Palm Coast has its own peculiar standards for traffic back-ups: any queue of a dozen or more cars at an intersection qualifies. By that standard, the backups at the intersection of Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Boulevard are nightmares.
They’re about to get worse, and Palm Coast City Council members are concerned. But a three-way stop may be on the way. But city planners say a roundabout is the surest solution.
The council today cleared the way for the first 224 of a planned 333 single-family houses at “Sabal Preserve,” the 85-acre development stretching on the north side of Royal Palms where it joins with Town Center Boulevard, almost to I-95. The development has just two entry and exit points, both very near each other, both on two-lane Royal Palms.
The developer was required to build just one off-site improvement: one left-turn lane into the development for drivers going east, to prevent back-ups at that turn. The right-turn lanes were already built.
The council’s action today was approval of Sabal Palms’s final plat, which maps out the individual lots and opens the way to house construction on two of its three phases. Residents will start moving in in a matter of months, adding to Royal Palms’s crunch.
Even now, Council member Ty Miller said, “you end up with 100 cars there waiting to get out,” to make a left from Royal Palms to Town Center Boulevard, which has no signal. A frustrated driver at one point took a marker to a barrier on the bridge over the canal near the intersection and scribbled, “Put a Light Here.”
“I brought up, and residents have brought up many times, the issue of that intersection and how it’s going to be further amplified,” Council member Charles Gambaro said today. “It’s bad enough as it is. It’s further amplified going forward with these additional homes going.”
Gambaro wanted to know whether the city has a plan for that. It does, but it may be a while before the plan is implemented.
The city is designing traffic-flow improvements for the nearby intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Old Kings Road. That $5 million design entails large-scale improvements. The design alone will take some time, and the implementation will take a few years. So the city is looking at a temporary short-term solution meanwhile.
Part of that short-term solution is a study of traffic counts at the Royal Palms-Town Center Boulevard intersection, Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said. One of the possibilities is a “three-way stop or something to that degree before we’re able to put something permanent in place to mitigate that concern.” That may create its own issues: right now traffic flowing along Town Center Boulevard in both directions is unimpeded, as is traffic from Town Center Boulevard turning right on Royal Palms.
“One of the concerns that we are afraid of,” Senior Planner Phong Nguyen said, is that a three-way stop “would back up the westbound traffic on Town Center back to Old Kings Road. So we are very careful in measuring this and analyzing this for the temporary improvement condition.”
“Based on my experience, that’s a prime intersection for a roundabout,” Nguyen said. It would “alleviate all approaches,” he said. Royal Palms Parkway has 8,000 daily trips, 6,000 south of the intersection, and 10,000 from Old Kings Road. “We think a roundabout would work very well there.”
Additionally, Johnston said, “traffic flow will help once we’ve commenced construction on the Belle Terre [Parkway] safety improvements,” a $4.5 project, paid for with a state appropriation, that will add turning lanes at seven intersections on Belle Terre Parkway. (See a list of those intersections here.) The Royal Palms Parkway intersection with Belle Terre will have several turning lanes extended, pedestrian crossings will be eliminated, drainage will be improved, and traffic signals will be updated.
It was puzzling, however, how turning-lane improvements 1.5 miles away will improve traffic flow at Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Boulevard.
“There’s a lot of development going on in this general vicinity, and we just need to not get behind the eight-ball,” Council member Theresa Potieri said. Not far from the intersection, along Point Pleasant Drive, a 78-house development is rapidly adding homes that will be occupied sooner than those at Sabal Preserve. All that traffic will go onto Point Pleasant or Ponce de Leon Drive. Point Pleasant connects Belle Terre Parkway to Royal Palms Parkway. Apartment complexes are rising along Town Center Boulevard.
The lots will have a minimum width of 40 feet. The roads and utilities will be built by the developer, and the roads inside the subdivision will be maintained by the homeowners’ association. Based on the city’s analysis, the new development on Royal Palms will not cause the road to fail–that is, to be over capacity.
Frustrated taxpayers says
This is what happens when you have politicians and developers who have the brains of Dumb and Dumber!
Annoyed Beyond Control says
Every single person in the Palm Coast Planning department needs to be immediately fired for continuously causing these problems!
