Recently, City Council member Theresa Pontieri called for a residential home building moratorium in Palm Coast for at least 90 days. While there are instances where standing water affects some homeowners, there have been no reports of homes flooding and creating emergency situations. Her demand to shut down Palm Coast’s number one economic engine was influenced by a few. Despite the request of four other Council members to immediately work on solutions, Pontieri plowed forward with her attempt to shut down the local building industry.
Recognizing that standing water on some properties is a problem, the Homebuilders Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and other experts pled with Pontieri not to impose a moratorium and offered their respective expertise to help the community address this issue. She declined the experts’ offers and made a motion to impose a moratorium on building new homes in Palm Coast. All of the City’s Council members rejected her motion (https://www.observerlocalnews.com/news/2024/jan/16/palm-coast-says-no-to-moratorium-creates-citizen-advisory-committee/). Obviously, the other Council members recognized the damage that her extreme action would have on families, jobs, and businesses. Notwithstanding their decision, Pontieri continued to force her opinion on the Council but to no avail.
In the end, Mayor Alfin, and Council members Danko, Klufas, and Heighter formulated an agreement directing staff to immediately implement Staff’s proposed solutions and create a citizen task force to formulate a deeper, more robust solution that could be implemented in perpetuity. Mrs. Pontieri’s response to the Council’s consensus was that it was “misguided”, and she again demanded a moratorium.
Once again, Mrs. Pontieri failed to collaborate with her council members to mutually find solutions to real problems. In fact, Mrs. Pontieri once again put forth mistaken facts and conclusions to support her arguments. For example, she refused to acknowledge that the City and the Homebuilders had met for more than three months formulating a fix to this problem. Her failure to provide the community with all the facts has happened before: (article can be viewed here).
In conclusion, the other four City Council members debated the matter, involved the homeowners, and listened to our business community before coming to a well-thought-out conclusion. In the words of Vice Mayor Danko and Mayor Alfin, this should be an ongoing evaluation with the intent to protect property owners, our local businesses, and the families that are employed by them.
Don’t know who wrote this but it would help to understand the perspective of the writer. There are competing interests here- interests other than those of the homeowners who have been thrust into a situation they did not ask for, were not warned about prior to the onslaught of the water and who have faced resistance early on from the very people who are paid to PROTECT the interests of the people who dutifully pay their taxes and maintain their own property. Call me sceptical of how this is being handled. The ONLY acceptable outcome is for the city to correct the mistakes that led to this debacle plus correct the fallout of their mistakes. There can be no doubt that the city is liable.
I am posting my name and email even though the author’s name and contact info is nowhere to be found.
I will never support putting innocent people out of work just to pretend we are solving a problem. City staff presented technical changes to prevent this problem in the future, and I presented a solution to help us aid homeowners who have been victims of the past. The council agreed with my solution, and rejected Pontieri‘s building moratorium. I am confident that with the help of citizens, the business community, and our Homebuilders Association, we will solve this problem working together. As I said at counsel, you’re either part of the solution or you’re part of the problem. Grandstanding by councilwoman Pontieri is part of the problem.
Words coming from the biggest grand stander in Flagler County.
Ed,
This so called grandstanding is necessary to get your attention. You and the rest of the council don’t seem to understand than you all work for us. How many times does someone have to tell you folks?
I can hardly believe that such a short term moratorium would disrupt things as much as described in this
fantom writing. Lots of exagerating, If the builders aren’t allowed to build on infill lots only, and it will cause all of these disruptions, there are much bigger problems. Building is booming!!! Let’s not forget the folks who have problems from this flooding. Incompetence is throughout Palm Coast Government. At Least Pontieri is working hard to learn. Your are leaving.
We need solutions….. What we’ve seen is a city council that can’t come up with any.
I thought you were honestly working to help us, not like Victor who is clueless and only for himself and his buddies!
Thanks for nothing.
Bryan Boutot
23 Lamar Ln.
Palm Coast since 1989
If our building industry is SO fragile as to not be able to endure a 45 day pause in UNPERMITTED UNFILL LOTS, we have bigger problems here! We cannot survive as a city taxing citizens and over building to support our cities growth. We need industry to come back, as was planned in US1. Now it’s been refined for homes. So much for the master plan