- April 19, 2024
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The Ormond Beach City Commission unanimously approved special exception request for signage for two downtown businesses at its meeting on Tuesday, May 3.
One of the requests was for the Pumphouse Barbecue and Smokehouse, a new restaurant coming to 124 W. Granada Blvd. The building, owned by local developer Bill Jones, sought approval for a projecting sign depicting the silhoutte of a pig.
City Commissioner Susan Persis praised its design.
“I think this is the cutest sign I’ve ever seen,” she said. “I absolutely love it. I love barbecue. I love pigs. I think it adds charm and character to Granada.”
The request needed to go before the City Commission because, per city code, projecting signs are limited to a measurement of 12 square feet; the proposed sign measures about 30 square feet.
City Commissioner Troy Kent said the Pumphouse is going to give residents another local dining option, and remarked on the success of the corridor.
“It’s bustling,” Kent said. “It’s exactly what we were trying to do 15 plus years ago.”
The other signage request is for Neighborhood Scoop at 100 W. Granada Boulevard. Jones also owns this building and sought approval for a detached 25-square-foot sign.
Planning Director Steven Spraker said the concept was a result of finding a way to install a sign that wouldn’t be obstructed by the building’s two architectural embellishments.
The property has undergone a significant makeover, having formerly been the site of a blighted gas station since the mid-2000s.
As a lifelong resident, Kent said that corner had been an “eyesore” for many years. Jones has since redesigned it to have a retro exterior, similar to some of his other properties in the downtown, such as 31 Supper Club.
“It matches [Jones’] creativity and the theme that he has done in downtown Ormond Beach,” Kent said.
The city’s downtown district includes Granada Boulevard from Orchard Street to A1A, and the blocks surrounding the north and south of Granada Boulevard. According to Ormond MainStreet, over 150 businesses call the 1.8-mile-long district home, and nearly 3,000 employees work in the area.
Last month, firefighters with the Ormond Beach Fire Department ensured no one was left behind when a home caught on fire.
According to David Randall, vice president of the Ormond Beach Professional Firefighters, five units responded the morning of April 6, to a home in the 100 block of McCallister Drive. When firefighters arrived at the scene, a woman informed them that her bedridden husband and dog were still inside. Firefighters with Quint 93 — Capt. Dan Brands, Engineer Rand Bennett, and Firefighter Kathlynn Stevens — got the fire under control. Firefighters with Engine 92 — Capt. David Randall, Engineer Luke Hoynoski, and Firefighter Zander Harper — made the rescue.
Once the man was safe, crews went back inside and found the dog, who was successfully resuscitated by the Quint 93 firefighters. The man was transported to Halifax Health.
“That woman still has her family today because of the efforts of everyone involved,” wrote Randall. “I am incredibly proud to be a part of that group.”
On April 28, Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington wrote an open letter to Volusia County Property Appraiser Larry Bartlett regarding the over $288,000 River Bend Golf Course tax dispute.
In the brief letter, the mayor asked: “Understanding that the Florida Department of Revenue has advised the Court and you that the City is not responsible for paying the taxes on the Riverbend Golf Course lease, why is your office (Volusia County Property Appraiser) using public resources in an unlawful attempt to collect that private debt from city taxpayers?”
The city will hold an OB Life meeting at the Ormond Beach Senior Center from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, to discuss the airport runway extension project.
Three residents at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 3, spoke against the project, while one asked the city to change the format of the meeting to allow the public to speak at the meeting. OB Life meetings are typically conducted through a moderator, and attendees write their questions down to be answered at the meeting or online at a later date.
Visit ormondbeach.org/OBLife
The city’s Site Plan Review Committee recently received an application for a 310-unit apartment building for the former Regal Movie Theaters site at 215 Williamson Blvd.
The application will need to go before the Planning Board and City Commission for review.
