- October 6, 2024
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The lawsuit between the city of Ormond Beach, Flagler County, and the developer of Hunter’s Ridge has officially come to a conclusion.
The Ormond Beach City Commission approved a settlement with Flagler County and U.S. Capital Alliance, LLC, via its consent agenda at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6. According to a memo by City Attorney Randy Hayes, the “parties have mutually agreed to resolve the issues that are the subject of the pending litigation matters and the non-compliance determination.”
In May 16, the Ormond Beach City Commission, the Flagler County Board of Commissioners and the developer held a meeting to discuss settling the lawsuit, which was filed on Oct. 27, 2023, after the Ormond Beach City Commission found the developer to be in noncompliance with the 1991 Hunter’s Ridge Development of Regional Impact because a road easement was granted to Flagler County in 2017 for a logging road known as the 40 Grade, and, because the city had yet to receive almost 300 acres of conservation lands, as dictated in the DRI.
The 40 Grade is located within the conservation lands.
At the meeting, the three parties agreed to the following conditions to settle the lawsuit:
Flagler had to convey the road easement back to the developer.
The developer will then convey the conservation lands to the city.
The city and Flagler County will enter into an interlocal agreement allowing the county to use the 40 Grade for limited purposes, including emergency access for Flagler County residents, managing or combatting forestry lands for wildfires, and accessing Flagler’s conservation lands within its own DRI with the developer.
“Following the full and complete performance by all parties, the pending litigation matters will be dismissed, and the parties will be released from all claims,” the city attorney’s memo reads.
A resolution rescinding the developer’s noncompliance determination will come before the City Commission at its meeting on Aug. 20.
A 37-inch Live Oak tree will be removed at 1510 N. U.S. 1, following a unanimous vote by the commission to grant a developer’s request at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Vanacore Residential Properties, LLC, is seeking to construct a fast food restaurant at the 1.36-acre property, formerly a golf cart business, located southeast of the U.S. 1 and I-95 interchange, near McDonald’s. Staff initially recommended the commission deny the request, concerned about the conceptual nature of the site plan and wanting a redesign prior to removing the historic tree, which shares roots with a 26-inch Live Oak and is in the middle of the property. Both trees will be removed.
Nobody wants to see a historic tree removed, commissioners said.
“But you have to be reasonable,” Commissioner Lori Tolland said. “You have to look at where these trees are, and what you want to envision at the end. Right now we have a dilapidated lot.”
To mitigate the loss, the developer agreed to plant 11 new trees, or donate $4,343 to the city’s tree fund. A 44-inch historic Live Oak will be preserved.
Your votes are in — the theme for the 33rd annual Ormond Beach Home for the Holidays is “Santa’s Toyland.”
The parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14. A tree lighting will take place at City Hall at 6 p.m., with the parade starting at 6:30 p.m.
Applications to participate in the parade will be made available in October.
The city is working on its 2045 Comprehensive Plan update — and ice cream is involved.
On Monday, Aug. 26, from 5:30-7 p.m., the city will host a Community Engagement meeting where residents are invited to share their ideas for the future of the community, all while enjoying ice cream from Neighborhood Scoop.
The 2045 update is a state-required report. The last one was completed in 2010.
To learn more, and complete a survey, visit https://bit.ly/3LTdT0i.
The commission also unanimously approved the establishment of a Community Development District for “Ormond Crossings West,” the residential portion of the 3,000-acre development to be built south of U.S. 1 and west of I-95.
Ormond Crossings West spans about 1,800 acres and may have 2,500 homes. A CDD, according to a city staff report, helps to plan and finance infrastructure.
