- October 5, 2026
A Flagler County family and disability advocates are asking the county to allow construction to move forward on a Hammock home designed around the long-term needs of the family's autistic son.
The Cassity family is building a home in the Grande Mer neighborhood that they intend to be a lifelong home for their son, Lincoln, who is autistic and nonverbal. The dispute is expected to come before the Flagler County Planning and Development Board on Sept. 8.
At issue is how the county's limits on the number of stories in the neighborhood apply to the home's design, particularly whether a ground-level garage and flood-resistant area that is not intended as living space should count as a story.
Maren Bam, general counsel for two disability nonprofits working with the Cassity family, said the home has been approved by the family's homeowners association but construction has been affected by a complaint from a neighbor concerning its height and number of stories.
Bam said the advocates contend the house remains below the maximum allowable building height and that the dispute centers on whether the ground level should be counted toward the neighborhood's three-story limitation.
"The neighbor who's upset views this home as a four story home based on the way she's reading the rules because she's including the floodplain requirements and the uninhabitable space as a story," Bam said.
According to Rachel Buck, executive director of the American Association for Disability Justice, the lowest level contains parking, stairs, an elevator and storage. It is enclosed with breakaway walls designed to wash away during severe flooding without compromising the structure above.
For the Cassity family, advocates say the home's configuration is about much more than a zoning interpretation.
Lincoln's pediatrician at AdventHealth has written that Lincoln cannot be left alone by an adult because he is prone to elopement.
"Elopement is a part of Lincoln's life and specifically towards roads and bodies of water," Buck said during the interview. She said that is one reason the ground-level garage and breakaway area cannot be used as living space and why Lincoln's living area needs to be elevated.
The family has designed an entire level of the house around Lincoln's present and future needs.
The space is expected to include an Astroturf area that would allow him to experience some of the sensory benefits of being outdoors when going outside is difficult, as well as a classroom because he is homeschooled. The floor is also being designed so it can evolve into Lincoln's own living space as he becomes an adult.
The home's additional living space is intended in part for future caregivers.
Bam and Buck said the goal is to give Lincoln as much independence and autonomy as possible while recognizing that he is expected to require lifelong assistance. Keeping his living area separate from the family's primary entertaining areas also provides distance from noise and activity that can be triggering and adds another layer of protection against him leaving the home unnoticed.
"What tends to disappear when this gets described as a zoning dispute is that Lincoln is going to grow up," Buck wrote in an email requesting coverage of the case. "His parents are building the house he is going to be an adult in, and they are trying to build it so that he has his own space in it, with as much independence as he turns out to be capable of."
Bam said the family is pursuing two avenues with the county.
"We're pursuing both paths at the same time, a variance, and appealing that it was found to even need a variance in the first place," Bam said. "Because ultimately the family's goal is whatever's the fastest way to get their build back on track and moving so they can move into their home."
Bam said the case ultimately comes down to providing Lincoln with a home that can accommodate him throughout his life.
"Disabled individuals deserve to have a space where they feel safe and secure and can have dignity and enjoy their quality of life," Bam said. "This family has worked really hard to provide that for their child."
The Flagler County Planning and Development Board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Government Services Building in Bunnell.
UPDATE: Supporters of the Cassity family filled the Sept. 8 Flagler County Planning and Development Board meeting wearing matching yellow T-shirts reading “Support Lincoln.” The family’s case was not heard until nearly four hours into the meeting and concluded near midnight. A motion to deny the variance failed on a 2-2 tie. The board then unanimously voted to continue the case to its Nov. 10 meeting, seeking additional evidence before making a decision.
