- April 28, 2024
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Old wounds appear to have reopened as residents denounced the use of the former Osceola Elementary school site to house about 80 students from Riverview Learning Center, a school district-run alternative educational facility for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Concerned residents attended the Ormond Beach City Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 5, to voice their complaints regarding the lack of notice that the school district was considering moving Riverview to Osceola, with many saying they became aware of the issue after the School Board’s unanimous vote to approve the transfer on Feb. 27.
Resident Lindsey Wolf said she and her neighbors, all who live by Osceola, were never notified of a Dec. 5, 2023, community meeting to discuss the transfer. She was also concerned that having an alternative educational facility in the neighborhood would negatively impact property values.
“The amount of buyers who look for homes based on the schools in the area is astronomical,” she said. “To think that having a school like that in our neighborhood wouldn’t have a detriment impact is putting your head in the sand.”
A couple speakers also said that the neighborhood would benefit from a community meeting to better understand the change.
School Board member Carl Persis, who represents District 4, was present at the commission meeting. He said the residents are right — they were not properly informed of the Dec. 5 meeting, which was attended by about eight people.
Persis said he thought that was strange, and when he asked the district about it, staff told him a mailer wasn’t sent. Instead, a notice of the meeting was posted on the district’s website and on their social media.
“But, unless you have kids in school, you’re not looking at the Volusia County Schools website or anything else affiliated with it,” Persis said. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s a major error right there.’”
Persis said a community meeting is necessary — both to make amends and explain what students Riverview sees. These are not kids that are dangerous, he said.
“It makes me feel so sad that we’re talking about children,” Persis said.
Patty Corr, chief operating officer for Volusia County Schools, attended the commission meeting to explain the transfer and stress the need to have all of Riverview’s students in one location. Currently, Riverview’s elementary students are housed almost 10 miles away from the school’s main campus.
“It might be upsetting for some people, but truly, the district team was really looking for the best possible scenario for our students,” Corr said.
Corr left after her remarks. The citizens who voiced their concerns spoke afterward.
For the City Commission, who appealed to the School Board in 2021 to save the Osceola site from its merger with Ortona (now Beachside Elementary), the issue with Riverview brings forth a sense of déjà vu.
“It’s like talking to a brick wall, I can tell you that from a couple of years ago,” Mayor Bill Partington said. “Actually talking to a brick wall is more satisfying because you’re not expecting a response. It’s very frustrating.”
The commission will be sending a letter to the School Board asking them to reconsider their decision and to hold a community meeting.
City Commissioner Travis Sargent said he wished the district had informed them of their plans ahead of time.
“They made a decision,” he said. “No one knew about it, and maybe if the facts were out there, or maybe if people knew about it, maybe they’d be OK with this. But they’re not.”
Locals, driving on the beach may soon be free for you.
On Tuesday, March 5, the Volusia County Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday, March 5, to pursue a resolution that would eliminate beach parking fees for all Volusia County residents. The resolution would also create a fee for non-residents to use off-beach parking lots. Volusia residents will still be able to use the lots for free.
Additionally, the council is interested in increasing the fee for beach driving passes for visitors from $20 to $30 a day. Off-beach parking was suggested to cost visitors $20 a day. Currently, residents are offered a $25 annual beach pass to drive on the beach.
County Councilman Troy Kent told the City Commission at its meeting later that evening that the proposed changes could bring in close to $7 million in revenue to the county.
“It’s the biggest news on the beach in 35 years since the county has taken over all of the beaches,” Kent said.
He suggested the city contact the county to instate the same off-beach parking lot fee for visitors at Andy Romano Beachfront Park, which is city-owned.
Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the estimated revenue the increased fees will bring. A previous version of this story reported the figure was $7 billion. The actual estimate is $7 million.
A judge has dismissed S.R. Perrott’s challenge of the air pollution permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to Belvedere Terminals for the construction of a fuel farm behind the beverage distribution company’s headquarters.
Mayor Bill Partington said the city was “deeply disappointed” with the ruling, calling it a setback in their fight against the fuel farm.
“That decision does not reflect the end of our efforts but serves to highlight the significant work still ahead,” Partington said. “We remain absolutely committed to protecting our community’s health, safety, and environment.”
Partington said the city will continue to explore other avenues, including advocating for alternative locations for the proposed facility.
The City Commission will review a rezoning request for the former Tomoka Oaks golf course on Tuesday, March 19.
The meeting will be held at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, located at 399 N. U.S. 1, starting at 6 p.m.
The developers of the proposed Tomoka Reserve subdivision, slated to be located in the 147.94-acre golf course property in the middle of Tomoka Oaks, are seeking a rezoning for the property from a Planned Residential Development to R-2 “Single-family low density.”
