Sustainability Takes on Many Forms in Flagler

Sustainability has become an important issue for local governments for a variety of reasons. In Flagler County those reasons include economic development and coastal protection, among others.

“Sustainability means different things to different departments,” said Dolores Key, economic development manager. “For economic development it means having enough land space to enable the growth of value-added employment for the citizenry.  Because of changing market conditions, land mass needs to have the necessary infrastructure — water, sewer, electric, cable, drainage, IT, etc. — in place to be competitive with other regions in the nation.  Communities should strive for 20 – 30% commercial/light industrial space for a balanced economy.”

Key said economic sustainability also includes diversification of the tax base to take the burden off of residential taxpayers.

“It should be noted that retail is the result of a stable and growing economy,” she said.  “However, from a municipal and county perspective commercial is not subject to Homestead exemptions and therefore is a valued part of the diversification of the tax-base.”

With 19 miles of coast, Flagler County’s beaches are an important part of residents’ quality of life as well as a key element in tourist development efforts. To address sustainability issues related to the coastline, the County Commission passed a Beach Management Plan in 2023.

“Due to the impacts of several hurricanes and nor’easter storms since Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Flagler County’s coastline has seen unprecedented damage that it has not recovered from,” according to the Flagler County website. “As time goes on, the conditions of the beaches and dunes continues to degrade with each passing storm. The condition of the County’s beach and dune system is important to protect our community during storms, provide environmental habitat, and support a strong economy.”

The Plan is focused on restoring and maintaining a healthy beach and dune system through periodic beach nourishment to benefit the community at-large, according to county officials. The document lists the implementation strategies, as a “roadmap”, for how the County plans to build the beaches and dunes back to a level that offers storm protection, a healthy coastal ecosystem, and supports a thriving tourism industry in Flagler County.

One of the issues the Plan addresses is beach renourishment.

“The process of restoring the beaches is called beach nourishment, which provides protection by rebuilding natural systems while reducing or preventing the consequences of beach erosion,” according to the county website. The Plan recognizes that beaches are an integral part of the quality of life in Flagler County and support homes, businesses, and related infrastructure (roads, utilities) for many residents and visitors.

“More than just a playground, beaches are an important economic asset for our community, provide a buffer to flooding during large coastal storms, and provide a healthy environmental habitat,” according to the website.