- January 20, 2025
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Outdoor basketball will still be able to be played at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center thanks to one local developer.
Paul Holub, of Holub Development, is donating the design and installation of a new outdoor basketball court at the center at 176 Division Ave., a gift that he approached the city with a couple months ago once he found out the original ones would be removed to make room for the new indoor gymnasium the city is building.
“Mr. Holub explained to me that he thought the gymnasium was a great idea,” said City Manager Joyce Shanahan at the commission’s meeting on Tuesday, April 5. “But he also thought it was very important for the kids that live around the South Ormond Neighborhood Center to still be able to play basketball outside.”
Shanahan shared that Holub himself plays pickup basketball games at SONC a couple days a week, and that when he was growing up, children often built up their confidence playing in the outdoor basketball courts before heading inside the gymnasium to play with older players.
“He feels like this is an integral part of that community,” Shanahan said.
In addition to the court, Holub also offered to update all of the park’s light fixtures to LED. The basketball court is proposed to be located south of the splash pad, in an area that is used now for overflow parking.
The commission unanimously approved Holub’s proposal.
City Commissioner Troy Kent said he was grateful for Holub’s donation.
“I love that he goes there weekly and picks up those games,” Kent said. “It’s part of his workout regimen, and he cares enough about our city and our community.”
Commissioner Susan Persis said she was thrilled about the idea and that she was sure former Commissioner Rick Boehm, who was very vocal in his support for youth recreation, will also be excited.
“This is going to make his week really special,” she said.
Mayor Bill Partington said he was pleased with all the improvements that are coming to SONC. He shared that as a child, he used to play tennis there with his grandmother.
“She was great at it — I was terrible at it,” he said. “But it was still an amazing community asset at that time. It’s just flourished.”
The City Commission also approved an amendment to the city’s code that will allow its finance director to execute the release and satisfaction of liens once paid off.
Before, the satisfaction of liens had to be authorized by the City Commission. The city hopes that removing the step — which it stated in a memo was “unnecessary because executing the satisfaction is required by law” — will speed the process up and ensure compliance with the 60-day requirement. Cases where property owners seek a reduction of a lien will still come before the commission.
The commission also approved a code amendment that would allow civic nonprofit organizations to serve more types of liquors at permitted special events.
The code previously only allowed beer, wine and champagne. Some of the interested entities included the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center.
Volusia Forever, a voter-approved program that finances the acquisition and improvement of environmentally-sensitive, water resource protection and outdoor recreation land, is once again accepting land purchase proposals.
Applications will be reviewed by county staff and the nine-member Volusia Forever Advisory Committee to ensure they meet the program’s criteria, stated a county press release. The advisory committee will then make recommendations to the Volusia County Council, the body which will make the final decision on which properties to pursue for acquisition.
On Tuesday, April 5, the County Council endorsed 18 properties to be added to the acquisition list.
During the program’s first 20 years, the purchase of over 38,000 acres throughout Volusia was funded. The program was renewed by voters in 2020.
Sellers interested may complete an online application at volusia.org/forever through May 15.
