Developed by ITT Community Development Corporation (Levitt) in 1969, the original development plan encompassed 48,000 home sites on approximately 42,000 acres (17,000 ha) of the 68,000 acres (28,000 ha) owned by ITT. Paved streets and central water and sewer served all lots developed within the plan. An extensive water management system was designed to replenish the area's water table, which includes 46 miles (74 km) of freshwater canals and 23 miles (37 km) of saltwater canals. On October 29, 1970, ITT built Palm Coast's welcome center. This date is now celebrated as Founder's Day.[9]
In 1975, the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners established Palm Coast Service District, which included almost 40,000 acres (16,000 ha). Funds for the district were derived primarily from ad valorem taxes and were used to provide fire services, fire hydrants, street lighting, animal control and emergency services.
Florida had its first serious "wildland urban interface" fire in 1985 with the Palm Coast Fire, which burned 131 homes.[10] Research on this fire indicated that the most important factor was the proximity of heavy ground vegetation to the structures. Thirteen years later, fires struck the same Palm Coast subdivision. The 1998 fires were national news because the whole county was ordered to evacuate, and 45,000 people were displaced. Fire suppression organizations responded from 44 states, and Florida hosted the largest aerial suppression operation ever conducted in the United States. Because of the massive effort, only 71 homes were destroyed.[11]
In September 1999, the citizenry of Palm Coast voted by a margin of two to one to incorporate as a council/manager form of government. On December 31, 1999, the City of Palm Coast was officially incorporated. On October 1, 2000, all services were officially transferred from the former Service District to the city of Palm Coast. The five-member City Council is elected at large and serves staggered four-year terms. One member is elected as mayor. The promulgation and adoption of policy are the responsibility of the council and the execution of such policy is the responsibility of the council-appointed city manager. The city hired its first city manager on April 17, 2000.[citation needed]
The city provides a wide range of services including development services, fire services, street construction and maintenance, parks and recreational activities. Palm Coast contracts with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. As of 2012[update], the city has plans under way for a new city hall, a town center, new fire stations, and additional lands for parks. Preservation and protection of environmentally sensitive lands is a key goal of this city as it prepares for the future.
Interstate 95 crosses Palm Coast from north to south, with access from Exit 293 (Matanzas Woods Parkway), Exit 289 (Palm Coast Parkway), and Exit 284 (Florida State Road 100). U.S. Route 1 runs parallel to I-95 through the western side of Palm Coast, leading into Bunnell.
The area around Palm Coast last saw a direct hit from a tropical cyclone in 2004 when Hurricane Charley passed directly over the area.[14] Since 1851 when hurricane tracking data began, 33 hurricanes and tropical storms have directly affected the area.
As of 2012[update], industrial parks within the town house more than 30 mid-size businesses, with the largest one, the "Palm Coast Data" company, employing close to 1,000 people. Flagler County has had one of the highest rates of population growth in the United States since 1990, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census. However, the area was hit extremely hard by the housing bust's recession. In December 2009, it had the worst unemployment rate of the state of Florida's largest metropolitan areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate at that time was 16.9 percent.[17]
Local Government
Palm Coast is under a Council-Manager form of government, meaning its ordinances are considered by a City Council with the Mayor as the Chair. The Palm Coast City Council has five seats, four of which are for Council members elected to represent geographic districts, and one at-large seat for the Mayor. Registered voters from anywhere in the city can vote for each of the five Council seats. As of July 2023, the Palm Coast City Council is occupied by the following Council members:[18]
Mayor David Alfin
Vice Mayor Ed Danko (District 1)
Councilwoman Theresa Carli Pontieri (District 2)
Councilman Nicholas Klufas (District 3)
Councilwoman Cathy Heighter (District 4)
Klufas is the longest serving on the Council, having been elected in 2016.[19] Danko was elected in 2020,[20] Alfin was elected in 2021,[21] and Pontieri and Heighter were elected in 2022.[22] The Palm Coast City Council has a two-term limit instituted by the City Charter, with the exception of those members serving a partial term from a special election (as Alfin is). Those members may serve two four-year terms along with the duration of the partial term, as decided by the voters. Each current member of the Palm Coast City Council is a member of the Republican Party.
At the county level, Palm Coast is served by the Flagler Board of County Commissioners, Flagler School Board, and East Flagler Mosquito Control District.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 89,258 people, 33,264 households, and 24,478 families residing in the city.[26]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 75,180 people, 27,184 households, and 19,862 families residing in the city.[27]
2000 census
As of 2000, 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.68.
In 2000, the city's population was spread out, with 18.5% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 30.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $41,570, and the median income for a family was $45,818. Males had a median income of $31,976 versus $24,637 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,490. About 5.6% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
Languages
As of 2000, English spoken as a first language accounted for 87.66% of all residents, while 12.33% spoke other languages as their mother tongue. The most significant was Spanish speakers who made up 6.48% of the population, while German came up as the third most spoken language, which made up 1.18%, Italian was spoken by 1.02%, and Portuguese at 1.00% of the population.[28]
Noted issues
Pedestrian fatalities
On March 2, 2017, Michelle Taylor, a 16-year-old student of Matanzas High School was struck and killed by a car while walking home from school in an area with no sidewalks and few street lights.[29] In the following months, the people of the city petitioned to have more street lights and sidewalks installed throughout the entire city to reduce the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths. Students of Matanzas High School took charge of these efforts by creating committees and petitions to generate attention and pressure the local city council. Towards the end of 2016, Kevin Smith Jr, also a student of Matanzas, was injured in a hit and run under the same conditions.[30]
