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Palm Coast council approves $675,000 design work order for Town Center Boulevard improvements
Summary
The City Council unanimously approved a $675,000 work order to design a four‑lane widening of Town Center Boulevard, modernization of roundabouts and a new Royal Palms roundabout; funding will come from the Town Center CRA and staff also received authorization to proceed with about $15,000 in short‑term safety fixes.
The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved a $675,000 work order for design services to study and plan improvements along Town Center Boulevard, including converting portions of the roadway from two to four lanes and designing a roundabout at Royal Palms Parkway.
Traffic engineer Sean Costello presented the proposal, saying the corridor experiences regular congestion during school pickup and drop‑off and at key intersections. "The best, most efficient way to take care of everything would be to widen the roadway out there from 2 to 4 lanes, from North of Central Avenue to Royal Palms Parkway," he said, and added that the long‑term plan would include a roundabout at Royal Palms and updated geometry for two existing roundabouts.
Council members sought alternatives and cost‑sharing options before voting. Staff proposed short‑term measures they said would improve safety immediately — flashing stop signs, restriping and signage — estimating those fixes at just under $15,000. For design, the city presented an RS&H fee proposal of roughly $537,000 for the four‑laning and $138,000 for roundabout modernization, for a total of about $675,000.
Planning staff noted the Town Center community redevelopment agency (CRA) fund would provide the design dollars. Councilmember discussion focused on funding choices, whether impact fees or CRA funds should be used and whether the project scope should include more or fewer hard improvements. Vice Mayor Pontieri asked staff to offer alternatives and funding scenarios; staff answered they would explore phased and interim options.
After a public comment period that included both support and cautions about costs, Councilmember Gambarro moved to approve the resolution authorizing the work order; the motion was seconded and passed on a unanimous roll call (Mayor Michael Norris and all four councilmembers voting yes). The city expects short‑term safety installations to be implemented within eight to 12 weeks and design to proceed under the contract for later construction when funding is available.
The council directed staff to return with funding alternatives and to coordinate pedestrian safety improvements at key crossings as designs advance.
