- December 13, 2025
The Flagler Beach City Commission has passed the first of two votes to annex a 540-acre project called Summertown into the city from Flagler County.
Summertown includes property that stretches from State Road 100 to two miles south along the west side of John Anderson Highway. Thirty acres of the property is already within city limits, so the application is to annex 514 acres, with supplemental applications to change the property's zoning and land use. The Summertown project will next go to the state for review and approval and then will return to Flagler Beach for a second vote, with a workshop before the second reading to discuss additional changes.
The commission voted 4-1 to annex, with Commissioner John Cunningham voting against it. Despite the approval, many of the commissioners felt there was more discussion needed before the project could be approved in full.
“I do feel there is more negotiations that need to be done before we fully give this the rubber stamp,” Commission Chair James Sherman said.
As part of the annexation agreement with Flagler Beach, the developer has agreed to limit development to a maximum of 1,640 residential units, 840,000 square feet of nonresidential uses and 250 hotel rooms.
Summertown is one part of what was a 2,700-unit, 900-acre development known as Veranda Bay that has been undergoing the annexation process in Flagler Beach for two years. The developer – represented by Ken Belshe in the meeting – broke the massive development into two: Summertown and Veranda Bay.
The Veranda Bay development – 210 acres of land that encompass the east side of John Anderson Highway south of S.R. 100 – has been tabled until the Jan. 22 meeting. That development will be limited to a maximum of 377 residential units, 16,200 square feet of nonresidential uses and a 150 marina berths as part of its annexation agreement with the city.
Flagler Beach is currently just over 2,400 acres in size. Both developments together, if approved, will add a 29% increase to Flagler Beach and potentially double the population in the future.
Flagler Beach commissioners originally asked Belshe to annex the property into Flagler Beach back in early 2024, but the project received major backlash from the public and was eventually tabled after a potential lawsuit over a created enclave.
Commissioner Eric Cooley said despite the work that still needs to be done on the annexation agreement, he would rather Flagler Beach have a say in the direction of the development by annexing it.
“It's real simple: you don't annex it, you're out,” he said. “You have no control over anything. You're not protecting the city. You're not protecting anything. You're turning it over to the universe.”
The majority of the other commissioners and Mayor Patti King agreed with Cooley.
But the projects, both Veranda Bay and Summertown, have left many residents with concerns, even beyond the the number of rooftops. Flagler Beach residents urged their commissioners to protect the city’s roadways and water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as Bulow Creek, which abuts the Summertown property.
The developer has committed to multiple concessions in the name of annexing the project: building out a spine road before constructing a certain number of residential units; using 40% of the property, including some directly around Bulow Creek, as open space; applying additional buffers around the property, including a 100-foot natural buffer around Bulow Creek.
Attorney Michael Chiumento, representing the developers, and Belshe even said they are willing to work with Flagler County to potentially sell the low-lying floodplain portion of the property.
Despite all the moving parts and continued work, the commission moved forward to the next step in the annexation process.
Cooley said annexing the project is about “protecting our city.”
“I will not, at this point, just wash my hands and say, let's hope for the best,” Cooley said. “Let's hope that boards that do not have our best interests at heart are going to have our best interest at heart.”