Next on the list to go should be every City Commissioner that okay’s these projects knowing that the city has traffic, water and sewer issues!
nbr says
Round about NOT the answer, I am close to the round about on Matanzas woods, driver just plow thru the Yeild sign. I’ve had a few near missis because the dumb A…es do not Yeild. Traffic lights with turn indicators would work better
DP says
So the solution is to potentially put a roundabout in. WTF, What about requirements of added turn lanes, road way widening by the developer. I know this current council wasn’t responsible for this development. But come on city officials get your heads out of your a##, and slow this building down, and fix the infrastructure and roads, first and foremost. No more placing this on the current citizens shoulders.
Tjmelton says
Inept, dysfunctional, moronic civil engineering. Widen belle terre, widen royal palms, widen old kings, put in the necessary lights, & make sense. How much money did you borrow for water & sewerage expansion?, Justify not borrowing money for this. Move traffic. Do what you are being paid to do.
sean says
Are houses are going down buy the day with the new building rember that nabors
Tim says
I would love to know how they don’t see that adding 224 cars to that road will not cause that road to fail. I am thinking around the time to go to work and time to get home from work it will
Dawn Smith says
Instead of adding new homes, they county and cities should work on traffic patterns, and lights, and stop flashing amber lights.
John cena says
Of course this is happening. For the past several years palm coast has lived selfishly and voted for people who best represented us. Now that they’re being honest we’re getting what we deserve and I hope it continues for a time to come.
If you’re crying how can this have happened you have intentionally blinded yourself for decades and you deserve to be here along with the rest of us
JimboXYZ says
“It was puzzling, however, how turning-lane improvements 1.5 miles away will improve traffic flow at Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Boulevard.”
Puzzling ? This is 3.5 years of Alfinville, FL. Incompetence, sheer stupidity are more accurate. They want to study traffic there ? Really ? Doesn’t take a genius to figure out 10 gallons of poop won’t fit in a 5 gallon bucket.
The solution was t 4 lane an area that all the traffic form the new residential construction will end up as on Royal Palms Parkway (RPP) at that 3 way intersection. The only way to 4 lane that area will be to pave closer to the canal. Even the underpass for I-95 there will need to be a 4 lane over water as filled in or a bridge of sorts and that most assuredly 3 ways into what needs to be a 4 lane Old King’s Road traffic light. It might be 1/10 of a mile if it it’s that far for either a round about, the 3 way stop sign or round about. and that will bottle neck there as population continues to grow & new residential sold & occupied. The speed limit used to be 45 mph for most all of RPP, 25 mph being almost at the 3 way intersection. Royal Palms is now 45/35/25 mph zones. These approved new constructions, that area might as well become 25 mph. There are 2 ways out, East to that intersection or West to Belle Terre. It was bad enough before a single one of these homes was approved to be built. Alfin & his single term pretty much screwed up Palm Coast. Funny, he used to hold a meet & greet at the Panera over on SR-100 where his approvals for growth & lack of Vision/Imagination of 2050 ruined Palm Coast over there. That was 2024 ? Comical that the legacy holdovers of local Government for City of Palm Coast are “puzzled”. And this is what Norris inherited from the Alfin, like Trump inherited a mess of ruination from Biden. Let developers build it or be sued, that’s the inheritance & hand off from Alfin => Norris. Norris can’t even fire that bunch/team to improve the incompetence.
We’re all victims of that. I can’t imagine being a pedestrian or cyclist & trying to cross that intersection at peak traffic hours where the Lehigh Trails are temporarily disrupted for that 1/10 mile for I-95 => Old King’s Road. What a mess.
Michael Van Buren says
Wait, WTF did I just read? The city is going to eliminate ped crossings at Belle Terre and Royal Palms? Did I actually read that? Right on the path of one of the county and city’s most popular Rails to Trails? SMH
Pig Farmer says
It should be mandatory that prospective buyers visit these properties during rush hour. Problem solved! Who wants to purchase a home you can’t leave or get to easily?
Erod says
There goes the property values in Palm Coast, thank you city council. What is going to happen when theses like other developments cannot sell ? Will Palm Coast and Flagler County be transformed into a sea of vacant homes ? Will the developers turn them into “LOW INCOME” SHIP homes ?
They always say it’s crime that destroys a community, we always seem to overlook GREED.
Maryann Collins says
Stop this ridiculous nonsense! Overbuiding is not the answer! Fix our water situation now before we run out! We the citizens of Palm Coast are thinking with our brains they are thinking with their pockets! When does this end! Quality of Life!!!!!Quality of Life!!!!!We will not be able to move in a vehicle soon. One accident anywhere now causes back ups for miles. Think!!!!!! What are we doing Palm Coast????!!!!!Do better!!!!
