City faces opposition over Palm Harbor Golf Club proposal

Palm Coast Observer
News

To Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton, the potential deal is an opportunity for the city. But some residents are not in favor of the city’s proposal to take over the Palm Coast marina and the driving range at the Palm Harbor Golf Club in exchange for letting the developer who currently owns those parcels build condo units nearby.

“City staff’s intent from the beginning of this process has been to protect the amenity of the Palm Harbor Golf Course.”

— MATT MORTON, Palm Coast city manager

Currently, developer Jim Jacoby owns the golf course’s driving range and the marina, while the city owns most of the golf club, and has been leasing the driving range from Jacoby.

If the city takes over the driving range and marina, Jacoby would then build fewer condos than had once been proposed near the golf course.

Morton has said the redevelopment of the golf club and the marina could usher in the “second golden age of Palm Coast.”

But some residents have opposed the proposal to allow condos.

One resident, William Velich, said he’s a founding member of a new organization, “Protect Palm Coast,” formed in response to what he referred to as the city’s lack of transparency regarding the golf course proposal.

City seeks new Planning Board members

Palm Coast is seeking new members for its Planning and Land Development Regulation Board for the term which ends in September 2020, according to the city website, www.palmcoastgov.com.

The Planning and Land Development Regulation Board generally meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month at City Hall in Town Center.

The board's responsibilities include recommending land development regulations to the City Council and reviewing land development regulations or amendments.

Applicants must be city of Palm Coast residents who are registered to vote in Flagler County. To apply, visit www.palmcoastgov.com or contact the City Clerk’s Office at 160 Lake Avenue, 386-986-3713 or e-mail [email protected]

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Velich said he’s been passing out flyers at the golf course to tell golfers about the development proposal, which he said he believes would be a first step in selling off the course to developers. The city’s documents state that the plan is to maintain the golf course’s current operations.

“This issue has been a long time in the making, but city staff’s intent from the beginning of this process has been to protect the amenity of the Palm Harbor Golf Course,” Morton said. “That means acquiring the driving range. We value our amenities as a city and are going to do the right thing by our citizens. This project must align with our goal to protect the amenity as well as enhance quality of life for this community.”