- January 25, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Should the city of Ormond Beach relocate its police department from its downtown location?
A feasibility study, commissioned by the city in 2019, highlights several possibilities for the construction of a new facility with an emergency operations center. The study has remained in its draft format since January 2020, and on Tuesday, May 18, Mayor Bill Partington asked the study be dusted off.
With experts predicting an above-average hurricane season, Partington said now may be a good time to have the discussion of whether the city should pursue constructing a new headquarters for the police department, which in addition to an EOC could have a shooting range with a training area and an adjoining fire department facility. When a Category 2 hurricane or below threatens to impact the city, emergency personnel convene in the training room of the police department. But if a storm is a Category 3 or above, operations are transferred to Fire Station 92 on Nova Road since the police department is located in a flood hazard zone, according to the study.
At minimum, the construction of a joint police department and EOC was estimated to cost $26.8 million. A facility with an EOC, joint fire department building, a shooting range and training field could cost $34.9 million.
“I think if we were going to create a new emergency operations and training center, then it would make sense to look at that being a multi-use facility," Partington said. "To have the police station headquartered there would make a lot of sense.”
Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said his department is still in need of a new building, and preferably, one not in a flood zone.
“I think we’ve outgrown this building, to be honest with you," Godfrey said. "And with our population getting larger, and other cities around us getting larger, we’re going to need more people, more employees at the police department and this building simply can’t hold them all.”
The department currently has 71 sworn officers and 24 civilian employees.
The current police department building was built in 2001 and the study indicates that it is need of $500,000 in renovations, including a new roof. Part of the renovation estimate also includes a new chiller, which was included in this fiscal year's budget.
The current police department facility is located on 2.1 acres. The study states a minimum of eight acres would be needed for a joint police department and EOC. It proposes the new facility to be a two-story 55,425-square-foot building with an 18,185-square-foot EOC.
Partington said the study was likely never finalized due to the pandemic, as COVID-19 created a barrier for getting public input. The mayor added that a police presence would likely remain in the downtown in the form of a substation — within City Hall or elsewhere — if the police headquarters were moved.
Which, some people believe the city shouldn't pursue. Tim Grigsby, who ran for City Commission to represent Zone 1 in 2020, said the city should renovate the current facility. He toured the department when he was campaigning, and said the slow growth of the city doesn't justify building such a large facility. He is, however, in favor of an EOC.
“One of the problems I have with the study is it seems like it was more of a study designed to make a case to move the police station rather than being a mandate from the citizens," Grigsby said.
He also said the study overlooks other types of natural disasters, like the wildfires of 1998. Moving the police station would also alter the character of Ormond's downtown, he added.
“It seems like to me that a problem has been created for the purpose of moving the building," Grigsby said. "Some citizens are concerned that the real motive behind the moving the building is to open it up for commercial development.”
The study highlights four city properties that could be utilized for a new police department and EOC: A 37.35-acre site north of Airport Road near Abacus Avenue; a 5.35-acre U-shaped site west of South Nova Road near the Big Lots; a 10.76-acre site east of I-95 by Ormond Crossings; and a 115.52-acre site located east of I-95 by Pineland Trail.
Both the mayor and Godfrey expressed an interest in the Pineland Trail site because of its large site, though it does have 55 acres of wetlands. Partington said that would need to be examined further.
Godfrey said with that large of a site, the department could house training facilities like a driving range and tactical area which they could share with the fire department. Overall, he's pleased the issue is back on the table.
“When COVID hit, everything hit the pause button," Godfrey said. "So for this to be revisited, I am very excited about.”
Partington is hoping the report is finalized soon and that the commission can have a workshop on the issue sometime in the fall.
This story was updated at 10:02 a.m. to reflect the costs of relocating the police station and building an EOC.
