendly policies, arrived invited in the early 2000’s after we bought our homes…The airport was fine till then. Now the FCBOCC and airport director make the greedy revenue and the residents have to endure the nuisance in an airport with so many touch and go’s over residents roofs from 6.40 am to past midnight and no radar! So in your printed ID hiding idiocy you need to not lie! Why not use your real name what are you afraid or hiding from?
pete says
NEVER BUY NEAR OR AROUND A AIRPORT and you won’t have the problem. Go airport get bigger.
Gina Weiss says
Pete: looks like that plan has been aborted Bye!
Gina Weiss says
Pete: another airport troll with no full name.Your time machine argument no longer applies. We are not living in 1942 anymore where it was a small military airport and we were at war and our MILITARY was being trained, not foreign flight school students who are civilians with no pilots license. There’s a big difference. People have to live somewhere and airports need to be good neighbors. If a municipal airport wants to expand and it is not compatible with the built up community, then it needs to stay the same. Take a look at the flight school flight patterns taking off AT homes, AT the hospital, too low over the high school. Whomever approved this dangerous aviation activity and flight patterns should be fired immediately. The flight school should lose its certification for setting their students and the community at risk. That’s not flight training, that is a pilot mill operating out of greed (taking money no matter who gets hurt). Good flight schools promote safety and compliance with regulations and law. ALL laws and regulations. Just because someone wants to own a business (aviation or otherwise) doesn’t mean that they get to steal someone else’s property rights. That is what we have zoning laws for, to create balance. Forcing these changes without due process, consent and compensation to impacted land owners violates the takings clause of the fifth amendment. Your argument is in BAD FAITH! And by the way who are you to tell people to move, people who move here are from all over the country, you are also hateful against Northerners.
pete says
YEP May the airport grow
tf says
The time machine argument is invalid and has no legal standing in regards to zoning and community development. The airport is not the same/used the same way as it was when it opened. The community doesn’t look like once did either. You need to live in the here and now. There needs to be balance between the community and the airport development. If the aviation community were smart, they would be supportive of community development because the community could be its customers which fuels its success.
Celia Pugliese says
Kudos to you tf and Gina as well ,over you reality comments. The airport and some of its flight schools with green flag from its boss the FCBOCC are violating the rights of the adjacent communities! This is since they invited in the early 2000 them schools to set camp at this airport. I told them in that meeting that they just opened a can of worms in the FCBOCC public meeting when (airport enterprise business owner) Jim Darby was the FCBOCC chair and recall he gave one of his typical freeze in place stares.
A year later I had to contact by phone and in writing the FCBOCC, The Jacksonville Regional FAA and Senator John Mica then head of the Fed Transportation Committee tin DC to stop the nuisance noise and stunts over our homes 8 miles off the airport. It worked for us then, so I really can imagine what our neighbors closer to that “no radar” airport are enduring today and with intended evilness aiming at those homes of residents complainants and with total impunity?
Respect and consideration should be shown to the adjacent communities as the airport useless and ignored “Fly Friendly” policy reads. So we are working hard to end these abuses…
Gina Weiss says
Celia Pugliese: Thank you Celia on behalf of myself and our community, we truly appreciate your voice and your concerns in caring about us, we do pray for our airport manager and that he will just do the right thing with our community by enforcing our airports noise abatement policies and procedures to keep us safe and to improve our quality of life.
Mark B. says
I am going to run for City Council as it appears our current “leaders” here have abandoned REASON for MADNESS.
Celia Pugliese says
Please do, in the platform you and all residents need. No More Rezoning, Spot Zoning or Special Exceptions or Amendments to the Original Zoning. Stop blaming ITT for what the county and city done to its original PUDS, Comps and Zoning! No more 8.7 units per acre zoning changed to 22.9 units per acre pushed by city staff and approved 3 to 2 by council and Mayor in the Harborside (just one example)plus changing the original resort destination commercial (300 jobs could have been recovered) to multifamily. City staff seeing adamantly advising developer attorney in front of our very eyes and when we ask for FOIA staff communications are not provided violating the FL Statute and hoping to be provided still!
Also run on the platform of asking for Fed. State or FDOT grants for the right purposes NOT like 25 millions for an expansion out West Mayor vision on vacant lands of the Matanzas parkway other than already had widening the overdue Old Kings Road to redirect and move traffic from our residential roads. Our streets are crumbling faster by all over usage of these heavy loaded semis with materials for the thousands of multi families approved and city wants us to pay with higher fees or taxes the 52 millions needed for resurfacing.
Run on the platform of not being controlled by city staff and revering them for their idiocy conflict of interest proposals for you to approve. You will represent us that will elect you and you are at the top of our city government tree, the administration has to work with what you will approve! You do not have to vote yes to all presented. Also be prepared to make some needed changes in the city administration if you think we should not end like Compton CA. Just look just at some of their vision legacies that council left so costly to our hard earned dollars: Jon Netts failed dollars spent in the 750 millions start up unaffordable fantasy Desalination plant, Hollands millionaire splash pad still closed when even Jack Howell and us warned her on the meetings, The fantasy vision costly Fiber Optic by long termed councilman Flukas no enough revenue per Alfin words now obliterated by Metronet. Mr. Flukas you were told then over 4 years ago not to mess up with the big boys ( ATT, Spectrum, Verizon and now Metronet) but you all want your costly failure visions imposed on our pockets as is just others people’s monies!. Now 25 millions for Expansion out West! Enough is enough. City Departmental Chiefs like Carl Cote, DeLorenzo, Tyner, Ms Bevan and also Parks and Recreations need to apply for grants were really needed not frivolous or future uses! We need to resolve the real problems we have now and not what will look great in resumes.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
Sounds like Roy Sieger should have taken that triple the salary job he was bragging about before he committed to this small county airport, guessing he did not want to be a small fish in a big pond, and wanted to be the big fish in a small pond, he should go and find another job at a bigger airport and leave our quaint county airport alone, it’s just fine the way it is, minus those damn flight schools of course.
Follower says
Gina: Keep on Keepin On, if you weren’t having an effect on the trolls they wouldn’t be trolling you,
Ghandi: First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then you win.