- December 4, 2025
City of Flagler Beach commissioners have motioned in a 5-0 vote to delay the approval of a $2.8 million service building design plan following a commission meeting on Thursday, July 24. The proposal was sent back to the drawing board after the project was revealed to be almost double the original budget of $1.5 million.
The project, intended to complement the iconic Flagler Beach A-Frame, gave rise to cost concerns, with Commissioner Eric Cooley calling it a "bait and switch," arguing that the plan had spiraled far beyond the original budget.
"My issue isn't with this little piece of a design," Cooley said. "My issue is the price tag that we're signing the taxpayers up for. We have a lot of needs around the city that are far, far more important than bells and whistles on a utilitarian service building."
Architect Joseph Pozzuoli presented a design featuring natural cypress siding, stone veneer, and multiple low-sloped roofs meant to pay homage to old Florida architecture. In response to prior feedback, his team had already lowered the roofline by three and a half feet to preserve sightlines of the historic "Flagler Beach" sign on the A-frame. The plan included expanded restrooms, new commercial spaces, and a breezeway connecting to a new promenade.
Commissioner Rick Belhumeur noted "five different roof lines" and potential consequences of draining rainwater near the structure of the A-frame. "Each one is dumping water on another one, and then the last one dumps water on the wings of the A-frame."
Other commissioners were more receptive.
"I, for one, see the areas that I was most interested in and concerned with, either changed or retained," Commissioner Scott Spradley said.
Mayor Patti King also defended the quality of the design. “I don't like the idea of people looking back going, 'they didn't upgrade or make anything any better,' but cost is a huge component of this project."
The debate came to a head over the actual cost. Project manager Gabe Perdomo clarified the current estimate. "All in costs, including design and permitting, I think our last estimate was that somewhere around $2.8 million, that includes a 25% contingency."
Citing the proposal's departure from a simple renovation to a full-blown new build, the commission ultimately sided with caution. "This, while intended to be a renovation, has taken a different shape," Spradley said.
