- May 2, 2024
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Uncertainty continues to plague the residents of Tomoka Oaks as they await what will be built on the former golf course property, which is being sold to a local developer.
One neighbor, Ashley DuFrene, spoke before the Planning Board at its meeting on Thursday, March 11, where she asked the board to keep in mind some of the Tomoka Oaks residents' concerns when and if a project comes before them. The 130-acre golf course property is under contract, DuFrene said. Currently, the citizens have been informed that the developer wishes to build single-family homes, and as of Monday, March 15, a petition on Change.org has garnered over 1,200 signatures to preserve the golf course land.
“The neighborhood was not constructed to have two neighborhoods inside of a neighborhood," DuFrene sai.
The petition proposes that the city become involved in purchasing the golf course with the aim to designate it as a green space. If the property is sold to developers, then the residents are asking for a 100-foot buffer to separate the neighborhoods. If a site plan is submitted to the city without this buffer, the petition asks the City Commission deny the project.
“We understand that developers have the right. It is zoned [for residential], but we also feel the neighborhood has a right to voice our concerns and hopefully, if it goes through, maybe we could come up with a compromise," DuFrene said.
The golf course property last sold in 2011 for $1.5 million and has a current low density residential land use that allows 4.3 units per acre. However, Planning Director Steven Spraker said at the meeting that the maximum number of units is usually not achievable.
"Oftentimes, you’re not going to be able to get that type of density once you get to the zoning because of stormwater, landscaping buffers," he said. "We hear the concerns, but there is no application."
If the sale is finalized and the developer pursues the construction of a new housing development, the project will need to go through the Planning Board and City Commission for final approval. Spraker said they have informed the developer to speak with the Tomoka Oaks homeowner association before submitting a site plan. A neighborhood meeting would also be held prior to the project coming before the commission for approval.
City Attorney Randy Hayes cautioned the Planning Board against making comments regarding the Tomoka Oaks golf course sale or possible project outside of a public hearing where the developer is represented, as that could pose a legal challenge in the future should the project be denied.
Planning Board member Mike Scudiero called the sale of the golf course the city's "worst kept secret." Ormond Beach is already exploring what to do with the River Bend Golf Course property, which closed in December 2020, he pointed out. He said the developer will need to bring the Board a project that has been vetted and discussed with the residents.
“What do you do with a retired golf course?" Scudiero said. "That’s basically going to be the issue here.”
