Deltona, county, complete Thornby purchase

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Mar 12, 2009 - 9:47:48am

After years of contention and drama, city workshops, and support and opposition expressed by Deltona residents, the Thornby property belongs to the public.

Thornby supporters see the estate as a preserve of Florida history, flora and fauna. The land is filled with native plant specimens, birds and other wildlife.

Proponents of its public purchase wanted the oasis of green along the northern shore of Lake Monroe left undeveloped.

Opponents worried about the cost.

Now, as County Council Member Pat Northey put it in a March 10 newsletter, "Signed, sealed, delivered, it's yours."

To the cost-conscious, she said, "It is the people's gift to themselves. And while today's residents will enjoy the property, it will be future generations that will thank us for having the foresight to secure this property."

The cost of delivery? $3 million, paid half by the City of Deltona and half by the county's Volusia Forever program.

Government officials and the property owners' representatives closed the deal March 9. On hand at the law offices of Cobb and Cole in DeLand were city and county representatives, attorneys and Realtor Bernard Senez of Senez Real Estate.

Deltona City Commissioner Janet Deyette, one of the moving forces behind the purchase, attended the closing.

"This has certainly been a long process," she said.

The push lasted through several City Commission elections and changes in Deltona administration. A coalition that included Deyette, Deltona Mayor Dennis Mulder, and others succeeded in getting the purchase approved last year.

Deyette said there was support from the community.

"I got a whole lot of information from Sandy Walters," Deyette said.

Walters is a local land-use activist and preservationist. She advocated the purchase, along with other members of Friends of Thornby. The group showcased the property in February 2008, with an open house and tours. The result was more support for the purchase in the Deltona community.

Frank Knight, who represented the Thornby owners, said the family wanted the property preserved and turned into a park. The land had been in the family for 95 years.

The Thornby property is 38.2 acres along the shores of Lake Monroe, not far from Green Spring.

When surveyors measured it, they found an extra 1.2 acres of land. The price had been calculated based on 37 acres. The family decided to donate the extra acreage to the city.

Most of the property will be left in its natural, undeveloped state, with the addition of some walking trails.

A small portion will be turned into an all-inclusive children's playground, funded through a $375,000 Volusia County ECHO (environmental, cultural, historical and outdoor) grant and a state recreational grant. All-inclusive, or limitless playgrounds, accommodate both children with disabilities and those without.

The ECHO-grant request has already passed the eligibility test, Northey said. It will go before the County Council March 19 for final approval.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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