Letters

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Does convenience override safety on Slow Way?

Dear Editor:

The street Slow Way is a 100-foot-long side road in southern Palm Coast that is being used as a shortcut by cars, trucks, large semi trucks, dump trucks and the like. I am told that using the shortcut saves about two minutes of driving time. I have observed the property damage and a car getting stuck while attempting to drive through the front yard of a home along Slow Way.

City staff is in favor of and has recommended closure of Slow Way for property preservation and safety issues.

However, at a recent council meeting, the City Council temporarily tabled the closure proposal to open better communication with the county.

Two questions were brought forward by council members concerning gating and closing the road: 1. Difficulty in turning large trucks around and 2. Emergency vehicle response time delay

As far as turning a large vehicle, why not work with the county to place signs at the beginning of the county road stating something to the effect of “Dead End,” “No Turn” and “Fine For Unauthorized Vehicle Entry.”

Then place the proposed gate partway down Slow Way so that trucks that ignore the sign can get out of the way. A phone number on the gate could connect the driver with non-emergency services or Palm Coast Code Enforcement to unlock and open the gate. The cost to open the gate could be the stated fine of $250 for example, and any property damage caused by the vehicle could also be charged to the driver. This would pay for the person to open the gate, any resulting damage and would be unlikely to happen more than once.

We have numerous gated communities around town. Some of them are unmanned at night and thus any responding emergency personnel must stop and open the gate. This delay is not unusual and apparently not an issue for the residents living in those gated communities. Therefore the delay issue is most likely minimal at best.

In my opinion, the turning issue and the delay issue are not insurmountable nor significant enough to ignore the staff identified property and safety concerns. City Council should immediately reconsider closing the road before another accident happens that causes serious injury or death.

ALAN LOWE Palm Coast

Editor’s Note: Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council.

Don’t wait to increase law enforcement

Dear Editor:

On a recent Saturday morning in the W-section, we heard what is becoming all too familiar: the sound of helicopter rotors assisting our Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. An armed felon was on the loose. (We should all demand, upon conviction, that the fine includes the huge expense incurred for this apprehension.)

Recently, this paper published an article detailing just three housing projects totaling approximately 1,800 homes. If 90% of homes have two people residing in them, that’s another 3,240 citizens. The average car ownership per a household is two, meaning an additional 3,600 vehicles on our streets.

This was only Palm Coast, not all of Flagler County. Nor, does it include homes or commercial buildings.

Government 101 would say: You must increase your law enforcement protection “in advance” of this building/ population boom. Imagine, simultaneous to the W-section manhunt, if a similar emergency arose on the opposite end of the county? Some, unfortunately, seem willing to “play the odds” against such an occurrence. Sheriff Rick Staly doesn’t have that luxury!

Please, hold off on pet million-dollar projects. Be proactive! Perform the preeminent responsibility of any elected official, which is the protection of its citizenry.

MARIS ALLEN TALLEY

Palm Coast

Too much traffic in Palm Coast

Dear Editor:

With all the new people moving into Palm Coast, the number of cars seems to have doubled. During the day, from Florida Park Drive to Pine Lakes Parkway, Palm Coast Parkway turns into a parking lot.

Old Kings Road is a mess! This roadwork should have been done when they redid the shopping plaza.

DENNIS C. RATHSAM

Palm Coast

Traffic signals need to be synchronized

Dear Editor:

You have to wonder if Mayor Milissa Holland actually drives in our city. She says they are working on signal timing at some intersections. That is equivalent to sewing up a scraped finger on someone mauled by a lion. Our traffic system needs major surgery. It is the worse in the Flagler/ Volusia area and has been the way now for 21 years and into the fifth year of her term as mayor. Having been here since 2005, I have seen no substantial improvement in 16 years. We all know that previous administrations had tried to take advantage of the seemingly random traffic signals and driver frustration with the bandit red-light cameras. But now it is way past time to get our house in order.

Traffic control is not rocket science, but it is science. There are cities, like Ocala, for instance, that do a great job of moving traffic through their town with synchronized and smart traffic signals. So it is doable and would put us a step up on the cities in Volusia who aren’t as bad as Palm Coast but aren’t good either.

A modern traffic control system would save gas, time, air pollution, and the nerves of residents and business users.

MIKE MCGUIRE

Palm Coast

Editor’s Note: The city of Palm Coast published the following in September 2020: “The city is looking to improve traffic flow at intersections throughout the city by changing how the signals operate. City staff is working with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit to make coordinated decisions that will make it easier for drivers and thus, improve safety.

“There are signals at two intersections that have recently been modified and now operate in sync with one another. Those intersections are Palm Coast Parkway and Cypress Point Parkway and Cypress Point Parkway at Cypress Edge Drive. For drivers turning left from Palm Coast Parkway to Cypress Point Parkway and then left again at Cypress Point Parkway at Cypress Edge Drive, the signal will be green at the same time. This way, both turn lanes are emptying out more efficiently with a lesser likelihood of backing up as often. Drivers also won’t have to wait as long to maneuver through both signal changes.

“After receiving a few work orders requesting staff find a better traffic flow, city traffic engineer Michael Grunewald, went to the area to check it out. This is familiar territory for Grunewald, who joined the city a year ago, and has more than 25 years of traffic engineering experience. His previous job was technical expert for a traffic signal controller distributor that covered 13 states and his role was solving traffic problems through solutions specifically with traffic signals.

“ ‘Since joining the city, I’m thrilled with the high quality of the traffic signal intersection design,’ said Grunewald. ‘We have all sorts of tools at our disposal to make slight changes to make the signals interact better with the driver.’ ...

“Look for more improvements in the future on Old Kings Road between Palm Coast Parkway and Kings Way traffic signals after the road widening project has completed. The team is also examining a possible new traffic signal coordination program for the length of Palm Coast Parkway.”

It’s premature to cancel mask mandate

Dear Editor:

What is wrong with Palm Coast? COVID is still out there, but now we have no more mask mandates. Many have not gotten the vaccine, or ever will. Then let’s now spend $5.75 million on a racquet center. The money would be better used elsewhere to improve this fast growing city. Vote them all out.

BARBARA ROYERE

Palm Coast

PALM COAST Observer

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Correction

A story in the May 6 edition stated that security guards escorted people out of the City Council meeting, but they were not the city’s security guards. They were law enforcement officers with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Send letters to editor@palmcoastobserver.com. Include first and last name, as well as city of residence. Editor may alter the letter for clarity and/ or length.