THE HAMMOCK
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
Wellness Center opens for school employees PAGE 6A
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025
More sewer access, more A1A businesses Sewer connections are coming to The Hammock, which could enable 211 vacant lots to be developed on A1A. 7A
County may re-adopt FHS Faced with deadline, Flagler may renew animal control deal with Humane Society. PAGE 3A
School district gets a B grade But superintendent is happy with subgroups’ progress. PAGE 6A INDEX
Business..................... PAGE 6B Calendar..................... PAGE 2B Cops Corner................PAGE 2A Crossword.................. PAGE 3B Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Sports......................... PAGE 8B Tributes ...................... PAGE 3B Real Estate..................PAGE 7B
FREE
ON NEWSSTANDS.
$52 / Y E A R
ON YOUR DRIVEWAY. Three ways to support your local journalism: 1) scan the code, 2) call 386-447-9723, or 3) visit observerlocalnews.com/ subscribe.
Old Salt Park beach access, parking to be expanded The expansion will take place on one acre of donated land on the south side of the existing parking. It will add 40 parking spaces, landscaping features and a decorative wall. SIERRA WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The beach access and parking at Old Salt Park in unincorporated Flagler County is going to be expanded, thanks to a 10-year-old land development agreement. “It’s going to be a value-add to the 16th Road environment,” County Attorney Al Hadeed said during the Flagler County Commission’s July 2 workshop. The agreement is between Flagler County and the Hammock Beach Resort & Spa’s company, Hammock Beach Acquisition Group LLC. The agreement, made in 2015, requires the HBAG to donate an acre of land to the county as well as $500,000. Hadeed said the agreement was made because the Flagler County Commission, at that time, was concerned about how a land development order approved at the time would impact public beach access in the area. “We wanted it such that it would maximize the public access, both of the degree and quality of the access,” he said. The HBAG has already paid $375,000 of the $500,000 to Flagler County. Now, the land dona-
Old Salt Park will be improved, thanks to the Hammock Beach Aquisition Group. Photo by Sierra Williams
tion is coming to fruition just as the county is making a concerted effort to move forward with its beach management plan. The one acre of land HBAG is donating is located on the south side of 16th Road and the existing parking lot and beach access. Hadeed said designs for the new lot — while not finalized yet — will add 40 new
“It’s going to be a value-add to the 16th Road environment. We wanted it such that it would maximize the public access, both of the degree and quality of the access.” AL HADEED, County Attorney
parking spaces on turf block pavers, landscaping, and a decorative wall. They don’t want it to look just like a parking lot, he said. Hadeed said the goal was to integrate the expansion with the surrounding resort’s aesthetic, to maximize both the beach access and the quality. Quality is important, he said, for future funding. When reviewing funding and project applications, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers don’t solely consider the number of public beach access points, Hadeed said, but the quality of them as well. “The ability to use this parcel to enhance access is going to positively impact DEP funding and potential Army Corps funding,” he said.
Because aesthetic design is not the county’s area of expertise, he said, HBAG will design and construct the expansion project under a project agreement with Flagler County. The remaining installment of $125,000 HABG owes the county will also be the first money used to pay for the project, and the $375,000 paid to the county will be held in reserve for any additional costs to the project, Hadeed said. But not all of the $375,000 will be needed for this, he said, and the county can then use the remaining funds to work on other beach access points in the area. The Flagler County Commission, with Commission Chair Andy Dance absent, approved the project agreement 4-0 at a special meeting directly following the July 2 workshop.