Frustrated Resident says
When does it end??? Why keep building more ans more when the existing problems from too much development too fast have not been addressed and fixed? Flooding and stormwater backup is just as bad as the traffic problems caused by over development. No city ordinances on the foundation levels for new construction has existing homes drowning in stormwater floods from the smallest summer storms, not to mention the swamp conditions year round.
This once quiet town with vacant land and reserves has turned into a nightmare of traffic jams and flooded swamp land. Enough is enough. Fix the existing problems before building more!
Atwp says
Am sure most of you all voted for Republicans.
rwboggess says
The developer of Sabal Preserve near the intersection of Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Blvd got away with highway robbery – literally and figuratively. They are the ones that should have been required to not only add the turning lanes into and out of the development BUT they should have also been required to have been required, as part of the construction of the sub-division, to widen Royal Palms Parkway and modify the intersection, either as a round-about or three way traffic intersection, BEFORE construction started on the sub-division.
Not only did the developer get away with this, but the citizens are also getting stuck with the bill and the city’s road department is getting away with incompetence. Any individual with the intelligence of an ant could have projected that adding homes and what comes along with it, would cause serious issues at that intersection. Sounds like some people in the city should be in line to be terminated.
Jeff says
Come on palm coast slow your housing down a little your not only causing issues with palm coast residents but all towns around you TRAFFIC. !!
Flabbergasted says
And is Tim above said that’s 224 homes, but multiply that 2.5 times per vehicle as an average automobiles per single family home. Around about is not going to help. Or just scratching the surface with the issue already at that intersection just think about whenever this development gets finished those 500 plus cars that are trying to pull out of the development or into the development how are they going to get in or out? Are you going to put a roundabout there as well you mental midgets?
And Let’s ignore the 400 lb gorilla in the room, where is increased water supply for these two adjacent developments going to come from?
T says
Ruined palm coast will be moving palm is a con they steal do nothing like trumps America now trash
Tadpole says
Roads first.
Homes second.
Adam Frank says
Does that Palm Coast Councilwoman who wanted to annex Flagler County’s Malacompra Park still have any more hi spending ideas?
Florida Girl says
What’s not mentioned or thought of is those of us who ride bicycles every day in this area. We have a WHOLE different view of the traffic. This is near the bike trail, or what was once the old railroad tracks. I ride with my grandbabies on bicycles or scooters once if not twice daily making a big loop from Belle Terra through Town Center and make our way back to the E Section on the bike trail or Royal Palm. The traffic is horrendous especially near that school. AND that traffic NEVER sees us on the sidewalks – I can’t tell you how many times we have almost been hit at the cross lights – they just do not see us, someone is really going to get hurt because there is NO care or concern from City or County on the subject of traffic, and not for nothing, I never see law enforcement present AND there are cars passing other cars in the grass! I have 4 (four) day-glow orange flags on my bike and babies trolly I’m pulling. I have 2 (two) flashing lights, and 2 (two) normal lights that stay on, in the front and back with the flashing ones. They STILL don’t see us. Someone is really going to get hurt up in here once this is completed and these homes are full of people.
Diane V. Ramirez says
They won’t be happy until the area looks like Miami, a congested concrete jungle full of angry people.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Let’s all face it folks, P/C is losing its grip on reality! Traffic sucks now, so lets build more homes! When will the people realize sooner than later this city will become a giant parking lot all hours of the day! some days it takes 3 lights to turn left into Walmart from PCP! Our housing market is in the toilet, no one buying, no one can escape. This council has destroyed the thought of leaving. We cant, no one wants to move to a city with a $ 200.00 water bill! 7 homes on my block 4 sale, 2 more being built as we speak! No one comes to look….. Our only hope is that these builders go belly up, & go bankrupt. I watch them build the home across from me, over priced, built like shit. My home was built in the 90,s it servived every thing mother nature has thrown at it, in all these years. If I could move I would….But the stupitity of the morons in ( the city hall no one wanted) continue to bring our city to its knees, at the expense of you & me!
Cindy Jameson says
Which is more dangerous a three way stop sign which I never heard of or another round about? Both, think about it with the traffic they say is there now why on earth would you think a 3 way stop sign would work or even a round about and at 5pm rush hour to boot. Gonna cause mega problems, lots of road rage. Somebody is making a lot of money with the round a bouts. Lots of concrete, lots of labor equal lots of money, money that can be put towards the water treatment plant not to mention 6 months of construction and detours. I just can’t for the life of me figure out why a traffic light is not being installed. Thank God I have no reason to travel that way anymore.
