VCC Approves Ormond Beach Rezoning, Plan To Address Sea Level Change

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DeLand, FL - Volusia County Council heard a presentation for a resolution to adopt the East Central Florida Regional Resiliency Action Plan on the issue of sea-level change. Director of Growth & Resource Management Clay Ervin said whatever your opinion on the subject, the County will have to deal with any rules or regulations regarding the issue due to a mandate in Florida statutes. Ginger Adair, Director of Environmental Management gave the presentation about the action plan pertaining to new building and taking sea-level change into consideration when planning new structures, especially on the coast and along the Intracoastal waterway. She said the County is required to incorporate strategies for dealing with sea-level rise and other climate change in the comprehensive plan. Adair said the county does not have to use this plan but it's a good vehicle to use because the research has already been done.

Representative Deb Denys' raised a concern about what it will cost the County to take part in the Action Plan as did other members of the commission. Chair Ed Kelley did say he's a skeptic about sea-level rise. In the end, the East Central Florida Regional Resiliency Action Plan is just a plan and doesn't cost anything until they begin implementing parts of it. All Council members voted yes to adopting the East Central Florida Regional Resiliency Action Plan and to the Memorandum of Understanding that goes with it.

Other resolutions approved by the Council include a three-year interlocal agreement with the Volusia County School Board for FEMA sheltering reimbursement during an emergency would require FEMA to approve the expenses to the School Board before the School Board is reimbursed. Another resolution adopted changes the zoning of 1,940 parcels from R-4 to R-5, Urban Single-Family Residential zoning classification, for a portion of the North Peninsula area of Ormond Beach. This resolution streamlines permitting for the residents in the area by eliminating some of the bureaucracy involved. Chair Ed Kelley said that the way zoning is right now, if your house was destroyed, you may not be able to rebuild and you may not be able to get a loan on your property if you wanted to do something with it.