Does money talk?

Also: Granada Pointe neighbor hears traffic noise


  • By
  • | 2:51 p.m. March 18, 2019
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Opinion
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Does money talk?

 

Dear Editor:

We note that three Ormond Beach commissioners voted to approve a Planned Business Development amendment to allow a car wash at Paul Holub’s Granada Pointe development in spite of opposition by the city staff and the city Planning Board. The three approving commissioners are Mayor Bill Partington, Troy Kent, and Rob Littleton. Commissioner Susan Persis registered her opposition because of the staff and Planning Board objections. It is interesting to note that Commissioner Dwight Selby was absent.

Also noteworthy is that Sparkle-N-Shine Car Wash, an impressive, modern car washing and detailing facility with recycling of wash water is located about a mile away at 49 South Yonge St. just one block south of Granada Boulevard. We expect that staff and the Planning Board took this into consideration in developing their objection to the Granada Pointe car wash.

We recall too that Paul Holub and some other developers contributed significantly to the recent reelection campaigns of the three commissioners who approved the amendment as well as to Commissioner Dwight Selby. Paul Holub contributed $3,500 to Mayor Partington, $3,000 to Troy Kent, $2,800 to Rob Littleton, $2,500 to Dwight Selby and nothing to Susan Persis.

Is this a situation where the commissioners have been influenced by campaign contributions from a developer to allow the car wash? Is this a situation where “money talks?” We leave this question for you, dear reader, to contemplate.

Jerry Valcik

Ormond Beach

 

Granada Pointe noise

 

Dear Editor:

I am a close neighbor and friend of the person who wrote an Op/Ed regarding the approval of a new car wash care of Mr. Holub and our illustrious crew of city commissioners including Mr. Bill Partington, mayor of Ormond Beach.

It seems quite clear that Mr. Holub and our commission persons at large have a cozy relationship regarding the approval of a car wash off of the “newly” renovated and tree-cleared home of Ormond Beach’s latest and greatest Wawa Supermarket/Gas Station. Wow, I’m so excited to hear all the additional noise from traffic circulating east/west on Granada Boulevard in Central Park. What a great improvement!

Mayor Partington might relate or not to the additional noise factor? By the way, that lame brick/concrete 8-foot wall does not mitigate traffic noise to our once quiet neighborhoods Mr. Partington!

In total agreement with Mr. Tom Verna’s editorial letter to the Observer Thursday, March 7, 2019 Volume 7, NO. 25. His commentary was spot-on and reflects what many if not all south of the Holub debacle believe and adhere to. We don’t need another car wash commission persons! There is already a fully functional one off of Ridgewood Avenue south of the Mobile gas station in case you haven’t taken notice.

My good friend and neighbor has withstood this onslaught and lack of city commission vs. county council bull pucky. It’s clear to me and many others in this neighborhood that Mr. Holub’s deep pockets have made our commissioners lots of kickbacks in return.

Mayor Partington should be ashamed of himself for letting the better arm of dollars make way for this albatross. Shame on him for voting with the “majority” opinion not that of the city of Ormond Beach which he is supposedly representing.

Term limits are in order and vote your conscience in May, people of Ormond Beach. It’s far well beyond time to drain our own “swamp!”

Colin MacManus

Ormond Beach

 

North Peninsula has sewer

 

Dear Editor,

 I read the entire article on, “Fixing Beachside: North,” (March 14, 2019) and it appears that none of the city commissioners in Ormond Beach are aware that many of the residences in the northern peninsula of Ormond-by-the-Sea already have sewer service through North Peninsula Utilities Corporation (NPUC) located beside Coquina Key. Besides the Coquina Key neighborhood, Lagerheads restaurant and many of the streets north of and including Sandpiper are now connected into the NPUC sewer service and residents pay a monthly fee for this service. Nowhere in the article is this mentioned so it appears that the city commissioners are not aware of what is happening in this part of Volusia County. We do not need to be annexed into the city in order to have sewer service — NPUC may need to continue expanding their service area.

Sunjon Riggs

Ormond-by-the-Sea

 

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