Palm Coast businesses and developers like redundancy: gas stations, health care and assisted living facilities, car washes, self-storage. The redundancy in turn speaks to the demographics of the area: older, more leisurely, downsizing, more prone to ailments. Thursday evening, the Palm Coast Planning Board cleared the way for two more of the familiar types of businesses: a self-storage facility on Old Kings Road North, and a car wash on State Road 100 and Belle Terre Boulevard.
The self-storage facility is the third approved for Old Kings Road, north or south, in the last four weeks. Facilities were also approved on Old Kings Road South near Hidden Lakes, and near Toscana. The latest approval exclude RVs and boats, as the first two did not. Flagler County is experiencing a boom in self-storage facilities that risks approaching a glut, now that development appears to be inching down from its peak last spring and summer.
Take 5 Express Car Wash will open in the Shoppes of Palm Coast strip on State Road 100, across from Target. It replaces the Gate gas station originally planned for the site. The 1-acre site is between between the relatively new Culvers restaurant and Taco Bell. The three-lane car wash will operate on 4,200 square feet. The land is zoned commercial, but Driven Brands, Take 5’s parent company, was seeking a special exception from the city that would allow for the car wash at that location. (The location is owned by Ramzy Bakkar of Jacksonville.)
Jason Sheridan of Pennoni Associates, who represents Take 5, said the car wash itself will tale up 3,600 square feet and use three 1,500-gallon recycled water tank and a 2,500-gallon “sand interceptor” before the water drains into the sewer system.
The car wash will be express only–meaning self-service, to the dismay of one of the planning board members. “It seems like we’ve lost all of our full service in town,” the board member said. Sandra Shanks, another board member, noted that when the strip was first approved in 2015, a car wash was not in the plans. She was worried about traffic’s impact on the site.
“That’s one of the things that we looked at really hard to make sure that the cars will not stack out into the internal driveway areas,” Ray Tyner, the assistant development director, said. “We actually made several modifications or had the applicant make several modification to make sure that the stacking would not not come out.” Tyner said the number of vehicles that would go through the site will be less than those that had been calculated for what would have been the Gate gas station there. A car wash would take about two minutes. The facility provides for 150 feet of stacking space before vehicles interfere with the rest of the site’s common areas. The business would likely operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sheridan said, with an employee on site.
The planning board approved the special exception 6-1, with Shanks dissenting.
The 36-acre King’s Crossing Storage facility had received its special exception nearly three years ago–with no fewer than 20 conditions from the city, because there are significant wetlands and flood plains on the site. It took that long for the developers to comply with the conditions (including building all sorts of culvers and “compensatory storage” for flooding waters), and return to the planning board with a site plan. It’s not been easy. “Before this project, I didn’t use hair color. Now I’m a Clairol M9,” a candid Dan Wilcox, the chief engineer on the project, said of the light-brown hair-coloring agent. “This project has just about worn us out. It is a tough one.” Water runoff and flooding were critical concerns.
“On a positive note,’ Tyner said, “because there are significant wetlands associated with with this site, any of the residential properties that you’ll see on the presentation are well buffered by a high quality wetland system. And the only real neighbor that the storage facility would have would be I-95.”
King’s Crossing is halfway between Matanzas Woods Parkway and Palm Coast Parkway, on the west side of Old Kings. One building will amount to 10,011 square feet, another, a two-story building, will total 59,730 square feet. The facility will make 838 individual internal storage spaces available.
The city was concerned about “the viability of the existing wildlife corridor that the parcel currently provides,” according to Terracon, the consulting engineers who conducted an Imperiled Species Study and a Wetland Impact Analysis for the facility. “After an analysis of the corridor, Terracon determined that the four(4) 36” culverts being proposed for the road crossing will allow continuity for most mammal species, with the larger species such as deer and feral hog being able to cross over the road,” Terracon’s analysts states. “In addition, the road will have minimal trips, estimated to be 8 trips per day of
vehicular volume. The proposed mitigative measures, such as a 10 mile per hour speed limit will result in a low risk environment to crossing animals, while landscape plantings at the crossings will allow the animals to be near the road before crossing, minimize time to cross. Therefore, with these mitigative measures, Wildlife Vehicular Collisions (WVC) will minimal and the ability of the property to be wildlife corridor therefore should not be disrupted.”
