- December 4, 2025
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, were 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 donation 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 at 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 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.
Correction: A previous version of this story reported the parking lot design would include asphalt; this was incorrect. The parking lot will be composed of turf block pavers.
