DWO JULY 2020

DAYTONA WEST

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VOLUME 1, NO. 10

FREE • JULY 2020

Council chair asks residents wear masks for 30 days Ed Kelley said the county will not make it a mandate, but strongly encouraged residents to wear face coverings while out in public.

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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Volusia County Council Chair Ed Kelley is asking citizens to wear a face mask when in public for the next 30 days in hopes to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

He announced the initiative during a press conference on Thursday, July 2, saying that, while Volusia wants residents to “mask up,” county officials will not make it a mandatory because they believe residents are responsible enough to follow the “Step Up Volusia” plan, which encourages residents to wash their hands, wear a mask and practice social distancing due to the coronavirus.

“You should be able to choose for yourself,” Kelley said. “It shouldn’t be up to the Volusia County government.”

The county continues to see a rise in cases. Volusia County Florida Department of Health Administrator Patricia Boswell said more COVID-19 cases have been reported in the past two weeks alone compared with the cases reported between March and early June.

“The virus is spreading in our community,” Boswell said.

COVID-19 is real, the chair said. “It’s not a fig newton of your imagination,” Kelley said. “It is out there. It is serious.”

A map showing Avalon Park’s size in relation to nearby communities.

City within a city Avalon Park Daytona plans to break ground in early 2021; Ormond officials are wary of its size and density.

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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valon Park Daytona — the master planned community west of I-95 that could bring in over 10,000 new people into the area — is scheduled to break ground in the first quarter of 2021, and Avalon Park Group is aiming to create a place where resident can “live, learn, work and play.”

“I believe that’s the way everybody should develop,” CEO Beat Kahli said from Switzerland in a phone interview with the Ormond Beach Observer. “That’s what I’m passionate about.”

The Daytona Beach development will be adjacent to Latitude Margaritaville and extend north to State Road 40. The property spans over 2,600 acres and, if the comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning are approved by the city of Daytona Beach, could include 3,350 single family homes, 1,650 single family attached units and 5,000 multifamily units. Based on the 2019 national average of a typical U.S. household, with 10,000 planned residential units, the number of people that could eventually occupy Avalon Park Daytona could be closer to 25,000.

The amendment would also permit up to 730,000 square feet of retail and 270,000 square feet of office space.

It will add over $2 billion in ad valorem values to Daytona and Volusia County, according to the press release.

Kahli said it will be a “traditional town” suited to cater their residents’ needs. Like Avalon Park Orlando, which is home to about 18,000 and has its own downtown district and schools, Avalon Park Daytona will be its own walkable city and will create jobs.

It’s the right way to develop, Kahli said.

A ‘MASSIVE SCALE DEVELOPMENT’

When Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington first heard of Avalon Park Daytona, he said he was shocked at the size of the development, and the amount of traffic that could result on Granada Boulevard once it is built out. Partington said he understands why a development like that would be successful in Orlando and Tampa, both markets Avalon Park Group has tackled. But for the mayor, the development doesn’t fit Volusia.

“The fact that they want to do that here kind of says to me they don’t understand what Volusia County is all about,” he said. “We are an environmentally-sensitive primarily residential area and these massive scale developments that Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami might look for is not really what Volusia County is looking for.”

City Commissioner Dwight Selby called the development “gigantic,” and said that with access onto State Road 40, Ormond is the one that will feel the impact. On office and commercial space square footage alone, Avalon Park could have 50% of what Ormond currently has along the stretch of Granada Boulevard from I-95 to the beach.

“That’s what concerns me more than anything else, is that while it’s in Daytona Beach and it’s all being approved by Daytona, virtually all of the impact is in Ormond,” he said.

Why is the development so large? Kahli said it has to be this size in order to build the kind of community he seeks to bring to Daytona Beach.

THE $75 MILLION BOND PROPOSAL

Avalon Park Group has also thrown in an additional proposal

Courtesy of the city of Daytona Beach

for Daytona Beach and Volusia County. It’s offered a partnership to fund three major road projects that have already been identified as needs to help with the current infrastructure: the widening of State Road 40, the Hand Avenue extension and the extension of Tymber Creek Road to connect with LPGA Boulevard.

