- March 8, 2025
William Sullivan's business didn't fit into any classification in the city's code, but a 3-2 vote April 2 meant he would avoid a lengthy special exception route.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
Technology has outpaced the city’s land development code, and it almost cost a new small business.
William Sullivan, co-owner of Arena LAN Center LLC, appealed a decision by Ric Goss, the city’s planning director, which classified his business as an automated amusement center or game room, to the Ormond Beach City Commission April 2.
The appeal was approved by a 3-2 vote, following a unanimous agreement that technology has outgrown the city’s code.
The appeal meant that Arena LAN Center, at 777 S. Nova Road, could be classified as retail sales and services, which isn’t allowed by city code at the location.
Sullivan’s business will sell time on a high-speed internet infrastructure for gamers and other users, in addition to snacks, soft drinks and various gaming items.
However, the business model didn’t fit into any classifications currently in the city’s code. As a result, the commission could either approve it as retail sales, alter the city code or allow a special exception.
The special exception process would cost Sullivan $2,400 and could take 45-60 days. Bypassing that stage allows Sullivan to open within a “couple of weeks.”
“It’s a very interesting case,” Commissioner Bill Partington said. “It’s a situation where technology has outpaced our archaic code, (which) doesn’t really have a place or a home or a definition for what it is that these folks are doing.”
All five commissioners supported the business, but disagreed on how it should be classified in order for it to comply with city code.
Mayor Ed Kelley and Commissioner Rock Boehm voted against the appeal, saying they didn’t see how the business could be considered retail sales.
Sullivan compared his business to a Kinko’s Copy Center, which rents office space by the hour, in addition to selling copies. This, he said, is what Arena LAN Center would provide for gamers and customers looking for the capabilities his infrastructure offers. It creates a community for gamers, which Sullivan said the area is lacking.
The comparison to Kinko’s and lengthy discussion of the business swayed Stowers, who initially disagreed but became the swing vote.
Not far from the discussion Tuesday night was the looming legislation from the state government to ban internet cafes in the wake of an illegal gambling business, which used an Internet cafe model.
The commission never implied Sullivan was looking to move towards gambling.
