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ORMOND BEACH OBSERVER
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Abandon Hand Avenue extension
LET T ERS
OrmondBeachObserver.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020
Dear Editor: The proposed Hand Avenue Extension would bridge eight lanes of I-95 and require another bridge over the Tomoka River, a Florida Outstanding Waterway with environmentally protected buffers. This idea was first proposed more than two decades ago and still enjoys unanimous support from Ormond Beach city commissioners, despite its removal from the county road priority list. The estimated price tag, now at $50 million, continues to rise. The Ormond Beach mayor and city commissioners have touted the Hand Avenue Extension as necessary to relieve additional traffic gridlock on Granada Boulevard when 10,000 planned homes (Avalon Park) are built west of I-95. (Keep in mind, many Ormond residents already use Hand Avenue as an alternative to Granada Boulevard.) The commission’s theory is highly questionable in that most eastbound traffic using the proposed extension will likely turn left on Williamson, Clyde Morris, or Nova, still ending up on Granada Boulevard, as there is no bridge to the beach on Hand Avenue. Additionally, east of Nova Road, Hand Avenue turns into a residential road with a 25-mph speed limit. Right now, most Daytona residents living west of I-95 use LPGA as their main east-west artery. The Hand Avenue Extension will make access to Granada easier for those residents, present and future. A more likely rationale for the Hand Avenue extension is the opportunity to accelerate commercial and residential development of lands west of I-95, and to enhance the marketability of those properties. The Ormond Beach City Commission needs to abandon the charade of Hand Avenue traffic relief and embrace more practical traffic solutions for West Granada, where the commission continues to approve new commercial development. MIKE MCLARNAN Ormond Beach
Fact-checking candidate mailers Dear Editor: Glossy mailers from developer-financed incumbents keep filling mailboxes with misleading information. Claims made on radio talk shows and in public forums have also raised eyebrows. Mayor Bill Partington: 17 years in office Claim: “Spearheaded creation of Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center.” Fact: The Discovery Center was the brainchild of a former commissioner, the late Joyce Ebbets. A half-mile directly north of the Discovery Center, development waivers obliterated 23 acres of environment on a migratory bird flyway, clearcutting a forest for a Wawa and carwash. Claim: “…conserving our greenspaces and celebrating our environmental heritage.” Fact: Voted to weaken our wetland and development rules, abolished the citizen environmental advisory board
and development review board, denied citizen request for a tree advisory board. Claim: “…provisions in place to protect our residents and community from any health threat…” Fact: Failed to mandate masks in public against universal recommendations from medical science. Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, DeLand, Palm Coast, other cities mandated masks. Zone 1 Commissioner Dwight Selby: 4 years in office Claim: “Has led the charge to keep city spending in check…Fought to save you every penny” Fact: Voted to buy a church for $780,000, a boat dock for $1.3 million, 105 Medjool palm trees at $5,000 each; advocates $50 million Hand Ave. extension over I-95 and Tomoka River. Claim: “fighting to convert aging, hazardous septic tanks, reducing north peninsula dependence” Fact: North peninsula is in county jurisdiction. The conversion was rejected by both county and city residents. No leadership to convert 800 septic tanks still functioning in Ormond Beach. Zone 2 Commissioner Troy Kent: 17 years in office Claim: “Hand Avenue extension will relieve traffic on Granada Boulevard.” Fact: $50 million overpass at I-95 will actually funnel more traffic onto Granada. Claim: “Proud of the job I’ve done decreasing taxes during a pandemic.” Fact: Going to rollback saved only $14 or less for most homeowners. In election year, tax reduction significant only for wealthy, high-priced homes and large commercial properties. Revenue shortfalls from pandemic estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Zone 4 Commissioner Rob Littleton: 4 years in office Claim: “Police officers and firefighters important to maintaining a safe and healthy community.” Fact: Failed to support a mask mandate to protect first responders and other essential workers. Claim: “Police station should be moved out of flood zone to free up commercial real estate.” Fact: The police station, 20 years old, on land that has never flooded, reduces traffic. JUDITH RONCI Ormond Beach
Editor’s Note: The Ormond Beach City Commissioners were each given a chance to respond to this letter in 50 words or less. Two responded by the deadline. Bill Partington: “Fake facts” in an opinion letter by my opponents don’t concern me. Ormond residents know I’ve worked hard to create a government that is more efficient, more effective and more accountable. In working for cleaner safer and healthier neighborhoods I’ve created a meaningful track record of results, solutions and success. Dwight Selby: Fact: I have consistently supported low taxes and Ormond has the lowest tax rate in East Volusia. Fact: Health Department rated Ormond-By-The-Sea as three
of five worst areas for septic tanks in Volusia. I will never stop fighting for clean water, safer aquifer, and a nutrientfree Halifax River.