As for consumers and clients, the facility will be your standard self-storage type, catering to household goods and business equipment, but no firearms, drugs and hazardous materials. Signatures are required on leases, but there are no systematic inspections of actual storage units. The site will be hidden by wetlands, with the top of the building perhaps visible from I-95.
But then a disagreement took Tony Kostantinidis, the applicant and owner of the facility, by surprise. He assumed there could be–there would be–RV and boat storage outside. Planning board members, reading the application, determined differently. Some were under the impression that there would not be any boats and RVs there. The distinction, for Konstantinidis, was that the boats and RVs would not be visible, but would be there.
“As far as planning, we don’t care what you store inside the unit as long as it’s not hazardous,” Bill Hoover, the senior planner on the project, said. But a storage facility representative wanted to stress that there would also be boats and RVs outside, only the vehicles would not be visible from any right of way.
“The document that we were given in the background section says the applicant has submitted a technical site plan application for an enclosed self storage facility without the outside storage of boats or recreational vehicles, that’s the very first line,” Shank said. She clarified: she was not necessarily opposed to boats and RVs, only to the inconsistency between the wording of documents and what she was hearing from the applicant then and there.
“The plan before you today will not–will not–have outside storage,” Tyner agreed. “If they want to come in and modify their plan, because their site plan that we have now does not show outside storage, if they want to come in and modify their plan at a later date, they can do so and go through the process again and modify that to show where they outside storage is going to be.”
“So I just want to make sure that we’re clear and that you’re clear that when we vote, that we’re not voting for–it does not include outside storage,” Shank told Konstantinidis.
“So you would have the choice to move forward tonight with no outside storage, if that’s what the board determines,” Planning Board Chairman Clint Smith told Konstantinidis, “or table and resubmit and come back with one that does have outside storage. But right now the presentation that we have does not allow outside storage. I don’t want to put you in a pickle, but–”
Konstantinidis did not let him finish: “Well, it kind of is a little bit putting us in a pickle,” he said. “We’ve been working on this for so long to get to this point and there is a real need in Palm Coast for the RV and boat outside storage. And although we do have quite a few large indoor units, to fit a larger RV or a larger boat, it would be beneficial to the development to the community to allow that.” But he conceded that “if we’ve got to go through another submittal process, and that’s the only way we can vote on it right now, then I guess we would take that because we’d like to move forward with just the building.” He pushed the board as much as he could.
The board pushed back. “There’s a review process that does not involve the planning board. So you have to go through the planning department for that,” Shank said. “Even if we wanted to grant that approval–and I understand how you feel–we simply don’t have the power to do that.” Konstantinidis conceded.
There were no public comments. The board approved the site plan application with conditions, 7-0.
Click to access car-wash-self-storage.pdf
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Lizbeth Alberts says
I was just discussing this with one of my sons the other day. If I see one more apartment complex one more senior citizen complex one more car wash one more storage unit one more gas station one more car dealership this is ridiculous and the price of homes have risen up but yet there are people who’ve had to sell their homes and they’ve lost their jobs and they’re living in hotels or in their cars. Why is Palm Coast constantly repeating the same things again and again and again why can’t we have an enclosed Mall and if I see another hair cutter or pizzeria place open up again I’m just going to want to rip my hair out. There’s one Burger King how many Wendy’s are there? Restaurants everywhere there’s nothing different brought to Palm Coast at all.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Hallaloola Another fine Palm Coaster who see,s the light, & speeks out! The morons that control our city, must have gotten the crack pipes Biden gave out….HUURRAYY for us …THE HELL WITH U!!!!
