- December 16, 2025
The County Commission approved deck and bathroom improvements at the Flagler Beach Pier, funded largely with bed taxes, as well as state-funded improvements at Bings Landing.
A $145,000 Tourist Development Council grant was approved by the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, Aug. 15, for permitting and construction of a deck extension at the Flagler Beach pier, as well as for bathroom renovations.
“It’s kind of a public-private arrangement,” Flagler Beach Acting City Manager Bruce Campbell told the board. Part of the agreement Raymond Barshay, soon-to-be owner of the Pier Restaurant, made with the city, Campbell said, was that the open-air, 1,520-square-foot deck would be provided.
Campbell called the project “very important to our city,” saying it will uphold the goals of the TDC, which are to attract visitors and increase hotel bookings.
As a stipulation of the lease, the city of Flagler Beach is required to allocate $50,000 toward the deck’s construction. The project will also include repairing, updating and redecorating the inside of the pier’s public restrooms.
Like all TDC projects, County Administrator Craig Coffey explained, ad volorem tax dollars will not be used for this project. (The TDC earns its funds from bed taxes, which are collected through hotel stays.)
“This is tax dollars going to a facility that should be open to the public,” Commissioner Barbara Revels commented. “Hopefully, there will be some area where people don’t have to pay to enter.”
After lease terms and design are finalized, construction will begin on the deck. The bathrooms project, however, should start earlier.
Bings Landing improvements
The county will lose $70,000 of Environmentally Sensitive Land funds from the state if it doesn’t allocate the funds toward a project in 14 days, Coffey said Aug. 15.
The funds were approved for improvements to Bings Landing, including an elevated boardwalk with covered pavilion, as well as a kayak launch.
Administered through the Florida Department of Transportation, the grant requires a $15,000 local funding match, which will come from prior project savings at the county park, estimated at $50,000.
County Engineer Faith Alkhatib explained that because the county had to rush into the project so as not to lose the grant funds, specifics have yet to be ironed out, but no major oak trees will be disturbed during renovations.
Contact Mike Cavaliere at [email protected].
