- November 23, 2024
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Keep the pressure up against a new City Hall at Town Center
Dear Editor:
As predicted by City Councilman Bill McGuire, the incessant and annual trial-balloon talk of a new City Hall has unleashed a fury of negative comments by angry Palm Coast citizens. This time, a “gang of six,” led by former Mayor James — rhymes with Centex — Canfield, is recommending that the city move forward with another ‘new’ City Hall plan. These people just don’t give up, do they?
Mr. Canfield stated that the six former elected members have a combined 34 years of service to the city. That may be true but they sure as heck don’t understand the meaning of “no” by their former constituents. They don’t understand that it is the citizens who pay for such a facility. They don’t understand that it is the citizens who decide exactly where such a potential new facility would be built — and when.
All they know is that their insider buddies want it so it’s their job to give the citizens oral gratification in support of same hoping that maybe this time, the idea will stick.
Current Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts was quoted in 2012 as saying the citizens would “hate him” for saying that a new City Hall will be built sooner or later. Mr. Mayor, you were correct. It’s time for you to go for failing to understand the will of the citizens of this fine city. You don’t get it. We said no!
Newer Palm Coast citizens may not be aware of the highly contested new City Hall election issue that the citizens voted down by a super majority of 82% of voters in 2005. We dubbed it the Taj Mahal because it would be built of glass (in hurricane country), cost $22 million and give the former city manager, Dick Kelton, a gigantic office larger than my home.
When the original new City Hall idea was soundly voted down, the city then suddenly realized it could build a suitable new City Hall for only $10 million and sent the new city manager, James Landon, around in 2010 with a slide show showing how it could be paid for and how the city would be legally allowed to do it without the vote of the citizens. Most of the money would come from the Community Redevelopment Area fund … which has no money in it, only IOUs! It was a Ponzi scheme.
And this citizen sadly remembers the huge City Council meeting led by Mr. Canfield held in the auditorium of the Flagler Palm Coast High School when the decision to go ahead with allowing Centex to destroy the wonderful original Palm Coast resort was decided. Mr. Canfield was warned that the economy could flop, and it did. So who is he to be pontificating to the citizens now? He didn’t lead then, and he isn’t leading now.
Unless and until former Mayor Canfield et al rebuild the original Palm Coast resort and start talking of buying or building a City Hall on Palm Coast Parkway — you know, the long planned north-south center of Palm Coast — the answer will continue to be no.
Town Center is not the geographical center of Palm Coast. Just because you hijacked the name off the road leading into the old Town Center shopping center doesn’t mean that empty area on the south side of our town is the center. It isn't.
It’s time for new leadership in the city of Palm Coast who will listen to its constituents and start leading versus jamming their will down our throats.
Don’t you "leaders" dare try to build a new City Hall without a vote of the citizens.
Larry Stencel
Palm Coast
Red light cameras give Palm Coast a bad name
Dear Editor:
If, when I first drove into Palm Coast 25 years ago, I had received a ticket from a red light camera and the citation was mailed to my home state, I would never have settled here.
So, business leaders, remember that your city may get a reputation as a place not to visit. It falls into the old speed trap towns that AAA would put on their lists to avoid. Why this city needs 43 red light cameras is beyond comprehension. Of course, anyone who speeds through an intersection seconds after the light turns red needs a ticket, but cameras are after the fact; they would not protect you from an accident.
Its a $158 fine, of which both the state and the red light camera company gets a big bite. According to the Palm Coast Observer, about 3,000 camera flashes occur each week. The time spent to review each flash is an added expense to the dollars the city receives. So the amount that the city clears is questionable. I would guess about eight people make their living processing these cameras.
Ed Holmes
Palm Coast
If you drive the speed limit, you don't have to worry about the cameras
Dear Editor:
Here is yet another letter concerning the red light cameras. It appears that the only people opposing are the speeders who run red lights. I drive at the posted speed limit, which results in the following rewards:
I use less gas. My Blazer weighs 4,300 pounds with me in it, and I managed to get 104,000 miles on my front brakes and 117,000 on the rears. Oh, by the way, the same goes for the tires. I also never got a speeding ticket and never had an accident in 48 years of driving.
Most of the people that fly past me end up waiting at the red light. By the time I get there, the light turns green and I pass them, never having used my brakes. As one reader said: Life is too short; slow down and enjoy it!
On another note, my wife and I often drive to Flagler Beach in the afternoon to walk by the beach and have a snack at one of the local eateries. We usually park on Second Street by the museum. The last three times we were there, we noticed three parking stalls designated for half-hour parking only. All were empty on each visit.
I don't know any activity that can be done in half an hour, as it takes 10 minutes to cross A1A, five minutes each direction. The fact that those parking spaces are empty for each visit leads me to believe this was a mistake on someone’s part.
Anthony Sciotto
Palm Coast
Trees along Palm Coast Parkway should not be removed
Dear Editor:
Our beloved Palm Harbor Shopping Center is about to be torn down. The trees are already banded for surveying.
I doubt that many know that Palm Coast Parkway is also about to be widened from Florida Park, and heading west, past Palm Harbor Shopping Center and that nearly 400 of those beautiful trees are scheduled to come down. The mayor has promised to replant, but they will not be mature trees like the beautiful canopy we have now. It will take them 30 years to grow as large. And if the shopping center is scheduled to be torn down, they may never be replanted at all.
Why must we suddenly be looking at concrete and big development in the only beautiful part of the city which remains? Once again, the developers win.
Linda Hansen
Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: The city’s plan is to remove 395 trees and plant 458. No tree with a diameter of 36 inches or greater will be touched. Fourteen “specimen trees” (up to 24 inches in diameter, depending on the species) will be removed, with 40 trees of similar diameter planted in their stead.
