City Council delays decision on Slow Way road closure

Palm Coast Observer
News

For the second time, the Palm Coast City Council has delayed a final decision on whether or not to close a small road that links a residential S-Section neighborhood to County Road 325.

BY THE NUMBERS

3.8
acres: The size of Airport Commons, a commercial development near the county airport that the city annexed from the county in January and, at its April 20 meeting, assigned the city of Palm Coast Future Land Use Map designation of "mixed use" and a zoning designation of "general commercial."

$1.58 million
Florida Department of Transportation grant for renovations at the Lehigh Trailhead, including a parking lot, restrooms, sidewalks, a water fountain, a bike rack, drainage and landscaping improvements, and — if there is sufficient money leftover to cover them — a dog park and community garden . The city of Palm Coast will provide a 10% match.

$114,705
Annual cost to add two new deputies for patrol in the city of Palm Coast. The city is paying $95,588 to add the two deputies for five months of the 2021 fiscal year, and will pay the full amount starting in fiscal year 2022. There will be a contractual increase of 5% annually for each deputy.

The city had voted on Feb. 16 in favor of an ordinance to close the road, known as Slow Way, finding that aggressive drivers who used the road as a cut-through endangered nearby residents. Area residents who supported a closure had complained of heavy traffic, including commercial vehicles, that repeatedly knocked down a stop sign on the road and tore deep ruts in the corners of properties abutting the road's intersections.

But ordinances require two City Council votes, and after the first one, many local residents showed up at council meetings and said they would be inconvenienced if the road closed, prompting the council to ask city staff to investigate further and report back.

Apartment complex gains city approval

A proposed 300-unit, nine-building apartment complex called Pointe Grand received the City Council's approval April 20 in a 3-2 vote.

Mayor Milissa Holland and council members Ed Danko and Nick Klufas voted in favor of the apartment complex, while council members Eddie Branquinho and Victor Barbosa voted against.

The council's role was limited to finding whether or not the proposed development met the requirements of the city's comprehensive plan. The land, 157.67 acres on the northwestern side of Pine Lakes Parkway about halfway between Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway, had been zoned for multifamily development since before the city's incorporation in 1999.

Branquinho said he objected to the proposed development because of its density, but City Attorney Bill Reischmann said the development's density was outside of the council's purview.

"We are not allowed to take back the vested rights that this property owner has today with regard to density," Reischmann said. "... We are only talking about whether the specific arrangement of the density on this site meets our code. ... The competent, substantial evidence supports a finding that the application has met the legal standard."

Clerk of Courts Office to sign on to city fiber

The Flagler County Clerk of Courts office is entering an agreement with the city of Palm Coast to use the city's fiber network, called FiberNet.

The city already provides fiber to other government bodies, including the Flagler Schools and the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, and had been looking to expand by offering fiber to other government entities.

City staff did so, and the city's traffic engineer gave a presentation to the City Council at its April 20 meeting.

But council members weren't satisfied: The presentation looked at just two options — closing the road or leaving it as-is — but not at possibilities like adding signage or working with the county to come up with a solution.

Mayor Milissa Holland said she'd like to see the city check with the county about what the county government may be willing to do, since C.R. 325 is a county road.

"That’s just not been done, so to sit here today and say we’re going to take action and then go to the county and see what they’re able to do or willing to do puts us in a very awkward position," Holland said. "I’m very uncomfortable moving forward."

Councilman Eddie Branquinho was concerned that closing Slow Way would leave drivers on County Road 325 with no easy exit, since the road dead-ends without a cul-de-sac or turn-around. He said he'd spent a half hour on Slow Way to check the traffic, and saw only one car.

Councilman Nick Klufas also worried about the likelihood of a large vehicle getting itself stuck on C.R. 325 if they can't exit on Slow Way, but also about the possibility of someone being struck by a reckless driver.

"That weighs heavily on me, because it’s really just a comparison of the inconvenience that this creates versus potentially saving someone’s life," Klufas said.

Councilman Ed Danko said he supported a closure.

"I have concerns, like Councilman Klufas, that we’re looking at an inconvenience versus a possible injury or death," Danko said.

Councilman Victor Barbosa proposed tabling the proposed closure and having city staff investigate more options, including working with the county.

The council voted unanimously to table it.