NSB will ask voters to borrow $15M for Turnbull preservation

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Come November, voters in the city will be faced with a $15 million question: How much is preservation of lands along the Turnbull Creek Watershed worth to you?

“If you want to preserve New Smyrna, this is the way to do that,” said City Manager Pam Brangaccio at a recent City Commission meeting, just before leaders agreed to write ballot language.

Once the specific ballot language is approved by leaders, a question will be placed on the Nov. 6 ballot asking whether the city should pursue a general obligation bond of up-to $15 million in order to purchase parcels of land near the city’s important and historic Turnbull Creek to preserve forever.

“This is really about the voters," Brangaccio said. "Do you not want to see development around the Turnbull Creek Watershed? This is one of the major ways you can do that.”

Pegeen Hanrahan, who represents the Trust for Public Land, said the Trust acquisition staff is already reaching out to “key developers" that own land along the creek.

“Nothing would go forward, obviously, without city approval and, first and foremost, without the voters’ approval,” said Hanrahan. “There are certain keystone properties, without which you might not want to get others. You know, to have access and to have the protection of the waterways and the wildlife and the public access that you planned.”

While preservation of creekside properties may be important to the city, the public would likely want access to the land.

Port Orange bought a parcel along the Spruce Creek waterway in 2005 for $1.54 million with access to the water. The city built a dock and set up the land, but the property had no road access, since the nearby Sanctuary at Spruce Creek Homeowners Association would not grant the city access to the land through its private roadways. The parks advisory board and city leaders are still trying to figure out how best to use that 15 acres — known as the Russell property — more than 15 years later. Even at a recent city meeting, there was still no clear path in sight.

[READ MORE: Port Orange hopes to expand public access to park]

In New Smyrna, Leisure Services Director Nancy Maddox said she is trying to secure a grant from Florida Communities Trust, which awards money for preservation through the Florida Forever grant program. Hanrahan said this year the Florida Forever program has awarded about $11 million and the city can ask for up to $5 million, but the deadline is coming up in September.

Hanrahan also said they are in talks with Volusia County in hopes of gaining a “super grant," especially since the Daytona Beach boardwalk extension has been dropped from consideration. "So there may be some more funds available," she said.

Explaining what a “super grant" was, Brangaccio said both Andy Romano Park in Ormond Beach and the work on the Stetson University baseball stadium, which each received Volusia ECHO funds “off the top, before any other funds were awarded.”

“We're going to be looking at going to the county for that, but we are also going to need the (general obligation bond) to match those dollars,” Brangaccio said.

In the meantime, while the ballot question is being prepared for a final vote, Brangaccio said the city will be working to educate the public on the issue.

“We found there's a lot of new folks in New Smyrna who can’t even tell us where Turnbull Creek is,” said Brangaccio.

“If citizens don’t approve this general obligation bond, they will know where Turnbull Creek is very shortly because they’ll see a lot of bulldozers out there chopping down a lot of trees,” replied Mayor Jim Hathaway. “They have vested rights right now to go forward and build, so the issue is, do citizens wish to stop some of this growth? If so, they’ve got to put their money where their mouth is.”