- October 2, 2024
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The Ormond Beach Planning Board will review a special exception for the Cassen Park redevelopment plan at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 12.
The redevelopment of the park, located at 1 S. Beach St., needs a waiver for minimum building setbacks to Granada Boulevard, Corbin Avenue and along the Halifax River, as well as a waiver for landscaping island requirements, according to the city staff report.
The $2.8 million redesign — which includes the existing bait shop — has been in the works since late 2022. In October 2023 and April of this year, the commission held workshops to discuss the plans, and a redevelopment application was submitted to the city’s Site Plan Review Committee on May 16.
The project’s bid is expected to be awarded at the commission’s Nov. 6 meeting. Once the project is bid out, construction could start as early as January 2025, with a target completion date of July 2025.
What will the park look like?
There will be a new building to house the bait shop and public restrooms, and parking spaces will increase from 39 to 53, with 48 to be designed for boat trailers. The park will also have native gardens and a south plaza with picnic tables, swinging benches and a new sculpture.
The project was also inspired by the 2019 Downtown Master Plan update, which identified the four parks on the corners of the Granada Bridge as an area of focus.
Representatives with engineering firm Zev Cohen and Associates and landscape architect Marquis Latimer + Halback met with the city’s SPRC on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to discuss outstanding comments from the committee regarding planning and landscaping.
The Planning Board meeting will begin at 6 p.m. It will take place inside the City Commission Chambers at City Hall. In addition to the Cassen Park special exception, the board will also review three Land Development Code amendments, one on electronic changeable copy signs, one on the Live Local Act and one regarding outdoor activities.
The board will also continue its zoning district reviews and begin discussing the Comprehensive Plan 2045 update, particularly on the Future Land Use element.
In support of Volusia County’s pursuit of answers from Belvedere Terminals regarding the proposed fuel farm at 874 Hull Road, the city of Ormond Beach sent the company CEO a letter of its own.
County Manager George Recktenwald sent a letter to Belvedere Terminals CEO Edwin Cothron on Aug. 28, over six months after the company submitted a conceptual site plan application. On Monday, Sept. 9, Mayor Bill Partington, on behalf of the city, sent Cothron a letter asking Belvedere to speak with the county on the issue, in light of a $10 million state allocation to relocate the project.
“Thus far, Volusia County has been diligent in reaching out, and we are confident that your cooperation in responding to their efforts will ensure a productive and positive outcome,” the letter states. “Please realize we understand time is of the essence with the process.”
The $10 million state allocation aims help Belvedere relocate the fuel farm project to another site in Volusia County, or, to a site in Flagler or Brevard counties.
Registration for the 40th Ormond Beach Senior Games, a week of competitions for athletes 50 and over, has opened.
The games will run from Oct. 19-26 at various locations around Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach, according to a city notice.
The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 18, at the Ormond Beach Senior Center, 351 Andrews St. There are no residency requirements to participate, and this Senior Games is a qualifier for the Florida Senior Games. Events include swimming, tennis, track and field, basketball, bowling, pickleball, shuffleboard, golf, powerlifting and table tennis.
Visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=146222.
The city of Ormond Beach is hosting its Reel in the Fun free kids fishing tournament on Saturday, Oct. 5, to be held at Bailey Riverbridge Gardens, located at 1 N. Beach St.
This tournament is open to Ormond Beach residents only. Check-in begins at 8 a.m.; the tournament will start at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is required by Oct. 2. Visit www.OrmondBeach.org/LSRegistration.
The Ormond Beach Regional Library is among the six libraries in Volusia County that will host a How-to Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Learn how to make French press coffee, fold origami, create spiral veggies and more. Free event.