The Palm Coast City Council voted to approve a new Super Walmart and tabled two major housing rezonings during a lengthy business meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. at City Hall with all five members in attendance, including Council Member Gambaro joining by video conference.
Public comment
Residents urged the council to ban “toilet to tap” water reuse and spreading treated sewage sludge, stating concerns about health. Mark Stancil wanted to know if the city’s rebranded code enforcement department, “community compliance,” will be more proactive.
Palm Coast City Council Candidate Jeanie Duarte again urged the council to table its votes for development, arguing that two of the council seats were appointed and in dispute after the primary election, and that elected candidate Ray Stevens should have been seated. She asked the council to “protect the public” and the public trust.
Palm Coast Cit Council Candidate Darlene Shelley said water and sewer bills have increased more than 30% over the last few years as the city works to upgrade its aging plant due to a state order and to accommodate new growth. “Growth must pay its fair share in real time,” she said, and asked for earlier notification to the public about upcoming developments.
Another resident complained about rainwater infiltrating sewer caps and raised the trespass warning again. Mike Martin, commissioner for the East Flagler Mosquito Control District, explained that it is state law to only spray when trap counts reach a minimum amount, which has been difficult this dry year. “If we’re not spraying, it’s because we don’t have the trap numbers,” he said.
City staff and the council responded with information that the city will place a ban on “toilet to tap” water on Sept. 15, and that changes to code for land use will require council approval.
Consent items
The council unanimously passed the minutes and two consent items. One allowed employees to transition training and evaluations to a new software program called NeoGov, which staff said will save the city 18,000 the first year. Residents and City Council Candidates Shelley and Tony Amaral questioned the costs of the contract.
The second, pulled for discussion, approved a 5,000 grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) for the annual Palm Coast Waterway Cleanup. Staff said it will be the 19th annual event and it will be Sept. 19. More than 250 volunteers removed over a ton of trash last year. Both items were passed unanimously.
Super Walmart vote
The council unanimously passed a technical site plan and road cost agreement for “Flagler Landings,” a 186,276 square foot Super Walmart project on just under 38.8 acres on the south side of State Road 100, west of BJ’s. It will include nearly 890 parking spaces and a future fuel station and other stores will be built with separate applications. The Planning Board had recommended approval.
Staff noted that this is the city’s first “proportionate share” agreement, which is used when a project would take a road over its accepted capacity level. The total road impact was set at about 9 million with the city responsible for 48 percent, or 4.1 million. Since Walmart is already paying large impact fees (nearly 4.6 million), staff said they expect them to pay that amount upfront and it will be used to eventually widen State Road 100 to six lanes. The developer will build additional road improvements requested by the state and forfeited unused housing rights on the site.
Vice Mayor Pontieri questioned potential parking issues in the future and the state traffic plan for an already busy area. During public comment, Shelley argued that the deal was “not mitigation” but “a paper transaction” and that the road is over capacity. Amaral questioned road capacity and environmental permits. The developer’s attorney, Jay Livingston, said the project would bring jobs from construction to permanent and offered to build a backup wastewater plant if the city ever runs out of capacity.
The council also approved a 102,520 nuisance abatement assessment and the annual assessment roll for the Old Kings Road Special Assessment District.
Lakeview Estates rezoning
The council tabled two ordinances for the former Lakeview Estates golf course in the L Section, which was once an Arnold Palmer course. It would move 39 remaining home sites to larger lots with RV garages, allow up to just over 250,000 square feet of commercial on one tract and donate land for a future park and stormwater ponds. The Planning Board had recommended approval of the land use change and denial of the master plan amendment, saying it was within the rules to protect the neighbors’ view.
Vice Mayor Pontieri sought a cap on the size of the commercial build, stronger view protection buffers and the rest of the land placed in conservation. Others, including Duarte, questioned why the city administration waived a traffic study after staff spent a year trying to secure one. The council voted 4-1 to table the items until Sept. 15, with Mayor Norris voting no.
Seminole Woods Trace rezonings
The council also tabled two ordinances for “Seminole Woods Trace,” a 331-acre property off Seminole Woods Boulevard. It would increase the maximum housing from 416 to 743 homes, rezone the land to a master planned development and add townhomes. Staff raised concerns about reducing open space from 40 percent to 20 percent and the narrow width of townhome spaces and driveways. The Planning Board recommended denial.
Many residents opposed the rezoning, saying the council had capped the site at 416 homes years ago. Some residents mentioned traffic, flooding, wildlife and privacy concerns with the two-story townhomes. One resident said he was amazed by a car pulling into his street in an intersection that does not yet have a turn lane. Donna Stancil said, “The city needs to be listening to the land development board.” Another resident asked, “When does it stop?”
The applicant said he felt “caught a little blind” by the staff request for a stronger public benefit and was willing to discuss further. Council members said they could not support the rezoning in its current form and tabled both ordinances for three months to allow the developer and city staff time to work out changes.
Other business
In closing items, the council agreed to draft a corrective waste hauler ordinance to address unintended consequences for small businesses, and to study widening the Town Center business incentive grant to other commercial corridor. Staff provided an update on saltwater canal dredging, saying design and permitting funding has been secured and 500,000 will be available as a potential grant match.
Council Member Sullivan said an attempt to use the Public Works Department for animal control will most likely not work, and staff will study a site near Fire Station 26. The city manager said the Sept. 8 workshop does not have a quorum, so three items will move over to the Sept. 15 meeting.
Council members discussed the 9/11 remembrance events on the 25th anniversary, including a stair climb at Hammock Beach and a candlelight vigil at Heroes Memorial Park.
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