- March 10, 2025
As Flagler County officials determines its transportation project priorities for the next five years, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts asked them to shift their focus to work better with the city’s growth plans.
Mary Schoelzel, a special projects official for the Florida Department of Transportation, presented a tentative five-year work program for Flagler roadway projects, with projected design and construction dates in place, at Monday’s meeting of the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners.
Netts approached the County Commission during public comment and asked that it consider changes that he said would help the two governing bodies work together.
He suggested that Old Kings Road North and Palm Harbor Parkway be extended diagonally toward the forthcoming Matanzas Woods Parkway and I-95 Interchange, so that both roads met with North Old Kings Road behind Matanzas High School.
Netts said this would be better than running traffic from Old Kings Road North in front of Matanzas High school because it would save drivers from the school zone speed limits, moderate the flow of traffic and facilitate access to the interchange.
The mayor’s second request was that the county move Old Kings Road expansion projects higher on its priority list. Rather than spending money to design a Matanzas Woods Parkway widening, Netts said, it would be more beneficial to traffic to finish the extension of Old Kings Road as soon as possible.
Netts said he hoped this extension could happen at the same time as the Matanzas Parkway interchange, which is funded for 2013.
“I suggest that we shift funding from (widening) Matanzas Woods Parkway to Old Kings Road,” Netts said, adding that while Matanzas Woods Parkway will one day need to be widened as well, Old Kings Road is more frequently used.
And since the design for the Old Kings Road extension is already complete, said Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon, the next phase is construction. In contrast, the Matanzas Woods Parkway project sill needed its design to be funded and completed.
“We’re trying to make sure we don’t have funding go to other projects that slow down these priorities,” Landon said. “We’re asking for your support with that.”
The County Commission expressed favor of this change.
“I think you have that support,” Commissioner Nate McLaughlin said.
