BEACON PHOTO/PAT HATFIELD
Speak up, speak out — Kennel Club attorney Cecelia Bonifay, right, urges residents to attend the Nov. 21 special meeting in DeBary, and voice their opposition to the quarter-horse track and poker room planned at the intersection of Dirksen Drive and South U.S. Highway 17-92 in DeBary.
Special newspaper — This special newspaper promoting the benefits of DeBary Downs, now also known as DeBary Town Center and Equestrian Park, was published by the developer and circulated in DeBary.
BEACON PHOTO/PAT HATFIELD
Getting consensus — Tom Blawn facilitates discussion on behalf of Victorious Living Church at a Nov. 19 meeting at the church. Those who attended oppose the horse track and poker parlor planned for DeBary. Blawn holds a DeBary Town Center News publication promoting DeBary Downs, now also known as DeBary Town Center and Equestrian Park.
BEACON PHOTO/PAT HATFIELD
Rights of the people — DeBary Mayor-elect Bob Garcia takes the podium at a Nov. 19 meeting at Victorious Living Church anti-gambling meeting in DeBary. Garcia said the consensus of the people should count in the City Council decision on zoning to allow a parimutuel facility.
DeBary City Council plans special meeting on rezoning
By Pat Hatfield
posted Nov 20, 2008 - 5:41:38pm
Months of public-relations battles over DeBary Downs, now also known as DeBary Town Center and Equestrian Park, will come to a showdown at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at Florence K. Little Town Hall, 12 Colomba Road in DeBary.
Two sides will meet in a head-to-head confrontation, when DeBary Downs asks the DeBary City Council to rezone property at Dirksen Drive and South U.S. Highway 17-92 for a quarter-horse track and poker room.
The proposal has been the subject of controversy since March, when Green Bridge Co. of Bettendorf, Iowa (operating locally as DeBary Real Estate Holdings LLC), applied to the Florida Department of Business and Profession Regulation to operate a parimutuel operation in DeBary.
The state gave its approval in September. Then, the developers worked on plans to submit to the city with their rezoning request.
The City of DeBary doesn't have the authority to approve or disapprove a gambling facility. That's the state's job. The city can, however, refuse the rezoning that's needed for the horse track. Without the horse track, DeBary Downs can't have a poker room.
The players in DeBary's drama include not only the developers and city officials and staff. Local residents have strong feelings yea or nea about the project, and they are planning to show up at the Nov. 21 special meeting.
So is the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. While Green Bridge has touted the economic benefits of a parimutuel facility, the Kennel Club has acted as leader of the pack for those who don't want gambling in DeBary.
The Kennel Club financed radio spots, a Web presence, telephone campaigns and fliers urging residents to just say no to the track and poker room.
The Kennel Club, with greyhound racing and its own poker room, has the only parimutuel facility in the county, and it's a brand new one, on Williamson Boulevard in Daytona Beach, a short distance from its old facility on International Speedway Boulevard.
The Kennel Club has joined forces with anti-gambling DeBaryites, agreeing with them that the facility would have a negative affect on the little town.
The Daytona Beach Kennel Club, on the other hand, is on the outskirts of a larger metropolitan area, with less of an impact on the community, Kennel Club spokeswoman Rachel Gustafson said earlier this year.
Opposing forces compare notes, plan strategy
Anti-parimutuel forces came together for a strategy meeting Nov. 19, at Victorious Living Church in DeBary.
They aired their suspicions.
Mary Love of DeBary said she called City Council members to talk about the project, but only one ever called her back.
"Only the mayor called back, and he wanted to talk about Bill Keller Park," she said. "I've asked for information, and they won't provide it."
"How many people had the same experience?" meeting facilitator Tom Blawn asked.
A third or so raised their hands.
He asked how many felt "railroaded" by the project. Most of the 50 or so attendees raised their hands.
The group talked about the positive economic effects promised by the developers.
"Three-hundred thousand dollars? That's not a lot of money for the city to sell its soul for," Coe Chamberlain said.
