Tomoka Oaks golf course ‘Regrow the Loop’ earns approval

only opinion that matters is a judge’s opinion.”

A PAST ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP THE COURSE

The current development proposal for the golf course is not the first for the property.

First came the Tomoka Oaks Golf Village proposal.

In 2006, the Ormond Beach City Commission approved Dr. Richard Ryals’ proposal to build 35 townhomes and six condo buildings on about 30 acres of the property. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, his proposal also included a new golf clubhouse and changes to the golf course.

Ryals’ proposal, which included a rezoning of the property to Planned Residential Development, expired in 2014.

In meeting with the Observer in December 2022, joined by Davis and resident John Anthony, who has since died, Ryals detailed why his development never occurred. For one, the financial crash happened soon after his development was approved. He had also ran into water issues with the city and St. Johns River Water Management District in previous years.

Ryals, who bought the property in 1979 and operated the golf course for the next 31 years until he sold it to Putnam State Bank, said residents who believed the golf course was forever restricted to that use were misinformed. In fact, he said, the lack of a restriction was why he — a resident of Tomoka Oaks himself — held onto the property for so long.

“I was afraid some unscrupulous developer would come in and start building homes back there, which is exactly what’s happening,” he said.

He counseled Davis and Anthony to find legal authority to determine if the covenant is still legally binding. But he also didn’t agree with the HOA’s mission to focus on mitigating the impacts of the development rather than finding a way to halt it.

“That’s admitting defeat,” Ryals said.

A BIG CHANGE, OR NO CHANGE?

The Tomoka Oaks community hasn’t changed much since Rose moved in. The number of kids has ebbed and flowed, and people have moved in and out, but the biggest change has been seeing the golf course go downhill.

“It’s a big change when you’re used to having the beautiful vistas and such, and now all of the sudden, [development] impacts the value of your home and impacts your enjoyment of it,” he said. “So that’s going to be a big change for folks.”

The HOA has met with the developers around seven times. Rose understands that as a voluntary HOA with only about 60% of residents as members, the HOA can’t singlehandedly steer the ship.

“When you’re dealing with decision-makers, they want to see a consensus, which is what we’re trying to do, and a position so that we can negotiate,” Rose said. “... The greater the mass, the more impact you have when you’re negotiating or when you’re advocating a position.”

From Velie’s perspective, his group’s proposal would make better use of existing infrastructure and services, and has the potential to bring new life to older neighborhoods.

“It can create new places to live and work and support local businesses,” he said. “Infill development is critical to smart growth policies.”

One misconception some may have, he said, is that smaller lots mean cheap homes. The reality, he said, is that economic conditions and homebuyers’ desires have changed since Tomoka Oaks was developed.

“Today, a large lot is 75 to 80 feet wide, not 100 feet,” he said. “In many of the new developments, you have homes on these size lots sell in the $650,000-$700,000 range. Increasing the lot sizes to 100 foot wide will result in [raising] the overall price of the home to $1 million or more, which puts it out of reach for many of Ormond Beach’s residents.”

In a phone conversation a couple of weeks after the Feb. 8 neighborhood meeting, Davis’ opinion didn’t waver. The neighborhood meeting felt like a formality, she said.

“There was no real effort made to make this a presentable development that the community would want,” she said.

She understands the city’s stance that the golf course is free to be developed. She continues to respectfully disagree. In the March edition of her newsletter, she remarked on the collective desire she saw at the meeting of residents wishing to prevent the golf course’s development. She signed her message, “Not giving in or up.”

When the Observer asked what keeps her going, she said she is finding that her desire to educate her neighbors and protect Tomoka Oaks’ characters “comes from something larger than myself.”

“The more I talk to people, the more convinced I am that we have something special here in Tomoka Oaks, and my motivation comes from knowing that what I am doing could have a lasting, positive impact on our neighborhood and all of Ormond Beach,” Davis said. “That is what keeps me going.”

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

A new initiative to regenerate plant coverage and rid the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail of invasive species was approved by the Volusia County Council in a 5-1 vote on Tuesday, April 4.

The initiative, titled “Regrow the Loop,” was drafted in conjunction with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Services and will act as a one-year pilot program, with the potential to expand the initiative to other environmentally-sensitive areas in the county.

“Regrow the Loop is not only a win for our community and state, it’s a huge win for all animals,” County Councilman Troy Kent said, who had brought the issue forward at a past meeting.

The lone vote against the initiative was Councilman Don Dempsey, who felt the county was focusing most of its efforts and attention on the east side. That’s not fair, he said, citing the west side’s needs for facilities like Little League and football fields.

Dempsey said he’s not against the Loop, or against the initiative, but he was concerned about taxpayers paying for something he didn’t believe should be the county’s responsibility.

“There’s other places in the community that I think are equally as beautiful and need to be watched out more,” Dempsey said.

The initiative includes providing one tree at least 3 gallons in size to each of the households along the state and nationally designated scenic byway. Other program objectives include monthly educational activities for the community and volunteer events to remove invasive plant species. The county would also offer a Regrow the Loop pledge, where residents could pledge to adopt practices to sustain the Loop.

This approach is “behaviorfocused on growing green,” said Bradley Burbaugh, county director of resource stewardship.

“Essentially, growing green means we’re doing things that are going to protect the environment in our yard, protecting water quality and engaging in the initiative,” Burbaugh said.

The tree fund, which has about $1.3 million, was identified as a prospective funding source.

While County Council Chair Jeff Brower supported the program, he was concerned about depleting the tree fund. A pilot program would give the county a better idea of what the initiative will cost, he added. Brower also wished for the county to be a role model for the citizens through the initiative.

“The county needs to take the lead,” he said. “All those things it says we’re asking homeowners to do, I would like the county to do as well.”

County Councilman David Santiago, who admitted to not knowing where the Loop was located, said he liked the idea of a pilot program to see what works and what can be tweaked along the way. The Loop spans over 30 miles along John Anderson Drive, A1A, Old Dixie Highway and North Beach Street in Ormond Beach. It is home to three Florida State Parks: North Peninsula State Park, Tomoka State Park and Bulow Creek State Park.

“I want to make sure that as we allocate funds for this project, we are conscious of some of the statements that it’s a big county,” Santiago said. “Ormond has the Loop. DeLand may have the triangle, right, and other cities may have the square, and I want to make sure that the funds we’re going to tap into or utilize are adequately dispersed amongst the county.”

At the meeting, Ormond Beach resident Alan Burton pledged to donate $1,000 for a dedicated tree fund for the Regrow the Loop initiative, in memory of the late Sue Parkerson, an Ormond Beach resident who dedicated much of her life to serving in civic organizations.

“I would ask that we grow the Loop to cultivate the highest quality of life for us and our future generation,” Burton said.