- April 23, 2024
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Some residents are concerned the new proposal will increase traffic and degrade the area. The development will be brought before the board again Feb. 5.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
It’s never too early to start thinking about morning traffic.
Some Ormond Beach residents are concerned that a proposed subdivision could lead to increased traffic congestion in the future, and are hoping for a compromise with the developer.
The subdivision, known as Marshside Village, has been in development since 2006, when it was proposed as a 68-single-family-home complex to be built on 80-foot lots.
However, the developer, White Falcon Land Development Inc., of Orlando, asked the city to amend its proposal to include more land and homes, to be built on smaller, 60-foot lots.
It’s the high density of homes that concerns area residents like Ron Hoopper, who fears negative traffic implications in the morning and afternoon, as parents drop off and pick up their children at Pathways Elementary School.
Edward Speno, president of White Falcon Land Development, said at an Oct. 11 Planning Board meeting that the traffic was anticipated to cause congestion for about 35 minutes in the morning but then go away.
The Planning Board voted, 6-1, against the amended development plan, before the City Commission voted Jan. 8, in favor of the development, despite having some reservations about the lot sizes.
During the commission meeting, Speno focused on the amenities, such as a pool and split-rail fence, and the positive impact the subdivision could have on the city years down the road — an impact which could only be realized, he said, with additional homes.
“We don’t care about the fence,” Hoopper said. “We don’t care about the pool. We care about the traffic.”
Another resident, Clay Beazley, is not only concerned with the traffic patterns, but also with the impact the 60-foot lots and increased density might have on the area, potentially setting a precedent.
“One of my major concerns is the direction of the city,” he said. “We’re opening Pandora’s box when we go from 80 to 60-foot lots.”
Beazley, who said he wasn’t opposed to the original proposal in 2006, believes Ormond Beach is one of the best communities in Volusia County, but he said he is concerned that Marshside Village could be a first step toward making the city more like Daytona Beach.
The city shouldn’t have to sell itself to developers, he said; developers should want to build in Ormond Beach, while preserving the community’s feel.
“I’m not opposed to home-building,” Beazley said. “I’m opposed to the density.”
Both Hoopper and Beazley said they were surprised the City Commission approved the revised plan after the Planning Board voted against it. And they both anticipate a bigger contingent of residents who oppose the plan to be in attendance Feb. 5, for the second reading.