The proposal, according to the press release, includes a $75 million bond under Avalon Park Group to fund these projects, with a plans to repay the bond via impact fees and property taxes generated by the development.

Kahli said the proposal was an idea that is still being discussed.

The roads mentioned are already challenged, so improving the infrastructure wouldn’t only be to the benefit of Avalon Park, he explained.

“That’s not a settled deal,” Kahli said. “Rome wasn’t built in one day, but one thing we have a track record for the last 25 years is we build infrastructure — public infrastructure — first.”

City Commissioner Rob Littleton said the bond is one of the two biggest concerns he has with the project, with the second being traffic.

“The possibility that the citizens of Volusia County could be on the hook for the road improvements that Avalon should be making themselves, is a nonstarter, in my opinion,” Littleton said. “I have no doubt Avalon will make a good faith effort to pay the bonds fully, but as the riots and COVID-19 have shown, a great economy can turn bad quickly.”

Partington doesn’t believe $75 million would enough to cover the infrastructure needs. The Hand Avenue extension alone was budgeted by the city at $24.8 million in the past, though the mayor said it could cost up to $30 million.

“If the developer paid for the appropriate infrastructure to be in place and made sure that there was plenty of adequate capacity for the roads ... then it would make sense for a development to go into place, but until that happens I don’t think it’s prudent,” Partington said.

The proposal creates an interesting situation, Selby said. He believes a Hand Avenue extension SEE CITY PAGE 4

WHY THE LAND IS IN DAYTONA, VS. ORMOND Utility service agreements aren’t uncommon in the state, said Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Hayes. The city first struck one with Daytona back in 1981, which was later amended in 1991 and 1992 when Ormond Beach began providing utilities to the Aberdeen manufactured home subdivision. As part of that amendment, Ormond agreed to let Daytona service an equivalent piece of land in the near future.

In the early 2000s, Hayes recalled, Ormond was discussing the future of 3,000 acres (much of which is where Avalon Park will now be built) west of I-95 with Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co., who wanted the city to relax its wetland standards. Hayes said the commission was reluctant to do so.

Around the same time, Daytona decided it was going annex 130 acres along Williamson Boulevard as the “trade-off” for Aberdeen, but Ormond decided the land wasn’t equivalent; it got manufactured housing, and Daytona would get commercial land.

The dispute ended up in court, and the provision in the existing agreement that stated neither municipality could annex land in the other’s service area was removed. That led to ConsolidatedTomoka annexing into Daytona.

DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

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Riviera Senior Living’s cautious return to normal Riviera Senior Living hasn’t had any positive cases of COVID-19.

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

With zero positive cases of COVID-19 reported since March, Riviera Senior Living has started its reopening process.

On Monday, June 29, Riviera’s independent living residents returned to the dining room for dinner for the first time since COVID-19 began impacting the community in March. Lynn DeBrango, sales director at Riviera, said residents were sat down individually or in their respective couples at a table to allow for social distancing.

“While it may seem awkward, the residents have just been really thankful to return to a little bit of normal life,” DeBrango said.

The last few months have been very different for the 106 residents and staff at Riviera, which has both independent living units and is an assisted living facility. DeBrango said staff has found ways to cope and accommodate people despite the threat COVID-19 has on the older population.

Residents were asked to quarantine in their apartments, and before Riviera’s reopening began, meals were delivered straight to their units. Instead of riding a bus together to go grocery shopping, the activities department staff took on

the roles of personal shoppers.

Entertainment for the residents was also modified, DeBrango said. Performers now set up around the outside of the building, rotating locations every 30 minutes so every resident can see the show.

“That way nobody is left out,” she said. “They can enjoy the live entertainment from the comfort of their patio and still remain safe.”

Reopening also means that Riviera is now allowing visitors for their independent living residents.

“It’s such a stressful time for our residents to separate from their families,” DeBrango said.

“They can’t have the visitors that they would normally have but with the opening this week, we have started what we call sunshine visits.”

These visits span 30 minutes and take place at Riviera’s porch. Visitors are asked to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart. If this is successful, DeBrango said they will begin sunshine visits for their assisted living residents, too.

