Article Courtesy of The Daytona Beach News-Journal
By Casmira Harrison
Published June 1, 2016
DAYTONA BEACH SHORES — Several big names in the housing industry would like
to build bigger, taller buildings in this city already lined with beachfront
towers, and the City Council is weighing whether to let them do it.
But while leaders "do
research" on the topic, some city residents have been vocal
in their opposition.
It's going to be a total eclipse at Oceans One," said
Frank Dart, a resident of Oceans One condominium, directly across from the
police station. Dart referred to the southern-facing view he enjoyed that he
said would be eliminated if the taller buildings are allowed. He also said
traffic along South Atlantic Avenue is already tough to cross.
City Manager Michael Booker said there are three
developers so far — DiMucci Companies, real estate developer George Anderson
and Cook Development — that are looking to build past the current height
limit of 110 feet or 12 stories-high.
While a representative
of DiMucci and developer Anderson could not be reached
immediately for comment, and Cook Development owner Doug
Cook said he didn't want to comment until the subject came
before city leaders again. Cook has built at least six
luxury oceanfront condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores and
was planning another in 2009 when he halted his proposed
Bella Brisa project because of the recession. That project
is back on the table.
The building-height debate can be counted on to wash over
the city as steadily as the waves that crash on its shores -
and the recent showing of residents at a council meeting
suggested another wave was inbound. The subject came up two
decades ago and led to a recall vote of former Mayor Phyllis
Garmin, as well as several lawsuits. The height limitation
was supposedly settled in two voter referendums, a council
vote and costly lawsuit. |
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Daytona Beach Shores is once again taking up the
issue of height restrictions on buildings in the city.
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But the recent push by developers of two proposed
separate beachside condominium projects has lifted the subject to the
forefront again.
The tallest building in the Shores currently is The Peninsula condo tower at
22 stories and about 207 feet. It was completed in 1992, six years before
the city put a cap on the ceiling. By comparison, The Bella Brisa
Condominium — one of the two latest projects planned — is a 26-story,
275-foot tower set for the space next to Oceans One, kitty-corner to the
Publix shopping plaza. And Town Center Condominiums are planned to be twin
24-story, 264-foot towers next to Browning Avenue and across from Congo
River Golf near the city's north side.
The renewed effort to build higher prompted city leaders at a January
visioning session to talk about dissolving the 110-foot limit in certain
zoning districts.
But by the time staff put together a proposal to change the rules, Mayor
Harry Jennings said he and other city leaders received a flood of calls and
emails after residents learned the building heights ordinance had been
drafted. The outpouring of concern prompted city leaders to table the
proposal before it could be acted upon. Booker said he is planning public
outreach before the issue comes up again at a City Council meeting.
But despite that, several residents wanted leaders to know what they thought
of the idea and Jennings said he agreed, they should know.
"It takes me five minutes to get across the road if I want to head south" on
A1A, Dart said about the possibility of traffic . Other residents added they
were concerned home and rental values might slide due to any increased
density.
Evender Spradlin said he bought his Oceans One condo in 1999.
"I was told that no one would build to the south of me." Spradlin said,
adding, "Perhaps we can look at extending the height on the west side of
A1A."
"It's an emotional issue for a lot of people," Booker said in an interview
this week at City Hall.
"Are we going to become the next Miami Beach? No," said Booker. But he said
if you remove emotion from the equation, the fact remains that the Shores
has no place to grow but up. Unlike other cities in the area — Booker used
Port Orange and its vast western expansion as an example — The Shores is
bordered on all sides by water, he said.
Ron Wysocarski, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty in Port Orange agreed.
"Building up is really the only option. There just isn't enough land to
build out," said the Realtor.
Wysocarski said condo sales around the greater Daytona Beach area dipped 5.6
percent year over year, but his team's analysis also showed prices
skyrocketed by more than 48 percent. Median sales prices soared from 130,000
in 2015 to 193,500 in April this year. The prices also are up dramatically
from March’s median sales price of $154,000.
“The market is very busy and demand for vacation condos is high," said
Wysocarski.
The city manager said leaders and staff want to have an open dialogue with
residents at several meetings over the summer about the possible impacts and
benefits before anything is decided.
"This is more important then to just leave it at a council meeting," Booker
said.
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