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Updated Dec. 2, 2015
City Commissioner James Stowers announced at the last commission meeting of the year, Dec. 1, that he will not see re-election next year for Zone One. Stowers said people have been asking him about it, so he wanted to put the question to rest.
The next morning, Dwight Selby, a commercial realtor, announced in a press release that he
will seek election to the office vacated by Stowers. Selby has lived in Ormond Beach for three decades and has been active in local boards.
"Government, like the private sector, needs to continually look for ways to be more efficient, delivering more service to the citizens at a lower cost," he said in the release. Selby is married and has two children and one grandchild.
Zone 1 generally includes the northern part of the city. On the beachside, it’s north of Granada Boulevard, and on the mainland it’s north of Sanchez Ave. and Airport Road. A map can be found on ormondbeach.org by clicking on City Commission.
Stowers will be finishing his third two-year term next year. He said when he originally decided to run, five years ago, he planned to serve only a couple of terms and then step aside.
“I look forward to finishing out my term,” he said. He wants to see the completion of the Environmental Discovery Center, he said.
“I look back at a very clean time in Ormond Beach.”
Commissioner James Stowers, on his term in office
He said what he was most proud of was that there has been no “negative attention” to the city during his years of service. He said he reads in the newspapers about controversies in other cities.
“I look back at a very clean time in Ormond Beach,” he said.
After his announcement, other commissioners complimented him on his service on the commission, noting that he always had a calm and thoughtful presence.
“I never saw James Stowers angry,” said Commissioner Rick Boehm.
In other action, the City Commission gave final approval to a land use change and rezoning for property referred to in documents as “10 Magnolia.” The wooded lot is at the corner of West Granada Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.
The land owner plans to build a realty office in the space, according to city documents.
Citizens of Magnolia Avenue and adjacent Oak Avenue have protested the change because it would lead to commercial development that they believe would create traffic problems and impact their neighborhood.
In the comment period of the meeting, resident Pam Skilling read from the city’s comprehensive plan, which calls for preserving the character of neighborhoods, focusing development in core areas and keeping a high level of open space.
Others spoke about more traffic making it difficult to get out onto Granada Boulevard and upsetting life on their narrow street, which does not have sidewalks.
The lot extends into the neighborhood, and would be across Magnolia Avenue from several houses.
Attorney Glenn Storch, representing the owner, said all of the issues pointed out by the residents can be resolved and there will be a large buffer.
“My client and I have great respect for the residents,” he said. “We will work very closely with them.”
He also said the wooded lot would be developed one day, because of the demand. While a land use change was necessary for the realty office, it would not have been necessary for other types of businesses, such as a day care center.
In the coming year, the next step will be a site plan review for the proposed development, which requires neighborhood meetings.
At an earlier Planning Board meeting, Planning Director Richard Goss said he would “bump up” the meeting to a public hearing with the City Commission if the residents and developer can’t resolve their differences.