Staff has remained diligent in taking the necessary precautions to prevent any COVID-19 cases inside Riviera, she added, describing everyone as a large family.

“I cannot say enough wonderful things about the team here that our residents are their number one priority,” DeBrango said.

Email jarleene@ormondbeachobserver.com.

DeSantis says spike in cases is result of increased testing The governor said the state wants to focus on antibody testing next.

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

With Florida COVID-19 cases totaling 206,447 on July 6, — over 110,000 of which were reported in the last two weeks alone — Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to hold steady regarding his decision to reopen. He attributed the spike to increased testing across the state.

A record 11,436 new cases were reported on July 3, but when over 85,000 people are getting tested, numbers like those are to be expected, said DeSantis in a press conference in The Villages.

“Yeah you’ll have twice as many tests come back positive, but it’s not really evidence that it’s more prevalent,” he said. The positivity rate has remained low, relatively speaking, he said.

The statewide positivity rate in the last week has been 15%-17%, according to the Florida Department of Health. In Volusia, which currently has 2,804 cases, the positivity rate has been 10%-14%.

Florida’s positivity rate is a “far cry” from the percentages in northeastern cities, DeSantis said. As during past press conferences, he pointed out that the median age in the new cases is much lower than it was back in March and April. The median age is currently 36 years old, a factor

DAYTONA WEST

Observer

the governor said is significant because the virus is more lethal to the older population.

From a clinical perspective, he said 1,000 cases of people under 30 years old will be less significant than 50 cases in a longterm care facility.

“That’s comforting to know when you see the cases that it’s affecting folks who are less likely to see clinical consequences,” DeSantis said.

Having tested about 2.2 million people in Florida, about 10% of the population, the governor said the state will be turning its focus to increasing antibody testing.

University of Florida Health Dr. Michael Lauzardo said during the press conference that the coronavirus presents a wide range of outcomes related to the age of the patient. He encouraged the younger Floridians to mitigate behaviors that could infect them with COVID-19, and later pass it on to older relatives.

“This is a long haul,” Lauzardo said. “There’s some challenges here, but there’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic, and I think that those steps will make a big difference.”

DeSantis emphasized that people should continue to social distance, and said that while wearing a mask can lower the chances of transmitting the virus, it should not replace social distancing.

“If you do it, you’re not going to get infected if you’re maintaining the appropriate distancing,” he said.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher / John Walsh, jwalsh@ ormondbeachobserver.com Executive Editor / Brian McMillan, editor@ palmcoastobserver.com Associate Editor / Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@ormondbeachobserver.com Page Designer / Hailey McMillan Advertising Manager / Jaci Centofanti, jaclyn@palmcoastobserver.com Senior Account Manager / Susan Moore, susan@palmcoastobserver.com Front Desk Associate / Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@palmcoastobserver.com Operations Manager / Maureen Walsh, maureen@palmcoastobserver.com Circulation Manager / David Brooks, david@horizonroad.com

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JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

F A centennial milestone World War II veteran William Wilt waves to passing cars

Margaret England.

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

World War II veteran William Wilt.

our residents are turning 100 years old or older at Ormond in the Pines in the next six weeks, and three of them were honored on Saturday, June 27, with a car parade of friends, family and Ormond Beach first responders.

The three residents — Frank James Taylor, William Bilt and Margaret England — were recognized by Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington and Florida Rep. Tom Leek, whose mother is also a resident at the independent and assisted living community. Taylor and Bilt, both World War II veterans, were presented with a proclamation and a key to the city by Partington, who promised England she’d get hers closer to her 102nd birthday on July 29.

Taylor, originally from Michi-

World War II veteran Frank Taylor.

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gan, will turn 100 years old on July 17. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army in the Pacific Ocean from 1942 to 1946. He moved to Orlando in 1968 and worked for Southern Bell for 43 years, according to the mayor’s proclamation.

He and his late wife Winifred were married for 43 years, and Taylor now has two granddaughters and two great-grandchildren. He still drives a car and takes himself to all of his medical appointments.

He is the third oldest resident at Ormond in the Pines and has lived there for the past three years.

