- December 4, 2025
Dear Editor:
The recently enacted Florida law Senate Bill 180, that in effect puts the kibosh on future building moratoriums, affects Palm Coast in several ways. The law, supported and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, favors development, gives developers extra latitude and powers while restricting the land use regulatory powers of local governments that would include restricting building moratoriums.
As such, the Palm Coast building moratorium controversial saga has changed the power has shifted. Traditional “home rule” has flipped to “state rule” limiting local ability to control the pace and nature of development. And it appears now, and for at least three years, the city has to pretty much kowtow to developers or face the risk of legal consequences.
This law also potentially pits the governor and his local supporters against Mayor Mike Norris and his local pro building-moratorium supporters, since it runs contrary to their disdain for developers and development in general.
The mayor’s campaign platform was founded pretty much solely on a feverish anti-development call to action. He bragged and prided himself for not accepting campaign donations from anyone or anything remotely real estate related and inferred that anyone who did, including his fellow council members, was corrupt and was colluding with developers against the best interests of the city.
A local building moratorium was his campaign soapbox stance, his on-going mantra, his claim to fame and an echo chamber for his ardent disciples. His further relevance as mayor also seemed reliant upon it. But with the passage of this new law, with developers now seemingly having the upper hand, the rug appears to have been pulled from under the mayor as well as his supporters.
And further, Norris and company now face a curious dilemma since it is very noteworthy that Gov. DeSantis, before signing the developer friendly law, accepted many millions of dollars in developer and real estate related donations.
How can the “beholden to developers” corruption hysteria and conspiracy theories continue now without, in all fairness, including the governor? Will Norris now have the nerve to take on our Florida governor? Would Norris and his fan base recognize the obvious hypocrisy for failing to now include the governor in their corruption conspiracy theories? After all, it should bring to mind the old idiom, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
Bob Gordon
Palm Coast
