LETTERS: Opposition to Green Lion lease shows some City Council members are 'anti-business'

Here's what your neighbors are talking about.


  • By
  • | 11:52 a.m. February 15, 2022
The Green Lion's lease is up for renewal, at the Palm Harbor Golf Course. Photo by Brian McMillan
The Green Lion's lease is up for renewal, at the Palm Harbor Golf Course. Photo by Brian McMillan
  • Palm Coast Observer
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City Council ‘leaders’ are anti-business

Dear Editor:

I have been a very loyal and frequent diner at the Green Lion restaurant since the first month they began operating at the city-owned Palm Harbor Golf Course, and I have to say it is without a doubt one of Palm Coast's best restaurants.

After the owners of the Golden Lion in Flagler Beach took a huge gamble and sunk $100,000 of their hard-earned money into the empty space at the golf course that the city was looking to lease out, they became successful due to their experience in running an already established, successful restaurant on the beachside of Flagler County, and over the years have gained a loyal following.

The Marlow family and the staff at the Green Lion have done nothing wrong and are so undeserving of the demeaning and hurtful comments and childish attitudes from some of our current City Council members. If they are questioning the so-called "sweetheart deal" that the city entered into with the restaurant owners five years ago and are upset at the agreed lease terms, why in the world are they airing this so publicly and making it look like the Marlow family is a bunch of grifters who took advantage of city taxpayers?

The city wanted that hole in the wall space leased, and set the terms, so City Council should be voicing their concerns out of the ears of the public, and only with the city staff responsible for such lease terms, so there is an understanding of what is expected going forward. Quit stomping your feet, yelling in public and making idiots of yourselves, because that is what children do and get put in a corner to pout.

I am so disgusted with the antics of some of our local elected “leaders.” We will remember how terrible you are, how anti-business you are, and what absolutely dismal City Council members you are being come the next election!

Dave Gray

Palm Coast

 

City Council is needlessly punishing the Green Lion

Dear Editor:

I have a very hard time understanding the vision the Palm Coast City Council has for our community. While I agree the owners of the city's Green Lion Cafe have had a sweet deal, they deserve some credit. All the research I have done shows the golf course was losing money, and it appears to me that renting it to the Green Lion for $600 a month says they had no takers. The owners came in, taking a risk, built up a business, made improvements and helped to increased golf revenue. There is no guarantee that anyone new coming in will be as successful as the Green Lion. 

So what does the council do? Punish them. 

How sad this city is run.

Jo Andrews

Palm Coast

 

Why criticize a successful Green Lion?

Dear Editor:

The City Council has criticized the contract with Green Lion, and it has also been guilty of sloppy management in having to extend the WastePro contract for another year at a substantial increase to individual customers.

Let's compare the two. The first instance has a company enter into a contract for a business that is going nowhere, invests $100,000 of its own money and turns the restaurant and the golf course into a profit maker. The second instance is a contract with a company with some nefarious history that drove every small entrepreneur in the waste industry in New York out of business. 

The first yields nothing but scorn from the government of Palm Coast. The second receives an increase in income for less service. 

How about an explanation of the disparity from our elected officials? 

Lawrence L. Amaturo

Palm Coast

 

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