aloyd hurley says
If you think you could better run for office…
Bartholomew says
Wait, The President was giving out crack pipes?
palmcoaster says
What President Biden has to do with it? What a crass toxic comment. The council and mayor that approved this original plan and probably this board are all Republicans and this is what you get from them. Most Palmcoasters are trying to put the breaks to the disastrous greedy growth approvals without proper ,adequate and needed infrastructure road, sewer , drainage and services specially traffic units . I applaud those Toscana and Hidden Lakes residents sueing to preserve their quality of life. Are not the first ones to engage attorneys to defend their rights Protect Palm Coast did it successfully against the 5G 150 ft towers close to our homes in the Palm Harbor Golf Course and the John Anderson neighbors are in the court of appeal against the county tyrants over
The Gardens approval and should be applauded as well. OMG a storage facility right outside two gated communities for them to enjoy the view and negatively affect their homes values ..? Whoever speaks here against them is not on their shoes or owns homes in the two communities or is just one of the approval parties henchmen.
David Schaefer says
This place SUCKS more every day….
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Wow – but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Because a formal 29 page Circuit Court Appeal was filed yesterday contesting the two insane huge storage facilities approved January 18 and 19 by the Palm Coast City Council and Mayor on Old Kings Road. I pray the homeowners in Toscana and Hidden Lakes win.
Our beautiful county is being destroyed and the only way to stop is to SUE the jackasses who approve these incompatible , mostly unnecessary industrial buildings inconsistent with the surrounding homes.
Darlene L Shelley says
Jane- You are an inspiration to all of us that realize that the greed and lack of concern for the best interest of the local residents by developers is out of control and supported by a Mayor and City Council that ignore the mandates of the Land Development Code and Will of the People. Over 1,049 opposed this project on a petition and on https://www.change.org/stopthePCsprawl and were ignored by City Council. You recognized the absurdity of developers’ desire, based on greed alone, to try to construct TWO storage facilities within 1/4 mile of nearly 600 homes in Hidden Lakes and Toscana on a dangerous two lane curvy Old Kings Road. You swooped in to tell the Mayor and City Council that this is Unnecessary, Inconsistent, and Incompatible with the surrounding homes. You gave us hope and knowledge that proves that you can indeed Fight City Hall, and The Concerned Citizens of Palm Coast intend to do just that, all the way to the Supreme Court if that is what it takes to protect our Welfare, Safety, and General Health. Thank you, Jane, for caring and working to protect the people!
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Thank you Darlene. My pleasure and my prayers that you, just like my old community in Miami back in 1998, will win in court and proudly prove that we are still a government ‘ of the people, by the people, and for the people.
bs98flht says
Not everybody is upset about a storage facility being across from Hidden Lakes. Its certainly better than a strip mall or hotel and all the traffic that would create! You don’t speak for everybody in this development!
palmcoaster says
bs 98 ? I guess you speak for yourself probably you do not have a ball (house in any of the two gated communities) on this game. Cheap talk. I wish them all the success in court! After all we all fight for the same goals; preservation of our safety, quality of life, value of our homes and the right to the pursue of happiness versus greed!
jim lang says
Can’t wait until economy starts to take a dive. How many storage places does this town need. Traffic getting worse by the day. Crimes getting worst. More angry people. WAS a nice town 10yrs ago. Three more years and I’m out of here.
Darlene Shelley says
Hey. Ho. Mayor and Council have got to go
Greg says
It’s time to stop the special zoning changes to permit these crazy builds. City council is too greedy for tax dollars. They are destroying Palm Coast one building permit at a time.
