DeBary’s hopes of landing $2.5 million to establish a waterfront nature park were dented, but not dashed, as the Volusia County Council withheld approval of the city’s request for at least a few months.
The decision to put the River City’s request on hold came after the County Council was told April 2 that the ECHO grant application was not complete.
“They did not have the required construction documents to make it a shovel-ready project at this time,” county Community Services Director Brad Burbaugh said.
DeBary purchased 170 environmentally sensitive acres at the sharp west-to-north turn of the St. Johns River to create a passive park for all to enjoy . Known as Alexander Point, or Alexander Island, the pristine land was about to be developed into an upscale subdivision when the city purchased it from a family trust last year.
“We’ve got $5.77 million invested in this,” DeBary City Manager Carmen Rosamonda told the County Council April 2.
Despite any shortcomings in the paperwork, Mayor Karen Chasez urged the County Council to approve the grant so that the park could be partially developed and opened to the public by the end of this year.
“You do have the ability to make sure this goes forward,” she said. “We believe we can open it in December.”
“Our application is for Phase 1 of a multiphase project,” he added. “We have fast-tracked this project.”
The city paid $3.5 million for the land to shield it from urban-style development and to make it into a place where people could savor the tranquility, beauty and recreational opportunities of the Old Florida outdoors. DeBary used the monies it received from the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill passed by the Congress and signed by President Biden.
As well as buying the land, DeBary also set aside $2,505,000 as a match for the ECHO grant it counts on receiving.
The city has hired Kimley-Horn, a well-known engineering consulting firm, to develop a multiphase plan for the Alexander Island Park. The first phase of improvements includes trails, boardwalks, scenic overlooks, a fishing pier and a kayak launch. City officials also say they would like to have an aquatic-research facility located on the parkland.
County Council members voiced support and appreciation for Alexander Island, but they also expressed a reluctance to deviate from the ECHO program’s policy on how to apply for grants.
“Do we need to be more flexible with our rules?” Burbaugh thought aloud. “But I think changing them [rules] in the middle is not the thing to do.”
“I fully support this project,” Council Member Danny Robins said.
“This is a beautiful piece of property. I want this project to go through,” County Chair Jeff Brower said.
However, he added, the county’s ECHO process is quite clear about the requirements for applying for grants.
“I don’t think this is the time to change the process in midstream,” Brower said.
Council Member David Santiago suggested deferring a final decision on the county’s role in making Alexander Island a park.
“I do not want to see a no vote on this,” he told his colleagues. “I think it’s more appropriate to postpone it.”
That idea was consistent with the sentiment expressed by the ECHO Advisory Committee, a board appointed by the County Council to review and score grant applications and make recommendations on funding for projects.
“On January 25, 2024, the exceptional grant of $2.5 million for the City of Debary’s [sic] Alexander Island – Phase 1 project was deemed neither eligible nor ineligible by the committee as the vote on eligibility was a 4-4 tie,” the County Council’s agenda memorandum reads. “The [county] staff recommendation to the committee was the City provided evidence of meeting the exceptional grant criteria, but the application was incomplete and ineligible for funding….”
The ECHO Committee later “deemed the application met the exceptional grant criteria by at least a three-fourths majority vote (7 of 9) as required. The application received an average score of 84.14, which would make it eligible for funding.”
To qualify for a recommendation to the County Council for ECHO funding, the ECHO Advisory Committee must give a project a minimum average score of 80 points.
With the Alexander Island proposal in mind, the committee took the unusual step of voting unanimously “to recommend there be a second grant cycle in 2024 to allow specifically for the DeBary submittal … and other applicants.”
The County Council voted to postpone action on the grant for Alexander Island, and it also voted to allow for a second ECHO grant cycle this year, instead of the single annual cycle. The votes were 7-0 on both questions.
Thus, DeBary may apply for another chance to land the ECHO grant, even though it may come later than the city would like.
Rosamonda said DeBary will continue with its accelerated effort to create the park.
“A design-build is the best way to go — it’s better, cheaper, faster,” he said after the County Council’s vote.
Rosamonda noted, however, the costs of building are still increasing.
“Everything has doubled [in the past two years],” he added.
