A 30-year institution is about to end with the Daytona Beach Farmers Market moving from Magnolia Avenue to the Riverfront Esplanade.
City staff recommended approving the relocation based on a decline in both attendance and vendor participation as well as an unsteady financial situation for the farmer’s market. A reversal of these conditions is expected once the market is up and running at the Riverfront Esplanade.
City filings state Riverfront Esplanade personnel “will take commercially reasonable steps to ensure the market is family-friendly, suitable and attractive to people of all ages” and will “actively advertise, market, and promote the farmers’ market.”
Vendors have been invited to participate at the new location. The farmer’s market is set to begin at the Esplanade in August.
Citizens showed up to voice their displeasure. Including a Port Orange citizen, Lois Dietch. She is a vendor at the Farmers’ Market.
“There are a few challenges and concerns that I had about the relocation,” Ms. Dietch said.
Among those concerns is “a viability study” for seniors. She noted there are many seniors who live close to the farmers’ market Magnolia Avenue location.
She is concerned about their ability to get to the Esplanade.
Ms. Dietch also wasn’t thrilled with the switch from the market being a Saturday event to Sunday. She was wondering how that would affect the church-going public.
She noted SNAP and WIC were accepted. Will they still be accepted once the market calls the Riverfront Esplanade home?
Ken Thomas, the city’s redevelopment director, said, “We’re still working on the SNAP program, but we will have something in place by August.”
Mr. Thomas said no analysis had been done on how the switch to the Riverfront Esplanade would affect seniors. “We are concerned with (citizen) concern,” and “we’ll try to acknowledge those,” he said.
When pressed by Mayor Derrick Henry about why the market was switched from Saturday to Sunday, Mr. Thomas said, “I believe it was because of the availability of Sunday at the Esplanade.”
Commissioner Quanita May said the switch is to promote more activities on days other than Saturday.
However, “(Esplanade personnel) were open to, as it evolves, adjusting and seeing what happens.”
City Manager Deric Feacher and Riverfront Esplanade Manager Joe Yarbrough have been discussing adding more days for the farmers’ market. Mr. Feacher also mentioned the two have talked about the use of the SNAP program.
Although the city is in a position to make suggestions, the Downtown Development Authority and Esplanade are the ones to make the final decision.
A lot more ground was covered at the July 19 Daytona Beach Commission meeting.
One development of interest affects Ormond Beach residents as much as Daytona Beach residents. It is the initial approval of rezoning for a 325-unit apartment project on 34.9 acres at the northeast corner of Hand Avenue and Williamson Boulevard.
Hometown News reported on this development after the required neighborhood meeting in February.
That meeting had mostly Ormond Beach residents. It is an unusual situation to have decisions made that affect a community by a government its citizens did not elect.
Timberline Real Estate Partners of Austin, Texas, is the property owner. They are represented by Jessica Gow of Cobb Cole. The property owner wants to build five-story structures, nearly doubling the current allowable height, to avoid using wetlands on the east side of the property.
The rezoning request passed a first reading. A final action and a public hearing will be on the agenda for the commission’s Aug. 2 meeting.
Also in the meeting, commissioners approved the final plat for phase 1 of Sungate Logistics Park. Sungate is an about 489-acre area north of Old DeLand Road, east of Indian Lake Road, west of the intersection of Fire Tower Road with a small portion running along International Speedway Boulevard. If phase two is completed, the total area will be about 859 acres.
Although the developer, also Timberline Real Estate Partners, doesn’t have any plans for building at this point, the future land use is general industrial. A few examples of general industrial are manufacturing, assembly and packaging.
During a June 1 planning board meeting, Cobb Cole attorney Robert A. Merrell told the board Sungate Logistics Park “is a huge success and a huge parade lap for Daytona Beach.” Reading a consultant firm’s report, he said the construction could be as long as six years, bringing $98.6 million per year in economic impact and a total of 4,221 temporary construction jobs. The post-construction economic impact was equally positive.
In other action, repairs are coming to Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Tropical storm Ian lifted off some of the ballpark’s grandstand roofing. It also damaged both the lighting and the large fans that cool those sitting behind home plate and down the first base foul line. A roofing contractor inspection noted further damage, including structural fatigue under the grandstand bleachers.
Two companies are under contract to repair or replace the damage. The total amount designated for these projects Is $73,758.
The fiscal year 2023-2024 proposed tentative operating millage rates have been OK’ed for advertising. The rolled-back rate, operating millage rate and voted debt service rate are 4.8838, 5.4300 and 0.1749 respectively. The rates and the FY 2023-24 budget will be on the commissioner’s Sept. 6 agenda.