- September 18, 2024
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Following in the footsteps of other local governments, the city of Ormond Beach will investigate whether it can opt out of granting tax exemptions to affordable housing developments under Florida’s Live Local Act.
The Ormond Beach Planning Board voted to withdraw a proposed Land Development Code amendment to incorporate the affordable housing law at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 12, asking staff to look into whether the city is eligible for an exemption. Board member Al Jorczak brought the issue forward after he saw a newspaper article of other cities and counties in the state — including Osceola and Seminole counties, and the cities of Winter Park and Maitland — voted to opt out of the tax incentive program for developers.
“There’s a fairly heavy amount of pushback that is coming now, not only from municipalities, but from the counties,” Jorczak said. “... and I don’t know whether any of that history has cracked itself into our evaluation here in Ormond Beach as to where we stand with respect to the amount of affordable housing that we have available for our population density.”
The Live Local Act went into effect in 2023 and grants developers the right to build multifamily or mixed use residential buildings at the highest allowed density — without needing authorization from local governments — on land zoned commercial, industrial or mixed-use. But there have been changes since it passed.
If fewer than 100% of the apartments’ units are affordable housing, developers and existing property owners are eligible for up to a 75% property tax exemption, rather than granting the 75% exemption if at least 40% of units are considered affordable housing.
If all units are deemed affordable housing, developers can apply for a 100% property tax exemption. Both exemptions are to be renewed annually, for 30 years.
And a provision, added earlier this year, allows for municipalities and counties to opt out of the tax incentive program, if they offer a surplus of housing for people whose annual income is greater than 80% but no more than 120% of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within the metropolitan statistical area.
For the city of Ormond, according to an analysis by Zev Cohen and Associates, the 80% to 120% income range is $46,400 to $69,600. Based on this, a one-bedroom apartment could be rented between $1,243 and $1,864 to be considered an affordable housing unit under the Live Local Act.
According to Rent.com, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, as of Sept. 16, is $1,445.
How would the Live Local Act impact Ormond Beach?
Based upon average rent rates, the city would lose at least 75% of its expected property tax revenue from multifamily developments that qualify for affordable housing. Zev Cohen recommended the city create new incentives to encourage affordable housing — but ones that were built in accordance to city zoning and future land use maps, not the Live Local Act.
Zev Cohen also reported that if all 407 acres of eligible vacant commercial and industrial land were developed under Live Local Act, it would add 13,024 multifamily units to the city, and a population of 29,304 residents. If only 5% of the eligible vacant land were developed, this would add 640 units and 1,440 residents. The population counts were based on the average household size in Ormond Beach of 2.25 people, based on Census data.
“Whether it’s Washington DC or Tallahassee, the people that sit up there and come up with these wonderful, great ideas ... they don’t have a clue about the people that it actually affects at the local level,” Board Chair Doug Thomas said.
Seventeen more state parks in Florida were in consideration for the governor’s proposal to add pickleball courts, lodges and golf courses, and Volusia’s North Peninsula State Park was on the list.
A document from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection listed a lodge as a “new recreational opportunity” for North Peninsula State Park, which is located at 40 High Bridge Road. Pickleball is also listed for Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area in Flagler Beach
In August, plans to add similar recreational opportunities at nine state parks, in an initiative known as the “Great Outdoors Initiative” were walked back by the state following statewide community outrage.
“The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will not be moving forward with any of the proposals at this time, including the items in this document that were never brought forward for consideration,” an FDEP spokesperson said in an email to the Observer. “Instead, we are shifting to discussions with our local park managers and we will revisit any park improvements, if needed, next year.”
Ormond Beach Fire Department crews assisted Volusia County Fire Rescue on Monday, Sept. 16, after a house caught on fire in the 3000 block of John Anderson Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
OBFD reported on its Facebook page that the fire began in a covered outdoor kitchen and spread to the balcony on the second floor of the home. The fire was contained, limiting damage to the second-floor game room.
Two dogs and a cat were rescued from the fire with no injuries. OBFD reports the cause of the fire is believed to have been a mini-fridge.
A drive-thru coffee is being proposed for a portion of the parking lot for the existing Winn-Dixie at 353 W. Granada Blvd.
Ellianos Coffee, a southeast-based chain, is seeking to construct an estimated 800-square-foot building on the parking lot. The company, which announced in February that it would open two locations in Ormond Beach and Palm Coast, submitted a site plan to the city on April 30.
Ormond Beach’s 33rd annual Home for the Holidays parade will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, and applications to participate will open on Monday, Sept. 23.
This year’s theme is “Santa’s Toyland.” Participation is free and limited to 100 applicants. Call the Parade Hotline at 386-676-3241 for more information.
