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The Ormond Beach Planning Board unanimously recommended approval for a Planned Business Development  amendment on Thursday, June 9, to allow the construction of an apartment complex with a maximum of 312 units at 215 Williamson Boulevard, the site of the shuttered Regal Cinemas.

The amendment request by Southwest I-95, LLC, seeks to demolish the existing 39,368 square foot movie theater building for the construction of the four-story apartment complex. To date, the submitted site plans contain 310 units on the 12 acre-property. The last apartments to be built in the city — Olive Grove, an affordable housing complex, and Madison Glenn, which is senior housing — were developed in 2010, according to city documents.

City staff also outlined that the traffic analysis determined the apartment complex would reduce average daily trips by 1,850 and 51 peak hour trips, as the movie theater generated 3,912 average daily trips and the apartments are projected to generate 2,062 average daily trips.

“This is an infill project that we’ve all been looking for,” Planning Board member GG Galloway said.

If not apartments, what could have gone on the property?

On Jan. 18, when the City Commission approved a rezoning request for the property — from B-8 Commercial to a PBD — developer Paul Holub asked for the commission’s approval to allow RV and boat storage, a plan that wasn’t popular with the public who spoke at that meeting. As outlined in the development order, other permitted uses include a car wash, transient lodging, indoor storage warehouse and a museum, among others.

Board member Angeline Shull said that when she saw that apartments had been proposed for the property, she was not happy. But, she’s since grown open to the concept, as the location is not next to single-family residences and is in the commercial district.

Still, she believes there will be a traffic issue.

“I don’t care where you’re going to put 300 homes, you’re going to have people in cars wanting to go somewhere,” she said.

824: traffic stops were conducted related to the 2022 Daytona Truck Meet this past weekend, according to DBPD.

The apartment complex is proposing 162 one-bedroom units, 148 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. The units will be rented at market value, said Holub, which ranges from $1,600 to $2,400.

Board member Al Jorczak said that this will open up another type of housing for residents.

“Whereas some of our more affluent people are moving out of their homes and they don’t want the maintenance expenses, having an upscale development like this would be something that would be fairly attractive to them,” Jorczak said.

Two residents spoke at the Planning Board meeting regarding the traffic concerns. One said that making Williamson Boulevard a four lane road around the nearby hospital area would help, and also encouraged developers to think outside the box and provide more entertainment options for the public, particularly for children.

The project is tentatively scheduled to be reviewed by the City Commission at its July 19 meeting.

The Ormond Beach Planning Board unanimously recommended approval of a rezoning from B-8 Commercial to a Planned Business Development at 55 North Nova Road for a new car wash. The board also recommended via a 3-2 vote the issuance of a development order, with board members GG Galloway and Doug Thomas voting against.

Ormond Car Wash Investments, LLC seeks to demolish the existing church building to build a full-service car wash with self-service vacuum and detail stations, according to a city memo. The developers are projecting that about 400 cars a day would utilize it. Board members were concerned about the traffic on Nova Road, particularly because of the road’s dangerous nature.

“This is the beginning of one of the worst designed roads I’ve ever seen in the state of Florida,” said Galloway, who said that the number of crashes would likely increase if the car wash serviced 400 cars a day.

City Manager Joyce Shanahan said the city is working with FDOT and safety upgrades are coming.

The Planning Board also unanimously recommended approval for two special exceptions sought by the Ormond Memorial Art Museum.

One of the special exceptions is for a 24-square-foot sign to front on the southwest corner of Halifax Drive and East Granada Boulevard. The other seeks approval to have live outdoor music between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m., as part of scheduled outdoor events.

The Florida Department of Transportation will host an open house for the I-95 at U.S. 1 Interchange Project Development and Environment study from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, at The Chapel, located at 1805 N. U.S. 1.

The PD&E study seeks to develop solutions to improve operations at the interchange. Participants may also tune in virtually. Register at https://bit.ly/3aUcPdj

Circulation Verification Council 12166 Old Big Bend Rd, Suite 210, Kirkwood, MO 63122 (314) 966-7711 www.cvcaudit.com