DELAND — The Volusia County Council by a narrow 4-3 vote Thursday approved a new Community Redevelopment Area for New Smyrna Beach that aims to renovate an ailing stretch of U.S. 1 and the city’s struggling Historic Westside Neighborhood.
Over 20 years the CRA plan is expected to generate about $15 million for road, drainage, landscaping and utility improvements along U.S. 1, and sewer upgrades and housing improvements on the Westside — among other big-ticket projects.
Voting against the plan were County Chair Jason Davis, Councilwoman Pat Northey and Councilman Pat Patterson who each said more details needed to be hashed out about the plan, which covers roughly 2,000 acres and contains 2,170 parcels. They also wanted more information on the ramifications of the New Smyrna Beach City Commission’s decision Tuesday to remove 54 Canal Street parcels from the plan from U.S. 1 to Riverside Drive.