- April 28, 2024
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Dear Editor:
The Aug. 17 article "Three new communities planned" reminds us again how leaders of larger political subdivisions that surround our town are making decisions about developments that become a part of the Ormond Beach community while our own City Commission has no say; it has no control over the impact on traffic and public services.
In the case reported by this article, the Flagler County Commission has approved two housing developments, both adjacent to Hunters Ridge and south of Airport Road. This means a few hundred new residents and cars will come to live in ... what town? Ormond Beach!
The other very current and contentious issue is the proposed fuel farm on the northern border of Ormond Beach. Seems it was approved by Florida state agencies and Volusia County with no notice or consultation with our town's leaders. Our City Commission must now appeal for the location to be reconsidered.
To the south, there's the Daytona Beach City Commission, approving numerous high-rise and townhouse apartment buildings right up to the Ormond Beach city line. Drivers along Williamson and Clyde Morris Boulevards will be very familiar with the many construction projects.
Could there not be a cooperative commission among the local towns and counties, charged with sharing information and plans regarding the effect of each one's decisions upon their neighbors?
WG Churchill
Ormond Beach
Dear Editor:
I received my annual "Notice of proposed property taxes and assessments" in the mail the other day. I haven’t reviewed the Ormond Beach government’s proposed budget for next fiscal year. But if it includes some of the same fund allocation areas as previous years, there are means to offset the proposed 13.7% increase passed by the City Commission (4-1, Mayor Partington voted against).
1. Ending corporate welfare, or “economic incentives,” as they’re sometimes called. Government should not be using taxpayer money to pick winners and losers in a market. If a business wants to stay or relocate to Ormond Beach, they should have the same playing field as other businesses.
2. Florida-friendly landscaping. The St. Augustine grass in our medians requires a lot of watering and high-frequency cutting, as well as chemicals, to maintain. Using micro-clovers instead will reduce or eliminate all those high-cost concerns.
3. Sponsorships for baseball fields. Sports and advertisements go together like peanut butter and jelly. Selling ad spaces around the field and even naming rights for a field could help offset their regular maintenance and repair costs. After a year of multi-decade record-high inflation, it seems reasonable to me to look at ways to reduce the high rise of future costs.
Joe Hannoush
Ormond Beach