Kandi Stevens says
Our new representative didn’t bring up a very valid point. WHAT about all the pedestrian and bicycle traffic that crosses Royal Palms AND Town Center to continue down Lehigh Trail? I see near misses everyday there. The developer also needs to pay for 2 flashing crosswalk apparatus in both places I mentioned above. THAT trail is used by hundreds daily and crossing is NOW unsafe. CAN YOU IMAGINE it in a few months?
Robjr says
It is way to late to close this barn door.
The horses have been long gone.
Mary Lumas says
People were wasting our breath. It’s all about money. Another round about not the answer, dam people in this town just blow right though them. I move here in 07 love this town now I can’t stand it 😓
A Concerned Observer says
“One of the possibilities is a “three-way stop or something to that degree before we’re able to put something permanent in place to mitigate that concern.” SERIOUSLY! The time to plan for the additional traffic here was when the developer submitted their plan! This ridiculous 333 home development project should never have made it past the developer’s initial request. The $5 million design for “large-scale improvements” to the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and Old Kings Road should have taken place before approving this new development and included the developer’s responsibility to provide for. I love the proposal that “We think a roundabout would work very well there.” Do we really need another roundabout that no one knows how to drive through? NOT! Council member Theresa Potieri said “There’s a lot of development going on in this general vicinity, and we just need to not get behind the eight-ball.”. Sorry Ms. Potieri, someone needs to get “In Front” of the eight-ball!
While the planners are contemplating how to mitigate the traffic at the intersection of Royal Palms Pkwy and Town Center Blvd, has anyone thought of the unbelievable traffic jam that occurs every school day of drivers waiting to pick up and drop off children at the Imagine School? Oh, and what about the two-lane Royal Palms Pkwy? Short of an elevated roadway, there is no way to increase the traffic handling all along Royal Palms Pkwy. And let’s not forget the daily traffic jam at the intersection of Royal Palms Pkwy and Belle Terre Pkwy? Anyone contemplating buying one of these new homes should think of these unsurmountable issues and not buy any of the new homes. I surely would not.
This post is just addressing the traffic problems because that is what this Flagler Live post was about. What “planning” has been done to address the additional need for electric, water, sewer, telephone, cable TV, police, fire and Emergency Services!
Billy says
Total incompetence by the city Council they all need to be fired. They’re getting their pockets lined by developers! This town is corrupt as it gets pretty soon it’ll take an hour to drive 2 miles! God for bid we have a tree left standing!
WendyBoo says
There should have been a stop light here years ago. Someone even spray painted out a light here. Lol. These people will jet out and cut you off in a heartbeat. I’ve had so many close calls and it infuriates me. We are too damn crowded as it is now. All these new people here, half of them are rude AF and drive like idiots and do not care. I’m just sick of it.
Money problems? says
This is the land of greed. The only thing that matters is money. Ask the people at the El Salvador death camps as most have no criminal record at all. Nazi republicans did this to them.
Land of no turn signals says says
It’s a shit show now -can’t wait.
Skibum says
With the increased population here in Palm Coast and all of the traffic congestion we all have experienced first hand over the past several years, that intersection was already getting problematic even before the city approved the nearby residential development. This is yet one more example of our city leaders approving more new residential developments without first addressing nearby congested roads/intersections that need to be reconfigured to handle the additional traffic demand. The completion of a roundabout or additional traffic control devices should have been included in the budge when approving the adjacent 224 home residential development. Well, except for the fact that this city continues to not learn from its past mistakes, and instead chooses to deal with many complaints and poor survey results from citizens who bear the brunt of the city’s regrettable and unnecessary traffic mis-steps.
Peg Donovan says
I watched this same city plan for Port St Lucie in St Lucie Co.
It was started in in 60’s around Club Med, it had about 30k in 1990 a nice Fl city now it’s at least 250k+ during season and the retail shops are like her in counties north and south of us, sales tax dollars we could use for better water system, better roads, and smarter planning before building.
No round about says
Shouldn’t the developer have been made to do all road improvements necessary for the impact of the additional traffic ?
Round a bout would be a disaster.
