Statement From The Owners
In a letter to the City of Ormond Beach dated November 21, 2023, legal counsel representing the Property Owners of Tomoka Reserve has advised City Officials of their immediate pursuit of R-2 conventional zoning. As of today, the PRD Development Order has been withdrawn, while activating our R-2 application filed on May 4, 2023.
In light of the City Commission’s comments and directives at the November 7, 2023 public hearing on the request for the proposed “Tomoka Reserve” PRD Development Order, the Property Owners have concluded that the Commission’s decision to remand their application back to the Planning Board – despite their stated objections – for the purpose of negotiating a “significant reduction” in the number of residential lots would be an exercise in futility.
Accordingly, the Property Owners will be moving forward with their pending application (ZMA Project # PZ-23-054) to re-affirm their legal right to develop their property consistent with the published development standards and criteria associated with the City’s R-2 zoning district.
In the letter, legal counsel cited the mandatory directives of Section 166.033(1), Florida Statutes, and respectively requested the City to promptly notice our pending application for a Zoning Map Amendment from PRD to R-2 for hearing before the City’s Planning Board at their scheduled meeting on January 11, 2024.
Sincerely,
Tomoka Reserve Property Owners
November 21, 2023
Statement From The Owners
The Tomoka Reserve property owners want to express their appreciation to all the neighbors, city officials, and interested parties who have contributed towards the evolution of the latest site plan for the Tomoka Reserve Planned Residential District (“PRD”).
For more than two years, we have adopted and acted upon the constructive input provided by the community in the hopes of finding the best result. We believe that we are nearly there in reaching that goal.
In fact, our PRD site plan has been updated so many times that city staff advised the Planning Board that our PRD application had to come back before them for further review, due to the significant amount of “material changes” that were made in response to input received by city staff, advisory board members, and the residents.
It’s been public knowledge that Tomoka Reserve ownership has requested the approval of the more collaborative PRD site plan, which presents less units, wider buffers, new sidewalks and pedestrian interconnectivity, expansive green space, passive parks, larger perimeter lot sizes, more traffic controls, and additional improvements for the overall neighborhood.
We have also taken the time to explore what the site could be developed under the conventional zoning classification of R-2, which is the historic zoning map designation for the site and is the zoning classification for properties surrounding the development.
We have submitted an R-2 rezoning application, which is currently filed with the City of Ormond Beach.
In contrast to the proposed PRD, a development under the R-2 zoning classification could yield more than 300 dwelling units within the site, with a landscape buffer of only 6 feet separating abutting parcels from the new home sites.
In short, the proposed PRD affords us the opportunity to bring in community benefits that are above and beyond the minimum development standards required for a proposed developments in the conventional R-2 zoning district, such as the increased buffering, pedestrian connectivity, open space, and roadway improvements proposed by the Tomoka Reserve PRD.
Throughout this process, our neighbors have called for fewer residential units and less density.
In response, we have revised the PRD site plan and reduced the original plan for 317 residential units down to the current number of 272 single-family residential units, resulting in a density that is less than the surrounding neighborhood and – in fact – it’s the lowest proposed density within this corridor of the City.
It is our sincere belief that our PRD site plan brings forward a project that balances the need for continued housing within our community, while also protecting the nature and value of the existing Tomoka Oaks neighborhood.
Additional information on the proposed PRD site plan, and the conventional R-2 rezoning application, have been made available in our Tomoka Reserve Residential Infill Neighborhood Booklet, located on www.TomokaReserve.com.
We look forward to presenting our PRD to the Mayor and City Commission to thoughtfully have an insightful and constructive dialogue on the future infill residential development of Tomoka Reserve.
Sincerely,
Tomoka Reserve Property Owners
November 6, 2023
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