She noted Green Bridge's first promises of revenues for the city were in the $400,000-a-year range.
There were complaints about timing of the city meeting: Friday night, at the start of Thanksgiving week, when many people have other plans.
DeBary Mayor-elect Bob Garcia, who attended the meeting, noted adding just one patrol officer in DeBary would cost about $124,000 a year.
Garcia said the people should have a chance to vote on DeBary Downs.
Even a straw ballot would gauge the consensus of the people, he said.
Blawn noted the scuttlebutt is, "This is a done deal."
Kennel Club attorneys Cecelia Bonifay and Tom Gould of the Akerman-Senterfitt law firm in Orlando attended the rally, also.
Bonifay said the Kennel Club is paying their fees; the attorneys are representing some individuals, also.
They will be prepared to make legal challenges, if the city does grant zoning for the horse track and card room, Bonifay said.
She urged everyone to speak his or her mind at the special DeBary City Council meeting.
Ready for a dogfight
Meanwhile, Ty Harris, attorney for Green Bridge-DeBary Real Estate Holdings LLC, has been marshaling his own forces.
He'll come to the Nov. 21 city meeting with an army of engineers — civil and site, stormwater and traffic, and comprehensive-plan experts. Michael Goldstein of DeBary Real Estate Holdings will be there, too.
"The staff report from the city says we're consistent with the policies that apply to rezoning," Harris said.
He noted rezoning is what the meeting will be about.
There are different visions for DeBary, Harris said.
"We see it as a destination," he said.
DeBary Downs could bring people to DeBary from surrounding areas to spend their money, and going home. That, Harris said, would be an economic boon for the town.
"Another vision is a hub for commuter rail, exporting workers to Seminole and Orange counties. We think our vision is better," Harris said. "It's not increasing the size of the residential community, but increasing tax base."
Allegations going around are baseless, Harris said.
One example, he said, is the hullaballoo over postcards mailed to DeBaryites that offered people a "free Publix shopping bag" for visiting one of three special locations for information about the Town Center and Equestrian Park.
Referring to charges that the Publix name was used without permission, or alternately, that Publix is in on some kind of deal with the parimutuel people, is much ado about nothing, Harris said.
"Publix gave us permission to do it," he said. "We asked Publix, and we didn't put our logo on the Publix bag."
Publix officials had not returned calls from The Beacon at press time.
DeBary Real Estate Holdings simply purchased the Publix bags to use for the promotion, Harris added.
He accused the Kennel Club of putting out false information indicating the facility would be a casino, when "the only people in Florida allowed to have casinos are the Indian tribes."
Parimutuel games are not casino games, Harris said. The Legislature defines parimutuel games as people playing against each other, such as placing bets on horses or playing cards against each other, while in casino games, such as blackjack or roulette, players are pitted against the house.
No comment from city officials
City Council members were leery of commenting on the matter at their Nov. 19 meeting, two days in advance of the special DeBary Downs meeting.
The special rezoning meeting is quasi-judicial in nature, meaning council members will hear evidence both for and against the project, and render a decision.
Council Member Norm Erickson said he was dumbfounded by rumors that the parimutuel facility is a "done deal."
"They're wrong," he said.
The City Council will hear comments from individuals, limited to three minutes per person at the Nov. 21 meeting.
Reader Comments
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People need jobs and opprotunities in Debary, not fear mongering from "faith based' non- profit non taxpaying political organizations.
Gambling Addiction.... what a joke argument
Perhaps you could offer food addiction and ban Burger King
Greyhound Racing..Behind The Gates:
http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=vs-YhmMVx7s&feature=related
Greyhounds Hear Their Story See Their Plight:
http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=IOQHUsuaBPU&feature=related
Greyhound Rescue by National Geographic:
http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=0Hwl3tsDENU&feature=related
referred to will be more than offset by the cost of additional policing and traffic control. Gambling addiction and other long term problems will also burden the city. Read about after effects from other cities throughout the nation when they allowed similar ventures and then see if you really want to do this.
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