A special workshop meeting was held on March 7th, 2025 at Palm Coast City Hall to discuss the 2050 comprehensive plan. During the presentation, city staff, Jose Papa and Trey Tyner, spoke about the comprehensive plan and asked the city council for direction. This plan outlines the direction for development for the city moving forward. According to staff, the projected population for Palm Coast in 2050 is roughly 158,000, an increase of roughly 63,000 people over our current population, with roughly an additional 17,000 housing units in the city.
The presentation also spoke to issues the public believes need to be addressed, such as infrastructure, quality of life, quality parks and open space, and a more walkable community. The westward expansion was also addressed in the meeting. Currently, the zoning for that land is still designated low density, and if the developer wishes to change that, they would have to apply for zoning changes. Should the council adopt the new land map, that process would be easier, however, should the council keep the old land map from 2035 that is current, that process would be more difficult. This is since higher density would not be as consistent with the 2035 land map and comprehensive plan, but if council adopts the 2050 map and comp plan, the higher density would be more consistent with the plan.
Staff advised council to amend the PMMU, and other aspects of the comp plan, so that it fits in line with the vision the current council has for the city’s growth in the future. Pontieri stated that currently there is alot of obligation for the land owner that the city is either trying to fund itself or it has received grant money for, and that changing the PMMU, and the land use should happen but it should be changed to benefit the city, while addressing the concerns from the state. Pontieri continued stating the city’s need for industrial and commercial development, and that moving west it needs to be balanced out to benefit the city and current residents. The overall residential density currently for the developments within the Westward expansion is 1.2 dwelling units per acre. Fifty percent of the lands are set aside to be recreation and open space, and a minimum of 50 square feet of retail and service space per dwelling unit with the PMU, to be found in a regional activity center, village center or neighborhood center. There is also to be a 60 square feet of office/industrial space within the regional activity center, and an employment center. Consensus was provided to remove a portion of the policy that allowed for the 50% of recreational or open space to be commercial. When the developer comes to the city to negotiate their MPD and agreements, many of these issues can be honed further, adding more details and requirements that the developer would need to fill.
During discussion from the city council, Mayor Norris questioned how many lots are in line to be built and connected to the Utilities. Chief of Staff DeLorenzo stated it was roughly 19,000 homes in the pipeline, which includes ITT lots and Developments that have been approved. Norris then asked if the two bonds the city is attempting to get would be enough to support the growth needed to bring those 19,000 homes online, to which DeLorenzo answered no. This discussion was in line with the previous presentation at the March 4th meeting regarding the Utility needs for the City and its infrastructure. Norris explained that he would not support the increase and bonds unless there was a building moratorium on residential housing. He continued saying that when he proposes this moratorium, it will state an uncertain date. This topic will be further discussed at the March 18th business meeting when the second read for the utility ordinance will be on the agenda.
