Committee to study ways to improve downtown

Ormond Beach Observer
News

Rockefeller Park, the site of festivals, outdoor movies, holiday events and more, was quite different 10 years ago. It was soggy after a rain making it difficult to use even the next day. There were no sidewalks or stage.

The park was landscaped and amenities added in 2009, using money from the Community Redevelopment Area, after being listed as a goal on the 2006 Downtown Master Plan.

Now, the city is set to update the plan and list other needed projects with the help of 16 volunteers, called the Downtown Steering Committee, who gathered March 28 at the Anderson-Price Memorial Building, 42 N. Beach St., for a kickoff meeting. The goal is to have a proposed master plan for the City Commission in September.

In addition to action items, the committee can suggest legislative changes.

The downtown CRA consists of Granada Boulevard from State Road A1A to Orchard Avenue including a few blocks north and south. In a CRA, a baseline is established for property taxes when it is formed, and as the property values rise, the added tax dollars can be used for improvements. The downtown CRA was established in 1985, sunsets in 2036 and raises about $1.5 million per year. The City Commission serves as the CRA Board.

Examples of CRA improvements include Granada Boulevard and Vining Court streetscaping, Cassan Park docks, building improvement grants and stormwater upgrades.

BUT WHERE DO YOU PARK?

Peter Sechler, of GAI Consultants, of Orlando, helped develop the 2006 plan and has been hired to work on the new plan. He said he loves Florida’s beach communities, because they have their own history and culture, as well as their own unique challenges.

At the first meeting, the members tossed out problems and possible solutions, and suggested what should be learned from the public, which will be invited to an April 17 meeting. Sechler said the goal is to get all of the input, find commonalities and end up with an action plan.

Sechler said the city has been successful since the last master plan in improving areas, and now the goal is to tie them together.

“You clearly have a healthier business environment,” Sechler said. “You have pieces and places to work with. How do you connect them?”

Ferry boats across the river and shuttles were both thrown out for discussion to make the city more of a unified destination.

“People need to feel they can park their car and visit an area,” Sechler said.

Lori Tolland said travelers need to know when they get downtown, that it’s a place to stop and look around. Others said visitors will not walk far on Granada Boulevard, because restaurants or shops they would visit are spread out.

The heavy traffic of Granada Boulevard also dissuades pedestrians, some said.

Sechler said people generally don’t want to walk more than a couple of blocks, but will walk several blocks in a place like St. Augustine, because of all the things to do and see.

Several business owners on the committee called the lack of parking on both the mainland and beachside a severe problem.

Charles Lichtigman, of Charles Wayne Properties, which manages Granada Plaza, said the lot has become parking for the beach. and a couple of times a year they have to tow cars.

CONVENTION CENTER NEEDED

Debbie Cotton, CEO and president of the Chamber of Commerce, described the need for a convention center, saying she often must find a place outside the city to have a large meeting. Some members suggested the city could look at the recently purchased Riverside Church, 56 N. Beach St., for renovation into a center.

The city is currently studying options for the church property, as well as the police station, which has been considered for relocation.

Bonda Garrison, president of the Ormond Beach Historical Society, said it’s been shown that people who travel for historic tourism spend more money than those who go to the beach.

“How do we capture that?” she asked.

A dining opportunity with a view of the river was suggested by Nancy Lohman. Other committee members said that a restaurant idea was proposed for the Bailey Riverbridge Gardens area several years ago but there was a lot of opposition. Sechler said it’s amazing how hard it is to find a place to eat and look at the water in Florida.

The next meeting will be May 15, and Planning Director Steven Spraker cautioned the committee members to not discuss ideas with each other because the process is subject to the Florida Sunshine Law and all meetings must be in public.