16 months so far to build the one at Cody’s Corner and still not completed. Traffic would be considerably worse during any construction period especially if it takes over a year to get one built
Discussed and fed up. says
What about just having open space,like what use to be in the town center park.And the destruction of the habitat for wild animals.They suffer also.They don’t get any consideration for loss of habitat.The noise from Belle Terre highway is deafening and not to mention the exhaust fumes,I’m chocking to death sitting on my patio .Open space doesn’t mean beauty to these people it means open space isn’t making money.I can’t wait to move out of this area it use to be more pleasant not any more.Stop ruining our town with all this building it’s not progress,it’s greed.
Pig Farmer says
Remember folks, vote out anyone who approves these developments without proper roads, water and sewer capacity! Every time, every election!
Ed says
This is off subject BUT the Cody’s Corner roundabout has taken 16 months so far and still isn’t complete. Has been redesigned 3 times (so far) with plans to remove it in the near future to replace it with a completely differently designed one. They started this fiasco using a 15 year old traffic study (per the engineer). There have been millions of taxpayer dollars wasted at this intersection for a project that just will not work at this location. 4 major wrecks last weekend alone
Paved Paradise says
Soon traffic at the intersections of Royal Palm and Town Center Blvd. and Old Kings Road and Town Center Blvd are going to be unbearable. Did they forget about 264 Apartments presently being built directly across from Imagine School? There’s going to be approximately 695 plus apartments and 974 plus homes, more than 1,670 new dwellings in close proximity to one another. Yay! Better allow a lot more time to get to those appointments and work.
MaryAnn Collins says
Anyone who’s letting all this irresponsible building into Palm Coast listening? I’m also adding the capacity of our two very small hospitals are not enough for all these new builds. We do not have enough medical doctors, healthcare workers, nor emergency room beds or hospital beds to support these residents now. Two years ago my husband slept in the emergency room three times in Advent Health not to mention the wait time on other visits. During one of our visits there one night the room was the size of a closet because of no beds for him to be admitted. not to mention the laying in the hallway before getting one of those rooms. The staff excellent, my husbands quality of life, terrible! Think all aspects of this over building decisions you are all making, each and every one of them!!!!
David Meeks says
I can’t imagine why anyone would want to buy one of the homes. It’s next to I95. You can see & hear that traffic 24/7.
And yeah this is going to kill the trail. I ride those trails. This whole think stinks!
Common Sense says
The silent market crash is coming !
Deborah Coffey says
Oh, my dearest Republicans. You recognize this, don’t you? It’s like the short-term pain Trump said you will experience from his tariffs…that will last only for years to come.
FlaPharmTech says
A roundabout is not suited for this location. Unfortunately a traffic light is needed. Every time I pass this intersection I fully expect to be in a wreck. Slow down and have patience.
Shoregal says
But when the Palm Coast mayor wanted to put in a moratorium for building, people were all up in arms about it and that ends that so it’s just a constant circle jerk.
NJ says
Do NOT issue any building permits for this “DUMBASS” development (built next to the 24/7 Loud Traffic Noise from I-95) until the developer pays for a traffic light and is installed at thei intersection Royal Palm and Town Center!! Thank Alfin and Danko for making our once beautiful city Florida’s New “SHIT-HOLE” city!
Hmmm says
Lets not forget our current mayor of palm coast was basically chased out of city hall by an angry mob for vocally supporting a building moratorium. The outcry was it would affect jobs.
Atwp says
Stop gripping, I believe most of you grippers cast your ballots for Republicans. O Republicans.
What A shame ! says
The second smaller development with 40 foot lots ! So houses will be 10 feet apart. with the wind we get here should a fire break out what are the chances of hot embers blowing 10 get to the next house ? Think about that while you buy into the developers BS that people want smaller lots with less maintaince. Palm Coast is turning into a single family of row houses. Oh and how about the city approving 19 foot roads. If two vehicles are parked opposite each other can a fire truck make through ? What’s the next step – approve 30 foot lots ! Just amazing what is happening to this once nice city.
CH says
I see a lot of unhappy, frustrated comments on this and other things in Flagler/Palm Coast. It’s been Republican controlled for decades. WE NEED CHANGE! It’s time for common sense Democratic leadership.
Kandi Stevens says
I urge EVERY one of you that has commented here to be at Tuesdays meeting, April 22nd at 6pm. Maybe if enough SHOW UP they’ll listen? I cannot do it alone. I HAD an entire notebook on this project of issues WE are having in that area. JOIN ME. 🙏