- December 4, 2025
There is one small elevator at Las Palmas Sky Active Living and it has been out of service for most of the past three weeks.
The three-story independent senior living apartment complex at 70 Town Court, off Town Center Boulevard in Palm Coast, currently has 104 residents, according to a spokesman for the facility’s operator, Priority Life Care of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
On June 19, residents and their families were informed that the faulty elevator was being replaced beginning June 23 and would be out of service for 10 days, according to a Las Palmas statement.
But on the evening of Tuesday, July 8, a resident’s daughter said the elevator was out of service again. Earlier that day, Priority Life Care spokesman Kevin Erb wrote in an email to the Observer that “the elevator was up and running and there was and no word of any delays after it was installed.”
Erb said on Wednesday, July 9, that the elevator was down for a brief period on Tuesday morning, so the elevator contractor, TKE, could replace a part. “It was back up and running by mid afternoon,” he said, and the contractor was back on the site on Wednesday to make sure everything was operating correctly.
Patrick Juliano, public information officer for the Palm Coast Fire Department, said the fire marshal and the city were aware of Las Palmas’ plans, and provisions were in place to get the residents downstairs in case of fire or another emergency.
But Karen Roberts, whose mother lives in an upstairs apartment, said the elevator is overworked because there is no service elevator and so many of the residents rely on it “as a lifeline.” For many of the residents who use walkers or “motorized vehicles” to get around, she said, the stairs are difficult at best to get down to the first floor to eat meals, take part in activities or leave the facility.
Las Palmas said in its statement that was emailed to the Observer on July 2 that, “We communicated directly with residents on June 19 informing them of the pending elevator replacement to begin on June 23, as well as our plans to minimize any disruption it may have on their day-to-day lives at Las Palmas Sky Active Living. This includes providing meal service and activities directly to residents located on the second and third floors, as well as careful, proactive coordination with first responders to assist residents who may need to access the first floor for important appointments or obligations.”
Roberts said her mother had a doctor’s appointment to get a cortisone shot in her knee while the elevator was being replaced and she had to cancel because, while she uses a walker, she could not negotiate the stairs. Roberts said they couldn’t reschedule until they knew when the elevator would be back in service. Having it be out of service again was frustrating, she said.
“Some (residents) have two walkers, one at the bottom of the steps to use when they get downstairs,” Roberts said. “Some people can’t get out, One lady told me she feels like they’re in a prison.”
Some residents have pets that need to be walked, Roberts said.
“The staff has to run up and down the stairs like chickens,” she said. “They need to have a second elevator.”
