- April 6, 2026
Dear Editor:
Residents were stunned by the 3-2 Ormond Beach City Commission vote to settle a developer’s lawsuit and approve 254 homes on the former Tomoka Oaks golf course.
Unanswered questions:
Why did the city spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on outside legal counsel that abruptly reversed and pressured commissioners to settle immediately, before a “likely defeat” in court?
Did these same attorneys receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for losing the challenge to a $271,000 property tax bill on the River Bend golf course?
In the ongoing 20-year Avalon Park negotiation, why did the city recently reject a $2.3 million cash settlement that would have preempted a developer lawsuit filed against us in federal court?
Why no city budget record of fund sources and expenditures for outside legal counsel?
Why didn’t the city contract independent testing for Tomoka golf course soil toxins?
How could City Commissioners “conclude” that the proposed Tomoka development “conforms to all standards and requirements of the Land Development Code”?
No “undue crowding” or “unsafe traffic flow” on narrow residential roads?
No problems with the single “ingress and egress” bottleneck or emergency access?
No environmental risks from golf course carcinogens or toxic runoff into the Tomoka River?
No lot size and home size incompatibility with existing Tomoka Oaks homes?
No adverse effects on property values or quality of life?
Are commissioners rejecting 5 years of public hearing testimony from impacted residents documenting unmet Land Development Code standards?
Does zoning matter when the development application violates Land Code standards?
Should citizens and elected officials retain the power to interpret our Land Codes?
Did the city’s 2006 approval of 125 golf course homes set the limit for land code compliance?
Do past federal district and appellate court rulings protecting golf course homeowners also protect Tomoka Oaks residents?
Has the settlement abdicated commission power to control future development density?
Can a federal judge deny a city’s right to enforce land codes that maintain historic, aesthetic, and environmental standards?
With the door to overdevelopment now open, is every Ormond neighborhood and street now just as vulnerable as Tomoka Oaks?
Was the settlement decision driven by threats, fear, hypothetical outcomes, and money?
Has the Commission violated the Land Development Code and the City Charter?
Have commissioners abandoned oaths to protect and defend Ormond Beach citizens and homes?
The above questions should have been answered prior to the settlement vote.
Jeff Boyle
Ormond Beach
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to your article on the “No Kings” rallies, where protesters are demonstrating against ICE and Operation Epic Fury. Many organizers are professional activists who hand out “Know Your Rights” cards. In my view, they should instead distribute cards that say “Be Informed.”
If we truly had a “king,” these protests likely wouldn’t be allowed. Have they forgotten the actions of the previous administration? Parents lost custody for refusing to affirm their children’s gender transitions. Traditional Catholics attending Latin Mass were flagged in FBI memos as potential threats. Hundreds of January 6 attendees were imprisoned, many for non-violent offenses. COVID mandates forced people to take shots, with ongoing debates about harms and excess deaths. Gas prices soared above $4 per gallon with little protest from these same voices, despite the clear pain it caused working families. The list goes on.
Now these same voices protest ICE for removing criminals — murderers, rapists, drunk drivers, gang members, and other serious offenders. The disconnect is striking.
These protesters have every right to speak under the First Amendment, which we must protect. I simply wish they were better informed about the realities of illegal immigration and enforcement priorities.
As a legal immigrant who arrived with my family over 40 years ago, I am deeply grateful for this country. We all worked hard, contributed, and I proudly served in the military before retiring. Lawful immigration built opportunities for families like mine.
Unfortunately, the unchecked illegal immigration and invasion we’ve witnessed in recent years threatens to undermine everything that made America welcoming and successful. Without stronger enforcement and a return to legal, controlled immigration, we risk following Europe’s path—rising crime, strained services, and eroded social cohesion.
It’s time to wake up and prioritize the rule of law.
Luz Harshman
Ormond Beach
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