- December 16, 2025
As a result of past disputes, the Palm Coast City Council set guidelines for what can be said on the stone engravings at the city’s Children’s Memorial Garden.
The Children’s Memorial Garden was inspired, in part, by Ed Caroe, of Palm Coast, and Palm Coast Landscape Architect Bill Butler, both of whom have had children die at a young age. The garden was built in 2009, along the Intracoastal Waterway, near Waterfront Park. The Florida Inland Navigation District owns the land where the park sits. The garden was dedicated Sept. 25, 2010.
In January 2011, the city began to implement guidelines. However, there was public disagreement as to what should and could be engraved on the stones. Caroe aregued that there should be an age limit for children that could be memorialized in the garden.
Since the garden’s inception, 33 memorial pavers and eight memorial benches have been put in place, according to a Jan. 31 presentation by Luanne Santangelo, the city’s parks and recreation director.
“As you all know and have heard, there were very emotional conversations regarding the Children’s Memorial Garden,” Santangelo said Tuesday.
One of those instances came during a City Council workshop July 12, when City Manager Jim Landon responded to Caroe.
“I find it downright ludicrous — if not downright offensive — the idea that I’ve got to go to any individual to determine what’s going to be on my paver,” Landon said last summer’s meeting.
The council agreed to the guidelines at Tuesday’s meeting, which are as follows:
1. Messages should be inspirational and be consistent with the mission of the (Children’s Memorial Garden).
2. An application form for engraving and installation of a memorial paver must be completed by the donor.
3. The donor’s personal message should provide comfort and support to other grieving families.
4. No copyrighted material may be incorporated into a memorial message without written approval from the copyright owner. The donor of a memorial paver is solely responsible for the content thereon.
5. Assistance on memorial message content, design and size is readily available from an experienced city staff member.
6. A draft layout will be provided to the donor, which will include layout of text and any graphic, price quote and approximate date of completion. Production of the memorial paver will proceed once the donor has approved the proof via signature and payment has been received by the city of Palm Coast.
7. Special requests for memorial benches, trees, sculptures, etc., can be submitted via the application form. Special request will be evaluated and must be approved by the city of Palm Coast staff.
There wasn’t any final adoption by the City Council.
“It’s not like it’s an ordinance,” Landon said Tuesday. “It’s exactly what we call it: a guideline. It’s all very personal, and every case is different.”