Flatsflyer says
The city has really a blind eye when it comes to even maintaining traffic and zoning, forget about improving things. The building along Old Kings and Town Center without infrastructure considerations just proves the elected idiots don’t care. How many people working at City Hall have not noticed the traffic when going to work or headed home? Hundreds of apartments, hundreds of new homes and you can’t make a left or right hand turn onto Town Center Blvd. I have seen over 20 cars backed up simply because of not having tur` lanes. In 2008 a study determined Old Kings needed to be widen and straightened, the City rather than do that spent over $50M on parks and many other nice to have things while totally ignoring things really needed. I think many people working for the city have proven the Peter Principle is alive, well and working in Palm Coast.
Bill C says
All of these projects fall into the “ugly monstrosity” category. I prefer the trees and open space, something of value to all, not just the developers’ greed.
Bill C says
ps and these projects create almost no or very low paying jobs.
Penny says
Really wish it would have been the Gate gas station ⛽. I’ve lived in Quail Hollow since 1998. No convenience for us. Basically Walgreens has become my convenience store, just dodge all the people buying cold medicines, hoping I don’t catch whatever they have.
Jenny says
Ruin the scenic drive to ocean, thanks palm Coast, this place will look like every other dive town soon, strip mall gas stations, hang outs. Im moving back north!
Gina Weiss says
AND while they are at it why don’t they just rip down the rest of the trees and whatever green spaces we have left so that the money hungry developers and their cronies can make this one hot paved living hell! Is it true that they are looking to do away with the public pools too? I know we only have 2 and one of them has cut the hours on its members. They should be building more public pools for a growing community, where are the amenities for our growing population, kids, teens, seniors???? Or is this all reserved for the 400,000-600,000 dollar homes. Is there a community center for our kids, teens, adults which have painting classes, computer learning, arts and crafts, dance classes, appears to me that one has to join some kind of a gym for yoga, dance class, aerobics, etc.
Alonzo says
Growth starts and stops. Why are people so angry, that doesn’t stop the growth of P.C. Don’t know why the complaints. I believe I know the group of people who are always complaining. Just saying. Life goes on.
Palmcoaster says
Alonzo we also know the county and city henchmen that try to silence us all as well. From you and them we always here nothing can be done but approve developers plans because is the right of the landowmers too. I heard before some like you that were against the Florida Park Drive complainers and now she is enduring the same in Cimarron and complaining herself. So never say I will not drink of this water as this fast growth is spreading like cancer without treatment and unforgiven to all including you.
Gina Weiss says
We all better get behind Jane Gentile Youd for this next FCBOCC election despite our disparities or else we will be getting 4 more years of this BS!
bob says
flight path gina, is jane g youd the broker that sold you your airport loving property? In case you do not understand, the government approving the storage is city not county
Gina Weiss says
bob : WOW you really have a distain for Jane don’t you, no she was not the one who sold me my property what kind of a question was that??? why do you take things out of context you just like drama but FYI its the numerous flight schools that your REPUBLICAN buddies invited in here who couldn’t give one flyin damn about our community or there neighbors who voted for them as they use our beautiful airport and communities as one big toxic waste dump cause they got kicked out of Volusia county. Again what does my local and our airport have to do with this article and endorsing Jane, you just don’t like her and can’t help your belligerence! By the way Heidi Petito and Roy are doing a wonderful job, I love working with them. Your disrespect for people shows by the way you address people’s names starting out with a small letter, but then again you even do it to yourself, therefore I shall consider the source it’s coming from.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
The City is part of the County.
