Addressing “Anti” Influence within the Planning and Zoning Board

The NSBPIA is a strong advocate for property rights, dedicated to defending property rights and holding the government accountable. Recent issues with the Planning and Zoning Board have brought to light the imbalance of influence within the city government.

As our members and supporters, it is important that you are aware of the background, issues, and how we can make positive changes to our city processes.

In this post, we will discuss the issues as well as launching two new pages on the NSPIA website to better inform all citizens and provide them with details on how to navigate potential issues:

1. Public information about the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) board members, how they were appointed, and how to contact them if they feel their variance was handled unfairly or that a board member overstepped their authority.
2. Background on the City Manager, his roles and responsibilities, and the authority he has over the zoning appeals process.

First, let’s meet Your Planning and Zoning board members:

1. John Hall – Republican
2. Curtis Hodges – Republican
3. Larry Wheatcraft – Republican
4. Stephen Yates – Republican
5. John Frankhouser – Democrat. It is believed that he is also a vocal minority member (but have no substantive evidence). It’s important to note that Frankhouser’s wife is the president of the Southeast Democratic Club
6. Thomas Bien – Democrat. It is believed that he is also a member of the vocal minority
7. Kip Hulvershorn – Democrat. It is also believed that he is also a vocal minority member

Now, let’s examine the political leanings at the heart of this issue:

1. Lisa, Randy, and Jason are all Democrats.
2. Vallie and Fred are the only Republicans
3. Sallie Gillespie whom is a major influencer in NSB and the vocal minority group are all Democrats with seemingly anti-everything values as they oppose almost all nee development including Deering Park development which is a blessing for economic development for city of NSB. Both Sallie and the her group members have largely contributed to Fred’s campaign, making the situation more complex.

Volusia County has 159,600 registered Republicans compared to only 105,046 registered Democrats.

So how did all these democrats get into office when our population is comprised of mostly republicans?

Reviewing Individual Campaign Contributions in New Smyrna Beach, FL:

In the last four years (2018-2021), there were 6,001 contributions totaling $482,770 to the Democratic Party and liberal campaigns, averaging $80 per contribution. In the last four years, there were 2,881 contributions totaling $980,066 to the Republican Party and conservative campaigns, averaging $340 per contribution. (source: Federal Election Commission)

The political climate in Zip 32169 (New Smyrna Beach, FL) is somewhat conservative. Volusia County, FL is also somewhat conservative. In the last presidential election, 42.4% of Volusia County voters voted Democrat, 56.4% voted Republican, and the remaining 1.2% voted Independent. In the last Presidential election, Volusia County remained strongly Republican, with 56.4% voting Republican and 42.4% voting Democrat. Volusia County voted Republican in the three most recent Presidential elections, after voting Democratic in the previous three.

In a predominantly Republican city, it might seem counterintuitive for the Mayor to align with a different party. This situation arises from an influence imbalance: traditionally, many Republicans, focused on business and economic growth, have been less involved in local political activities that could be perceived as hindering development. Despite this, the Republican base that supports Mayor Fred Cleveland clearly favors pro-growth policies and capitalism, which are synonymous with economic development.

The NSBPIA aims to address this gap by becoming a voice for Republicans and non-partisan citizens who support growth and property rights but have previously been silent. The organization’s goal is to unite those who believe in Republican values within the city, while also educating them about the city’s inner workings. The NSBPIA seeks to explain why businesses are struggling and why investors and capital are leaving the area, factors which would otherwise stimulate the local economy if not for the current one-sided political influence in New Smyrna Beach.

P&Z board members are appointed by a vote of the Commission. With three out of four commissioners being Democrats, the Mayor having ties to Democratic influence, and the vocal minority acting as a Democratic mouthpiece, it seems like the city is controlled by a radical group.

Let’s delve into the definition of “radical”:

Here’s a general understanding of what constitutes radical political parties:

1. Fundamental Change: They typically call for sweeping, systemic changes rather than gradual reforms.
2. Ideological Extremes: Often positioned at the far left or far right of the political spectrum.
3. Status Quo Rejection: They tend to reject the current political establishment and mainstream ideologies.
4. Revolutionary Tactics: May advocate for revolutionary rather than evolutionary change.

After analyzing the structure of government, the contributors to the commissioners and the mayors’ campaign funds, and the ties to the anti-growth groups, it’s become obvious that there are a few radical groups who seem to have a hold on the city government and indirectly control your rights as a property owner and your fate when you go before variance hearings.

Some of these groups that influence local government to control your rights by mobilizing and putting together petitions and showing up to hearings to say NO to everything are:

1. The Vocal Minority: A non-profit, nonpartisan volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the unique qualities of New Smyrna Beach, but which is predominantly Democratic in membership, also tries to control the operations of local government through its over representation on local boards.
2. NSB Citizens for Smart Growth, LLC: While not explicitly anti-growth, this group aims to retain the small-town charm of New Smyrna Beach; however it essentially transitioned into the vocal minority and aside from a mailing list, no longer operates to any extent..

These entities seem to have the following impact on our city, including influence on our city’s local government:

1. Resistance to change: These organizations may slow down development projects, potentially hindering economic growth.
2. Increased bureaucracy: Additional oversight from these groups could create more red tape for local government and businesses.
3. Limited perspective: Volunteer groups might not represent all residents’ views, possibly leading to biased decision-making.
4. Potential conflicts: Disagreements between pro-growth and preservation factions might create community tension.

As an equilibrium and healthy balance, here are some Pro Growth organizations in New Smyrna Beach that want to see our city flourish:

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!

https://www.volusiacountyrepublicans.org
Members: 159,600 registered Republicans

https://www.newsmyrnabeachrealtors.com/
Members: Estimated 2500+

https://mynsb.org/
Members: estimated 2,600+ members

https://www.sevchamber.com/
550+ Businesses: Translates in to an estimated 5,000+ people

https://www.nsbimpact.com/
Members: 50+ members

https://flaglerave.com/
52 Businesses

https://www.floridabusiness.org

https://www.visitnsbfl.com/svaa-information

https://www.teamvolusiaedc.com

https://vbia.wildapricot.org

https://fhba.com

https://www.newsmyrnahousing.com

The above entities, including NSB Impact, are aligned in interest to improve our city. NSB PIA hopes that through our networking and alignments we can help induce and support balance with in our city government which ultimately determines the destiny of our beloved city and lives.

While efforts are made to make the process as objective as possible, some level of subjective judgment is inherent in variance decisions. This is because variances, by nature, are requests for exceptions to established rules, and evaluating their merits often requires balancing multiple factors.

The NSBPIA aims to keep an eye on the Planning and Zoning Board in New Smyrna Beach, we will evaluate how the fairness in their decisions in comparison to previous cases and we will advocate for property rights when we see property rights infringement. It’s vital to maintain accountability to the P&Z Board to not have private conversations outside of official meetings and vote fairly and non-biased.

If you’re involved in a variance request in New Smyrna Beach, it would be advisable to carefully review the city’s specific variance criteria and procedures, which should be available through the city’s planning department or website. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE OUR SUPPORT AT YOUR VARIANCE HEARING. WE believe in property rights and with the exception of a few outrageous requests that the NSB PIA would not support, for the most part we advocate for property rights and value your rights and want to help.

JOIN US AND CONTACT US.