- May 2, 2024
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Parking lots and beach ramps always part of the discussion.
One of the biggest topics in Volusia County has always been access to the beach.
Volusia County government is actively looking for available land for parking to improve that access, according to Jamie Seaman, deputy county attorney. It’s her job to keep an eye out for property that could be purchased.
The most recent purchase was the Argosy Motel, north of Granada Boulevard, where a parking lot with 56 spaces will be built after the buildings have been demolished.
Seaman said the county is not looking at properties north of Granada Boulevard anymore, because they want to spread out the access.
“We have 40 miles of beach,” she said.
She said they are currently looking at six properties south of Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, but she doesn’t know if the county will be able to reach an agreement with any of the owners.
If an agreement is made, it must be approved by the County Council.
County Chairman Jason Davis said the county has $10 million available in the general fund for buying beach property. He said now that it has become known that the county is looking for property, he believes landowners are raising their prices.
Some people oppose buying beachside land, because it takes it off the tax roll.
Davis emphasizes that the beach is a county park, managed by the county for use by the citizens, so public access is important.
How many beach approaches should be open?
City Commissioner Troy Kent also feels strongly about beach access, and plans to continue his effort to open more beach approaches in 2015.
“The Seminole approach is on my radar,” he said. “It’s important to open it.”
He said if Ormond Beach controlled the beach, all seven ramps in the city limits would be open. In 2014, four were open, according to Ray Manchester, deputy chief of Volusia County Beach Safety.
Kent said closing the beach approaches have hurt the businesses of Ormond Beach.
“If they shut down the Flagler Avenue approach, it would kill New Smyrna Beach,” he said. “That’s what happened to Granada.”
Manchester said that the beach approaches now open were chosen because they are at intersections with street lights and are spread out.
A vote by the County Council is required to open a new approach. The cost of operating toll booths and traffic concerns are often factors in the council discussions.
Manchester pointed out that all approaches are open in January and February, when there are no toll booths, unless closed by high tides. The winter beach can be very drivable.
In the summer, soft sand washes in and builds up along the beach, making driving hazardous. In the winter, northeast storms cause wave action that sweeps away the soft sand, leaving a hard-packed surface.
Access from west side of the street
Off-beach parking discussions include the issue of walking across State Road A1A, if the parking is west of the road.
Ormond Beach city staff is currently working on a project that could improve access from the west side.
City Engineer John Noble said staff has proposed pedestrian-activated lights at three pedestrian crossings. Two of them would be north of Granada Boulevard, and the other would be at Andy Romano Beachfront Park.
The problem is that cars often do not stop when pedestrians are waiting at a pedestrian crossing, even though it is required by state law. They are marked by signage.
Nolan and city staff think a new design, where pedestrians can activate a flashing light, will encourage drivers to stop.
He said the FDOT is currently reviewing the proposal.