The rebuttal to endorsements Dear Editor: On Oct. 5, Terri Kolaska submitted a letter and was advised it would appear in the Oct. 8 edition of the Ormond Beach Observer. Granted, the general public has no say in the matter of letters being published. But, being told it would be printed, one would just assume ... Anyway, it did not get in print until the Oct. 15 edition as it was “bumped” for an article by the publisher, John Walsh, whose article was posted online 2 1/2 days after Terri’s letter was posted. Her letter was written and submitted to promote her choice of candidates for city and county political positions. Curiously, Mr. Walsh’s article contained a similar intent, but with a completely different cast of characters. Let’s examine some other oddities about Mr. Walsh’s article. 1. He states that “The following endorsements...are my personal views.” Not only does he state “we” four times in just the first two paragraphs, the article is entitled “Observer supports candidates...” Who is “we”? I thought this to be “personal.” 2. Bottom of second paragraph: “My views are...culmination of conversations with friends...” etc. Terri (and I) had conversations with numerous local people also, probably not in the same social circles as Mr. Walsh’s contacts. But, through Terri, our contacts deserved to have their voices heard, too, in a timely manner. 3. Walsh supports the Hand Avenue Extension as does the current city commission. This will destroy Ormond Beach and the wetlands west of I-95 to Tymber Creek Road. 4. I have been informed that the challengers for the mayoral and City Commission seats were never informed that the answers to the interview questions were going to be used as a comparative measure between them and the incumbents for election guide comparison — the result of short answers to questions from Mr. Walsh. 5. Walsh endorses Deb Denys for county chair. Denys did not even respond to questions for the “Election Guide” interview. 6. Walsh’s article over 500 words. Terri’s “letter” less than 200 words. (Note: Maximum 400 words for a letter) 7. Walsh lives in Palm Coast, yet is giving advice to you folks in Ormond Beach as to whom he wants you to vote for. Walsh is the publisher — so, I guess he can do all that. Vote for Bridger, Grigsby, Smith, Romeo, Brower and Post. All votes matter. ED KOLASKA Ormond Beach
John Walsh Endorses Ormond Incumbents Dear Editor: The Ormond Beach Observer, reporting on our city government with a high level of professionalism, is crucial to the local democratic process. During the 2018 election campaigns, Publisher John Walsh earned respect with his sincere written apology for giving discounts and reserved political ad buys to incumbents and their PACS. He was cleared by the Elections Commission of any wrongful intent. The Observer endorsed the incumbents in the 2018 election, and Mr. Walsh recently gave his personal written endorsement to the four incumbents running in 2020, explaining his decisions were rooted in his inherent support of growth for business, advertising, and jobs. He agreed with the mayor and commissioners on major issues, including the Hand Avenue extension, their partnerships with developers, and the adoption of state wetland regulations that replaced Ormond’s strong standards. Mr. Walsh explained that he compared the Observer candidate questionnaire answers with his own and endorsed the incumbents when those views aligned. A logical methodology, but the endorsement came as a surprise to the challengers who weren’t called in for interviews and were led to believe the newspaper would not be making 2020 endorsements. When they were sent the questionnaire, challengers were not told the publisher would use their answers in deciding his endorsements. Not that a more transparent process would have led to different candidate answers or different publisher endorsements. Each of the six questions limited candidate answers to twenty-five words. This narrow scope allowed little context and ignored other key questions. Has the commission acted responsibly in the pandemic to protect vulnerable citizens and essential workers? Should Biketoberfest vendor permits have been granted? What is the city doing about vacant storefronts and small businesses struggling to survive outside the downtown CRA zone? Are elections fair when incumbents receive tens of thousands of special interest dollars from corporations, developers, and PACS? Clear conflicts of interest can be found in every incumbent campaign report. The challengers, struggling to get their messages out, have refused all corporate money. Some have had to invest personal funds to pay campaign bills. Despite the disappointing endorsements, the Observer must be commended for publishing the candidate comparisons that provided a level playing field for challengers, and for printing reader’s editorials that allow all voices to be heard. Ormond Beach is fortunate to be served by this gem of a community newspaper. LORI BENNETT Ormond Beach
ORMOND BEACH
Observer “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
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