Gina Weiss says
Jane: this person has nothing better to do than to stalk women, I’ve never heard him take on a male on here, in Italian we call him “a wash woman”.
bob says
county did not provide the permit, city action not county — and you’re running for a seat of the board
Gina Weiss says
Yes Jane is running “bob”, why are you so intimidated by Jane??? and she’s a damn good human being, very dedicated to us citizens of Flagler County which is more than we can say about you and your shaming of citizens. You are the product of what is all wrong when the wrong abusive officials get into office, the abusivness of their cronies who they hire, it’s a trickle down affect.
bob says
how many times a day did you trickle down the stairs in the multistory quonset huts in NY … i have held state and city elected office, not abusive nor intimidated or called a crony … whine, whine, whine
Gina Weiss says
oh look Jane, so the story unfolds now we know , he is an elected official or was, LMAO!, so you ARE intimidated by Jane. FIY the military, after the 2nd world war, built quonset huts to house our returning veterans. And there are many unhinged people in politics today who hold all kinds of positions so that’s not saying much about you, I mean just look at down here we have racist, homophobic, adulterous, posing as good Christians! I have seen you, yes you come on here time and time again to attack not only myself but also Jane, I certaintly wouldn’t call you a proper gentleman by any means, do you know how to use a capital letter for the first letter of someone’s name or is this your little sick disrespectful sarcasm which you use to to make people small and belittle them, you say you are not abusive and not intimidated yet when a person is endorsed for a elected position down here you mock and belittle. YOU sir, have a small mind, your full of hate for your neighbors, you even hate states. IDK to us you don’t sound so secure “bob” if that’s even your name, why don’t you show us your full name like we do instead of lerking in the shadows, what NO BALLS! Politics 101: Be a unifier not a divider of people despite their beliefs, there are ways to say things “bob” without all the drama and distain for your fellow human beings, in other words BE A DECENT HUMAN! And this is what we all are going to need for these next coming elections, people who have compassion and a love and respect for their communities and their people in it, people who are not sitting around just collecting a paycheck no matter how small it is. After what our neighbors and families have just been through these last 3 years, people have died, lost jobs and businesses. Do you have any compassion for people, stop being an island we are all in this together to better ourselves for a decent quality of life. No one is whining except for YOU “bob”.
palmcoaster says
Which Bob are you ? the one supposed to fly our EVAC chopper 24-7 for the taxes we overpaid to the FCBOCC and instead we only have it available during office hours? What is supposed that during its off time people ain’t supposed to hurt in accidents in I-95 or anywhere or other emergencies? What a joke are you and my taxes pay for you, so you can attack with innuendos from the shadows in these forums two or more exceptional ladies fighting here for us all? One running for office Jane, you got my vote! The other fighting like I do against the abuses from above by those pilot training arrogant instructors and students mostly foreign like the ones trained in FL by ER then flew to 9-11 right? If you as I guess are the Bob I think you are, you need to stop being the mouth piece for the ones that disserve us , while you are in the county payroll that we all have to over fund.
Darlene L Shelley says
Not all but the vast majority of local residents were opposed. 1049 signed the opposition petition. A few misguided neighbors actually believed that the developers created a “sound trap” when they proposed clear cutting 20 acres and arranging concrete buildings in a U shape. Pathetic. Go find an Industrial zoned parcel for your warehouses, a two lane narrow winding road with blind curves is not place for hundreds of additional RV , Boat, and moving truck traffic creating dangerous conditions, bringing crime, and lowering our home values.
Gina Weiss says
Darlene L Shelley: Oh yes the lies, cause they all lie, it’s all about the money! Imagine “concrete buildings in a U shape” I almost vomited in my mouth. Keep fighting!
Celia M Pugliese says
Darlene if you have 1.049 affected owners that signed up a petition and have already file a motion in court to stop the stotrage project, you may want to know also if each of them contribute $23 to a fund you then can hire the excellent http://www.theriaquelaw.com/?refPageViewId=6e17a40c756d09ae land development attorney Brent Spain thatt did an excellent work for Protect Palm Coast to save our Palm Harbor Golf Course from more housing development and 150 ft cell towers on it as well. Attorney Brent Spain was engaged by our brave, beloved community leader Lou Vitale that very sadly, we lost last week and whose memory will always be part of all of us neighbors benefitted by his actions around our Palm Habor Golf Course. Lou’s words then” We funding for our legal team. All checks are placed in the non-interest-bearing trust account at Theriaque & Spain. Send checks to the Tallahassee Office of “Theriaque & Spain” at 433 North Magnolia Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Note: Write “Theriaque & Spain” after “Pay To The Order Of “on each check”. My thoughts in our battles to preserve our quality of life, safety, the value of our homes and our right to the pursue of happines in this county is by unfortunately to “costly” organize this way, to fight those we elect to represent us and they renegade to do so once sitted.
