- April 24, 2024
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With the possibility of as many as 10,000 people moving into the recently-proposed Avalon Park Daytona development on north S.R. 40, Ormond Beach City Commissioners expressed concern at the commission meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Why? Because while the land is technically in Daytona Beach, it is Ormond who will likely see all the impacts with none of the tax benefits. The city will also be the water provider — but not at its adopted rate. Based on a prior settlement, City Attorney Randy Hayes said it will be at Daytona’s water fee rate, which are lower.
City Commissioner Dwight Selby asked for a workshop to discuss the legal documents and agreements involving the development.
“If I’m going to get blamed for something, I sure want to know what it is in advance,” Selby said.
Commissioner Troy Kent said he and Mayor Bill Partington can take “a lot of credit and blame” for the past 16 years. Just not that becoming Daytona Beach, as it was a result of a prior commission’s decision.
“And what a shame, because when you pull out of Breakaway Trail, you’re looking at Daytona Beach, and you’re right — we’re going to get all of the headaches, all of the problems, and none of the positives,” he said.
Partington said he’d rather wait on a workshop, or even conduct the discussion in a shade meeting because he feared the workshop could become a “window into our litigation strategy for dealing with Daytona Beach in the future.”
The city has no plans to sue Daytona at this time.
Partington also pointed out that the last two developers backed out of developing the property. It might be too early to say this one will be the one to follow through.
The Volusia County Growth Commission will be hosting a public hearing on Feb. 26, at the Daytona Beach City Commission Chambers to discuss a comprehensive plan amendment for the Avalon Park Daytona project, as the comp plan isn’t consistent with its request.
Commissioner Dwight Selby shared that the First Step Homeless Shelter may not get a safe zone, despite it being crucial for its city partners becoming Pottinger-compliant.
This is a “direct result” of the shelter Board of Directors not being involved in the design and construction of the building, as had been originally proposed. He said Port Orange was quoted in a newspaper article to be possibly backing out of the shelter if a safe zone isn’t built.
“I’m not quite that abrupt, but I do believe that was promised to us,” Selby said.
Ormond Beach has not yet given the shelter any of its allocated $82,000 of funding, and for now, that money is on hold until the issue is resolved.
While the city planned to partner with Don Stoner for the seventh-annual Tomoka Marathon, which would have provided free entry into the race for participants of the Mayor’s Health and Fitness Challenge, no one told the mayor.
City Commissioner Troy Kent balked at offering a reduced rate for renting Rockefeller Gardens to the marathon, proposing the city should host its own race for the challenge.
The consent agenda item was not approved and City Manager Joyce Shanahan said she would look into race options for next year.
