- December 16, 2025
Lots of trees and bushes, green plants, mulch.
Those are the ingredients to the vibrant landscaping throughout the city of Palm Coast, but some residents think the city spends too much on landscaping.
Last week, residents commented on the Palm Coast Observer’s Facebook page, saying they would rather see the money spent on sidewalks, not landscaping. The Observer asked city officials how much money is really spent.
The median area between Parkview Drive and Whiteview Parkway, along Belle Terre, had a price tag of $69,418.02, according to Bill Butler, the city’s landscaping architect.
This work is funded by the city’s capital projects fund, which was budgeted $200,000 for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The current budget is the same.
According to Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon, the landscaping around town is the “gateway” to the city, similar to the coquina and granite Palm Coast signs.
“Are the gateway signs a waste of money, or does it create a value to the community because of the appearance?” Landon said last week. “You’re always going to have that debate.”
City beautification is part of Palm Coast’s “Prosperity 2021” plan, Butler added.
“If someone is looking to relocate their business or home and pulls off the interstate and sees the litter-free, beautiful landscaping, this shows the visitor or resident that this city cares about how the community looks … “ Butler said.
The Belle Terre corridor is speckled with a variety of plants. The plants used in the most recent planting were Sabal palm, southern magnolia, live oak, crape myrtle, muhly grass, perennial peanut, Parson’s Juniper and bulbine, according to Bulter.
“The main goal behind this is … trying to create a more attractive visual corridor, Landon said.
— Brian McMillan contributed to this report.
