The City of Flagler Beach on Wednesday officially celebrated its centennial anniversary, assembling the community for a time of party and reflection. The weather was unusually pristine for April in Florida, perhaps fatefully so as dozens upon dozens of locals gathered for a positive occasion.
On April 16th, 1925 Flagler Beach was officially incorporated on a 41-10 vote by its citizens. In 1963 it became a city. It was exactly 100 years after the initial incorporation vote that the city government celebrated a century of community, resilience, and beach vibes. To commemorate that, a horde of residents assembled to spell out ‘100’ on the beach sand for a drone photo Wednesday.
“I feel so honored to be a small part of writing Flagler Beach’s history over the past one hundred years,” said former Mayor Suzie Johnston, one of several community icons present for the festivities. “This is such a beautiful city filled with so many stories and memorable people. It’s going to be so exciting to see Flagler Beach over the next hundred years.”
An Evolving City
Mayor Patti King speaks at the city’s centennial celebration. ⓒ Eryn Harris
Though much has changed in a hundred years of Flagler Beach, to many longtime residents there’s a core identity to the city which has remained intact. Even the nearly-complete construction of a towering hotel in the heart of town has its parallels with history. “Right now we’ve got [the Compass Hotel] coming, but back in the beginning there was a hotel anyway,” said City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur. “The only thing I can think of [that’s changed] is the bridge.”
While the pace of development remains a much larger issue across the bridge in Palm Coast, others have noticed the effects it’s had on Flagler Beach for better or worse. “It’s changed quite a bit since I’ve lived here, but it’s great,” added former Mayor Linda Provencher. “I think what the Commission is doing now is making great progress and it’s still a great place to live. The people here are wonderful, it’s a great community. But the growth in general has definitely gotten a lot bigger.”
Looking to the Future
ⓒ Eryn Harris
Though outlooks on the future of Flagler Beach vary, the sense of optimism and gratitude to live in the small town was universal at Wednesday’s gathering. Even amidst crises like traffic congestion, erosion, construction, and utility infrastructure, the positives of Flagler Beach outweigh the drawbacks for most all who live there.
“It’s an honor to represent our community and our city,” reflected current Mayor Patti King. “Not only at a state level but just amongst our own community members, our residents, our businesses. Keeping everybody together and fighting for the same causes, moving in the same direction. We’re more together than apart, and we have certain issues that change that dynamic, but for the most part I think we do pretty good at keeping everything moving together.”
