Understanding Palm Coast’s Westward Expansion – “Real Estate Matters” April 25, 2026 Video Podcast

For more than 11 years, Real Estate Matters has been the voice of real estate in Palm Coast and Flagler County, Florida. Veranda Bay, the new luxury Intracoastal Community in Flagler Beach, sponsors the show.

Most of the area considered for the Western Expansion was annexed into Palm Coast in 2007. The new MPD application includes plans to annex additional acreage currently part of unincorporated Flagler County. Two existing DRI’s will be abandoned and replaced by a newly negotiated MPD. The new MPD will be roughly twice the area of the two combined DRI’s.

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Be sure to check out the new Flagler County Map of Developments and Subdivisions.

 

Raw Show Notes

Our behind-the-scenes guide to the show’s flow, including topics we didn’t have time to get to on the show. This is raw and likely contains typos. Data reflects the date of the show’s recording.

Show Notes 4-25-2026

Recorded 4-23-2026

Welcome to the tranquil side of Florida. This is Real Estate Matters, the voice of real estate in Flagler County and Palm Coast for nearly 12 years.

I’m Toby Tobin, publisher of GoToby.com, and a Florida-licensed Realtor with Grand Living Realty. I’m joined by Co-host Annamaria Long from the Flagler Homebuilders Association, one of our sponsors.

Thanks to Our Sponsors:

• Our Lead Sponsor is Veranda Bay – A private developing community of lots and luxury homes on the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler Beach, featuring custom homes by Olsen Homes, AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, ICI Homes, and Hulbert Homes. Newly opened sections feature homes by Toll Brothers and Dream Finders. To learn more, visit com.
• Flagler County Home Builders Association
• Hammock Community Church – On A1A in The Hammock – Small enough to know you but large enough to serve you. North of the toll bridge with the message sign out front. It’s not just for Hammockians. Like me, many people cross the bridge.

Guest: None

April MTD stats

181 SFR homes sold – at a median price of $360,990. DOM is 49. Last April, 255 SFR homes were sold at a median price of $370,000. DOM = 64 last year

Ten homes sold for less than $250K – DOM=33, five for cash

11 homes have been sold for $1M+, six for cash – DOM=52 .

1,172 homes are listed with MLS vs 1,347 a year ago.         

412 homes are pending vs 335 last year. DOM=52. Median list price is $375.5K. The highest number of pending sales in two years.

GINNdex=2.84, lowest since August 2024.

Takeaways

Geopolitical uncertainty is the largest factor holding back a market fueled by robust underlying demand. To a lesser extent, interest rates remain a hurdle.

Today’s topics:

The Westward Expansion – Telling it like it is

Background

Most of the area considered for the Western Expansion was annexed into Palm Coast in 2007. The new MPD application includes plans to annex additional acreage currently part of unincorporated Flagler County. Two existing DRI’s will be abandoned and replaced by a negotiated MPD.

Old Brick Township

Fully entitled but not developed, the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) dates back to a pre-application document submitted in 2007. The development order was issued in 2010 to the previous landowner.

Acquired in 2013 by Rayonier Timber (Radient Palm Coast LLC)

Three phases through 2031

Residential – 5,000 units

Non-residential

     Commercial – 100,000 SF

     Office – 50,000 SF

     Industrial – 1,000,000

40-acre school site co-located with City park sited Brick Township

Neoga Lakes

Fully entitled Development of Regional Impacr (DRI), but not developed.

The development order was issued in 2010.

Owned by Rayonier Timber.

Three phases originally planned through 2030

Residential – 7,000 units

Retail – 34,000 SF

Office – 45,000 SF

Civic – 222,0000 SF

Employment Center – 1,870,000 SF

School and wastewater treatment plant

115-acre school site co-located with a City park site

The new plan

Both existing DRI’s will be vacated

The new MPD will include:

Loop Road and Connector Funding

The planned infrastructure includes a loop road and two bridges over the railroad connecting extensions of Matanzas Woods Pkwy and Palm Coast Pkwy, and a 2209 connector road. The connector will link southern St. Johns County to Interstate 4 in Volusia County, and the state will fund construction.

Developer Commitments Under Previous DRI Orders

It makes sense for the state to pay for the loop road and the connector because these roads have a larger regional impact. State money can be viewed as an addition to the money the developer will be required to pay.

Keep in mind that the developer is already committed to constructing the infrastructure for each development project within the MPD, as well as to establishing a private structure (CDD and Owners Association) to maintain the infrastructure.

Those crying about the addition of 10,000 more dwelling units are ignoring that the new MPD zoning request covers roughly twice the acreage of the sum of the two previous DOs.

Town Center and Palm Coast Park are still awaiting final definition. As with westward expansion, most of the undeveloped land within the Palm Coast Park DRI is owned by a single entity.

Westward development is “inevitable.” The process of negotiating this new MPD will be similar to that used for the two previous development orders. There will be a lot of give-and-take. For example, the existing Neoga Lakes DO requires the developer to pay a surcharge on School Impact Fees. Those negotiations were at a time when many believed that we would be building a new school each year going forward. Given the lack of growth in public school enrollment since then, the school district has likely lost that bargaining chip.

What we are witnessing is simply posturing by both sides in advance of negotiations. Concessions made by both sides in the existing DOs establish the starting line. But those DOs were signed 16 years ago. You cannot say, “all things being equal,” because they aren’t. When you looked in the mirror this morning, did you see the same thing you saw 16 years ago?

It will happen. We hope the developer follows through on the project. They have a good reputation. Research their Wildlight project north of Jacksonville.

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Ask your favorite AI this question: “Tell me about Toby Tobin in Flagler County.” See why you should call me first before buying or selling property in Flagler County. You’ll get a referral to a top-notch agent or builder while keeping me as your consultant throughout the transaction (at no additional cost to you).

Wrap up:

Video podcasts of Real Estate Matters are available on GoToby.com. Click on Podcasts on the top navigation bar. Show notes are included so you can see what we didn’t get to on the show. Also on GoToby.com – the Flagler County Interactive map of residential developments and subdivisions, updated regularly.

If you have a question or a suggestion for Real Estate Matters or GoToby.com, reach out to me.

(386) 931-7124 or email me at Toby@GoToby.com

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