Wilt, a Pe n n sylva n i a native, turned 100 years old on June 15. He served as a sergeant in the U.S Army in Okinawa, Japan from 1942 to 1946. He and his late wife, Terry, were married for 38 years and had three daughters, according to the mayor’s proclamation. He later married his second late wife, Marjorie, and gained two stepsons; now, he has eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Wilt remains active and enjoys bowling, card games and putt-putt golf. He also dresses up for Halloween each year. He is the second oldest person at Ormond in the Pines and has lived there for the last eight years.

Having four residents who are reaching, or surpassing, their centennial birthday within weeks of each other is something to be celebrated, said Michelle Hanner, executive director for Ormond in the Pines. That wasn’t something that she saw often when she entered her role.

“We feel very honored and blessed to have them here,” she said.

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City within a city is needed, so the proposal carries some appeal, but not if taxpayers are responsible in the long run.

“I can’t fault [Daytona Beach] for being for it, but I do think in the spirit of cooperation and in the spirit of working together and doing what’s good for the entire area, I think it’s incumbent upon them to work with us,” Selby said. “But while we’re talking, they’re approving.”

SERVICE AGREEMENT

Aside from being Daytona’s neighbor to the north, what is Ormond Beach’s role in the Avalon Park development?

Because of a 2006 comprehensive settlement agreement with Daytona Beach, Ormond will be providing water and sewer to Avalon Park. It will sell the utilities to Daytona at a wholesale price, and Daytona will then sell the utilities to its new residents at retail.

Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Hayes said the benefit is Daytona bears the burden of constructing the distribution and collection lines; Ormond just has to provide utilities, and any improvements the city has to make to its facilities to be able to provide enough water and sewer has to be reimbursed by Daytona Beach.

If Daytona breaches the agreement, it loses the right to sell Ormond’s utilities on a retail basis. Ormond can then provide utilities at the rate for those who reside outside the city limits, an upcharge of 125%.

The agreement usually requires the municipalities to share information on projects to ensure planning and understanding of the impacts, Hayes said. That hasn’t happened this time, and Hayes said that’s “unfortunate and a little frustrating.”

Whatever happens in Daytona affects the surrounding communities, he said.

“I think everybody recognizes

that eventually growth is going to occur, and I think we all recognize that growth does not respect corporate boundaries,” Hayes said. “I think we all understand that we, all of us as public officials, have a responsibility to ensure that, as growth develops, it occurs in a reasonable fashion that does not negatively impact or burden the citizens within our community.”

And the city has the right to inquire about possible negative impacts, Hayes added. If they had been involved from the beginning, perhaps their questions and concerns could have already been addressed.

BUILDING A TOWN

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City Manager Joyce Shanahan said her main concerns are the intensity and the density of Avalon Park Daytona.

“No matter how much Avalon Park says they’re going to capture internally with traffic, there’s one beach, and it’s on the east side of Ormond Beach, and there’s one way to get there, and that’s Granada Boulevard,” Shanahan said.

She added that the city has worked hard to make improvements along the Granada Boulevard corridor and that people are still going to leave Avalon Park to use the city’s amenities, which will impact Ormond residents’ quality of life.

By building more densely, Kahli said they are able to leave more green spaces and wetlands untouched. If every new project was developed like Avalon Park, Kahli said a community’s infrastructure needs would lessen. He believes Avalon Park Daytona will be an economic driver in the community and will improve the area. People are skeptical it can be done, he said, but he’s already achieved that in other cities in the I-4 corridor.

“For me, it’s just building a town and not a subdivision,” he said.

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THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR RESIDENTS IS OUR TOP PRIORITY!

We have practices in place to ensure the continued well-being of our residents.

We are moving towards beginning the re-opening process of our community cautiously. Many restrictions remain in place, in an effort to ensure continued health of our residents and staff.

Under the new procedures we have put in place to safeguard our residents: • Riviera provides weekly shopping service to our residents to ensure their safety.

• Our residents enjoy chef prepared meals which are now delivered daily to be enjoyed in the comfort and safety of their homes.

• Modified outdoor entertainment is provided twice weekly. Residents can enjoy live musical performances from the comfort of their balconies!

• Community elevators and common areas are sanitized continuously throughout the day with hospital grade sanitizer.

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