NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick. The final vote on land-use changes needed for the proposed 112-room Hampton Inn & Suites on Flagler Avenue will be voted on by the New Smyrna Beach City Commission following a public hearing at City Hall Commission Chambers, 210 Sams Ave. The meeting begins 6 p.m.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- David Swentor of Premier Development Corp. breathed a sigh of relief after the City Commission voted 4-1 to approve on first reading land-use changes that would pave way for the 112-room Hampton Inn & Suites on Flagler Avenue. That was two weeks ago. Perhaps tonight, he'll have reason to smile.
Like a scene out of the movie "Groundhog Day," the hotel approval process has become a constant do-over with the same opposing forces expected to battle it out again tonight. In support of Swentor is the business community led by Flagler Avenue merchants and in opposition is a group of Florida Avenue residents whose front yards will back imto the hotel.
Tonight is Swentor's 53rd apperarance before a New Smyrna Beach governing body, be it the commission or the Planning Board.
As has been the case in previous discussions, the $15 million project is supported by the business community, which sees it as an economic engine while neighbors behind the proposed hotel on Florida Avenue on its rear side continue to fight it.
"This hotel is just too big for this site; it is way out of scale," resident Jim Smith said, adding its a parking nightmare. He and others asked that the project be delayed to see if funding comes through.
Former Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce President Robert Lott, who owns a financial services business on Flagler and is owner of The Observer newspaper on Canal Street, said the parking is a solvable problem." "It's time to move forward -- the clock is ticking," Lott said, explaining every month that goes by means lost revenue for nearby merchants. "A lot of business owners are going into a hole waiting for something good to happen. They can (only) do it for so long. Let's get going. Let's make these things happen."
Steve Dennis, president of the chamber, echoed Mr. Lott's time-element message, adding, concessions have been made by the developer on parking, on access to the site during construction, but with already a dozen meetings with input by his organization alone in helping with the process, "You eventually have to drive the stake into the ground and put the project in."
"Property values have plummeted 36 percent in the past year," Dennis added. "Our economic development is going to fail without this."
Florida Avenue resident Diane Hughes suggested perhaps the city would be better off pushing for a river-walk hotel off the city-owned North Causeway where Bike Week trailers and boat trailers could be more easily accommodated and Florida Avenue would not be impacted.
Elaine Stathakis, chairwoman of the Flagler Avenue Hospitality Group, said the merchants are looking to the City Commission to keep from drowning like 35 other businesses on Flagler and Canal did last year.
"We need this hotel," she said. "Maybe it isn't the holy grail, but it's all we have."
As has been the case in the past, Commissioner Jim Hathaway cast the lone dissenting vote. Mayor Adam Barringer and Commissioners Lynne Plaskett, Jack Grasty and Judy Reiker voted in favor of the land-use amendments for the hotel on fist reading.
The commission had previously green-lighted the project, but the vote was negated because of improper public noticing by the Planning Department.