- May 1, 2024
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Why a park at Matanzas is not be a good idea
The idea of a regional park that winds its way along the current Matanzas Woods Golf Course brings with it more problems than it solves. Please look at the athletic fields near the schools or the great fields off Belle Terre Parkway and tell me how you fit those fields onto a fairway or fairways with extremely limited access.
Where would you put the parking? Where would you put the restrooms? What sort of park are we talking about?
Golfers go away when the sun goes down. Will these parks remain open into the night? What about security? This is the proverbial camel’s nose in the tent. Once we go down the path of not maintaining the course, we are letting a lot of potentially bigger problems come in. Are my neighbors who are in favor of a park willing to have a lot of noise in the neighborhood? Are you ready for lots of intrusive light at night? Are you ready for potentially less security and more cars driving around the streets? Please explain to me how this is better than the status quo.
We are not obligated to help any developer get rid of the golf course because it would make it easer for them to build and put more traffic on our streets.
A lot of us moved onto this course for the golf and the privacy of not having anything built behind our lot; having a little breathing room and some open land was all part of the deal. Just for the record, there is a provision in the plan for designated green belt areas (including the golf course) mandating that anyone with a golf course view cannot have that view removed or destroyed. How can a builder or the city take away our view of the golf course without violating this provision?
Someday, it may be viable to reopen the course. Until then, let’s pursue a course that holds the current owners accountable to maintain the course like they are supposed to, including the addition of a chain link fence around the old clubhouse area, and let’s wait until a plan comes along that does not include destroying the golf course to help bail out a bad business decision made several years ago.
We risk changing the very fabric of this unique area by giving up all this open land. There is already a park site that is in the master plan for the Matanzas Woods area. Let’s develop that park site and some sidewalks before we destroy the golf course.
Richard Acheson
Palm Coast
Tornado volunteers show the best in Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
Words cannot express my gratitude to the volunteers who came out in support of the many homeowners on Bannbury Lane who suffered damage as a result of Saturday’s tornado.
Most of the volunteers were young, college-aged students who donated their time to the huge cleanup effort. Neighbors helping neighbors!
My 84-year-old father was affected and could not have taken on the task alone.
We must acknowledge and applaud these caring citizens for their community-conscious actions in the wake of a disaster.
Thank you to the Red Cross for providing support to anyone in need. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office was also on the scene to assist if necessary.
The spirit of the Palm Coast community was never more evident than it was that day. Heartfelt thanks, and happy holidays!
Linda Sharpe Haywood
Palm Coast
Tornado reveals dangers in urban forestry laws
Dear Editor:
It appears as though a good deal of damage from the recent tornado was caused by falling and/or snapped trees. Therefore, I think it’s the appropriate time to point out folly in Palm Coast’s urban forestry laws.
The tree inspector at my home this past summer said I was not allowed to remove trees that are on an adjacent undeveloped lot, no matter how close to the property line they may be or how much of a potential hazard they pose to my residence.
Given recent events, I believe the city should consider revising these laws. My opinion is that if a certain tree could strike a home, removal should be legal no matter on what side of the property line it lies. Recent events have proven that these tall, lanky pines are no match for even the weakest of tornadoes. Imagine the damage from a larger tornado or a direct hurricane strike. A lot of this potential damage could be averted if Palm Coast changes the current laws and allows more aggressive removal of potential hazard trees, regardless of who owns the land they are on.
Andrew Hitchcock
Palm Coast
