Residents raise airport noise, rail fuel-safety concerns; public speaker asks for records on code fines

During the public‑comment portion of the Palm Coast special workshop, two residents raised separate concerns: aircraft noise from nearby flight training operations and safety questions about a proposed fuel storage facility to be served by freight trains.

Chantal Pininga, a resident who said she lives near the airport, asked whether the city could require flight training activity to avoid residential overflights. “If we can't get rid of the flight school, can we at least have them fly away from residential areas? Like, over the ocean?” she asked. Mayor Norris responded that the airport is a county facility and that the city does not control flight paths at altitude, telling Pininga, “The airport is a county entity, ma'am. We have no control over it.”

Pininga also asked about a planned fuel storage project referred to in the meeting as the Belvedere Terminal fuel facility and whether fuel would arrive by train; she expressed concern about past derailments and fires and asked the council to consider safety when evaluating related approvals.

Later in the public‑comment period, Gary Kunis identified himself as a Canal Patrol volunteer and said he had submitted evidence about two local code‑enforcement fines. Kunis told the council he had recorded cases and that one homeowner had been fined $1,600 and another small business owner $6,000 for violations the speaker characterized as not visible from the street; Kunis asked the council to provide public records related to those enforcement actions and any board hearings. Council members acknowledged the request and asked staff to provide public records for review.

Council members and staff did not take formal action in response to the comments during the workshop. Mayor Norris and other council members reiterated the limits of city authority over airport operations and referred requests about code cases to the public‑records process.