- April 19, 2024
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Dear Editor:
I have lived in Ormond Beach for over 40 years attending Seabreeze High School, raising my family and operating a small business. I have watched the CANDO 2 group, their chosen candidates and a small faction of residents that have drunk the Kool-Aid.
They only have negative things to say about our great city and use misleading talking points to incite and energize their misguided soldiers.
Please stop. Do not destroy our city that current and past commissions, city staff and, yes, even developers have worked so hard to make us the most desired place to in all of Volusia County.
Anyone with a fifth-grade education can understand that CANDO 2 is doing whatever it takes to get their candidates elected. The sad part is that all five candidates also twist and turn words in tandem, attacking our city and development. Is that really who we want to be guiding our city in the future?
They use words like “over-development” and “urban sprawl” for Granada Boulevard, yet any professional planner or traffic engineer will confirm that every front foot of Granada Boulevard from the beach to Tymber Creek is “infill” development and is smart and encouraged planning for commercial development to serve the community.
Did CANDO 2 protest the entire clear cutting of the massive Publix shopping center that was constructed at Williamson and Granada? Have you ever looked at the trees, landscaping and architectural features of that center that was built under “county regulations” and compared it to some of the recent projects built under “city standards”? It is a far cry from city-approved and code-mandated projects and it shows.
Drive through there and you will immediately realize that our careful and diligent building, planning and engineering staff and yes, sorry to break the news, but also our past and present commission, all must be doing a spectacular job in safe guarding our community.
There is no comparison, and, based on our city code requirements I will roll the dice and bet that Granada Pointe and other current and future projects developed under Ormond Beach guidelines will continue to be the very best once completed.
Does CANDO 2 understand that the infill development of that Publix shopping center and the Walmart reduced the trip length and removed thousands of extended daily trips for everyone west of I-95 who used to travel to the Publix at The Trails or Winn-Dixie to buy groceries? That is Smart Planning 101.
So CANDO, please CAN-DON'T the continuous trashing of our wonderful community just for political purposes. The informed and intelligent residents of Ormond Beach will make the right decisions and avoid the Kool-Aid.
Barbara Hayes
Ormond Beach
