- May 2, 2024
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The expansion of the Brownfield area over the Halifax River will add 96 acres of land to the previously allocated 382 acres.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
The Ormond Beach City Commission voted unanimously May 21, to approve a request from Selby Realty Inc., on behalf of MDSS Inc., to designate property located at 200 E. Granada Blvd. as a Brownfield Area.
The decision was made in the spirit of economic development, officials say, although the benefits might not be seen any time soon.
The vote adds approximately 96 acres, or 70 properties, located east of the previous Granada Economic Opportunity Brownfield area, and will extend the area from Beach Street, across the Granada Bridge to the Atlantic Ocean.
The previous brownfield area was approximately 382 acres along Granada Boulevard on the mainland, extending west to Old Kings Road.
“The Governor signed a bill (Monday) that pretty much takes most of the incentives away from the brownfield program,” Planning Director Ric Goss said. “However, I think we’re recommending that we go with the designation because by next year, they’re going to re-establish everything.”
Senate Bill 406, signed by Gov. Rick Scott May 20, limits where brownfields can be located to receive a sales tax refund for building materials, in addition to funds for job creation.
Much of the added land was already included in the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area. Additionally, since the Brownfield program doesn’t provide benefits to residential properties, those were left off the request.
The city’s Brownfield Advisory Board unanimously voted to approve the designation Nov. 13, 2012, and recommended redefining the boundaries to exclude submerged land. The Planning Board unanimously voted to approve the item April 11, with the redefined boundaries.
Brownfields are abandoned and idled industrial or commercial facilities where redevelopment is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields that aren’t addressed “environmental remediation are an inefficient economic use of urban land,” according to the city.
The brownfield designation is voluntary, not regulatory, and no changes were made to land use or zoning as a result of the designation.
City Commissioner James Stowers wasn’t present at the meeting. He was attending the International Council of Shopping Centers Conference.
City awards water main contract
The City Commission awarded the contract for a two-Inch water main replacement project to Hazen Construction LLC, of New Smyrna Beach, which submitted the lowest of eight bids, at $917,762.30.
The award was for the third and final phase of the project, which was originally budgeted for $2,650,000 in the 2011-12 fiscal year.
A budget amendment will be necessary, the city said, to reflect the $3,146,137 cost. The commission approved the issuance of bonds April 16, to pay for the project.
The two-inch water mains included in the project, which the city said are more than 30 years old, will be replaced with either four- or eight-inch pipes around the city, depending on location, to improve water quality.
Preliminary approval for subdivision
The City Commission approved the preliminary plan for the Salh subdivision, owned by Malkit Salh, which will be a three-lot subdivision located near the northwest corner of Hand Avenue and South Ridgewood Avenue.
The location was previously approved Sept. 20, 2012, for a lot to be split from one to two lots, but Salh wanted to add a third lot, which required additional approval.
The final plan will also have to be approved by the City Commission.
Rezoning
The City Commission rezoned five properties at its May 22 meeting.
The locations were involved in the city’s annexation of land from the county, and as a result the properties needed to be rezoned according to Ormond Beach code.
Three of the properties were on the 1600 block of U.S. 1, and the additional properties were on the 300 block of Tymber Creek Road and the first block of Bella Vita Way.
The city continually annexates land from the county as properties to which the city provides utilities become contiguous.