Flatsflyer says
What we are seeing is years and years of Republican stranglehold on people. When was the last time any Republican did anything for people, They will jump through hoops and cause all kinds of damage as long as their rich friends keep providing bribes in the form of PACKS. Please tell me about what any Republican has done since “Ike” that was honest and above board. I’ll wait for your answer, but please remember I’m on the farside of 75.
Shark says
What? Not another pizza joint!!!!
Gina says
We find it stunning that certain people who are presently working in our county and communities in emergency situations
are so callous and disrepectful towards their fellow citizens in our communities. Just think about that!!!
Sherry says
@ Gina, Jane, Palmcoaster, Flatsflyer. . . Excellent Comments!
I just want to point out that “ole bob” doesn’t capitalize his own handle. . . LOL! That tells me everything about his own insecure views of his self worth. That coupled with his lame attempts at chauvinistic put downs says he is not worth one moment of the energy it takes you to type his “lower case” pseudonym.
Go Jane!
Gina Weiss says
Sherry: Thank you, it’s nice hearing from an intelligent well – centered person. I always appreciate your comments, very well written and informative, I always read them. Have a great day!
Darlene L Shelley says
Jane, Gina, and Sherry- Great job standing up for what is right. The vicious attacks and snarky comments against caring and concerned residents is appalling. I comment you all and support you in your efforts of resisting bullies, fighting corruption, and standing up for the residents of Palm Coast and Flagler County. Strong, smart women rock!
Gina Weiss says
Darlene L Shelley: We must also give thanks to Celia Pugliese who is a tireless fighter of corruption and stands up to these cowards and bullies!
Sherry says
Thanks so much Gina and Darlene!
I proudly wear a tee shirt that brilliantly says “EMPOWERED WOMEN . . . EMPOWER WOMEN”! That includes you all ladies. . . Jane, Celia, Gina, Darlene, Nancy and all the other women who bring their open minded compassion and educated intelligence to these discussions. Keep up the resistance to the hate filled, often chauvinistic, oppression that permeates our local society and political spaces.
Gina Weiss says
Sherry: We would like to buy those tees and wear them proudly too. This sounds be the beginnnng of something wonderful!
Sherry says
Deborah Coffey. . . my apologies for not mentioning your wonderful additions to important discussions here.
There are likely others I’ve missed. . . certainly Cheryl (of the amazing Flagerlive family) should be lauded for her behind the scenes contributions. Women Strong! Blessings and Hugs to You All!
Celia M Pugliese says
I do believe when government and other entities decisions affect or attemtps against our safety, quality of life our pursue of happines and the value of our homes we need to do something about it and united! Numbers and voices work as “if we do nothing, nothing will change for the better or improve” I received today by email the good communication of the city that the White View Parkway will remain a four lane (not as staged before to be reduced to two in a growing city) and the so called remodeling will be just adding turning lanes by reducing the center landscape on the intersections only and extending their sidewalk all the way of its lenght! That I feel will be less costly and maybe within the budget of the 1.6 million grant from the FDOT already assigned to materialize in July 2022. So we won one more battle, the preservation of our current beautiful four lane White View Parkway exactly like ITT envisioned on a growing city and built, probably planning to be another East West collector along Palm Coast Parkway one day. We fought for that since 2019…when former City Councilman opposed it as well and said : “It was not the highway that was the issue, not whatsoever, and you can’t fix stupid, which are the drivers that rear-end each other on that road,”