Note: This article has been updated to reflect the Volusia County Council's unanimous vote Tuesday afternoon in support of expanding the park.
The Volusia County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to buy 14 acres along the Halifax River and expand the existing one-acre Highbridge Park north of Ormond Beach.
The cost was $2.7 million in park impact fees plus $150,000 for design and engineering. Volusia County hopes to recoup more than $1 million through a Florida Communities Trust state grant.
Council member Troy Kent said expanding Highbridge Park is exactly what Volusia County residents want.
"They want this type of project in their backyards," he said, "and when you talk about the right location, this is the perfect location — and the usage that this is going to receive."
On weekends during peak fishing and boating seasons, county staff say the existing Highbridge Park is at capacity and people park all along adjacent roads. It's a safety issue for motorists and pedestrians that the expansion will address.
According to an online presentation on the expansion, the county has early plans for additional parking, kayak launches, pavilions, seasonal trails with bank fishing access, and a connection to North Peninsula State Park.
Those plans include Paddle Point @ Highbridge Park, which would make it a dedicated kayak and watercraft area. Paddle Point would include:
- a floating kayak launch and ramp,
- parking for small trailers,
- a circular drive for kayak dropoff and staging,
- a self-serve rental kiosk for kayaks and paddleboards,
- a living shoreline walk,
- large swings,
- an elevated walkway to a Tidewater Circle open-air pavilion and
- a dock renovation making it ADA compliant.
Any plans for the park still need public input, and the county plans to hold a public meeting.
The purchase would also conserve tidal marsh and Red Cedar upland habitat. The property, at 4130 John Anderson Drive, belongs to the Granvil M. Tracy Living Trust. It's bordered on the west by the Halifax River, also known as the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; on the north by the existing Highbridge Park; and on the east and south by North Peninsula State Park.
