Ormond Beach commission asks FAA whether golf course is allowed on airport property, adds questions about 9- vs 18-hole reuse

The Ormond Beach City Commission voted unanimously May 20 to send a revised letter to the Federal Aviation Administration asking the agency to review possible non-aeronautical uses of 170 acres formerly occupied by Riverbend Golf Course and to state whether a nine- or 18-hole golf course would be an allowable use.

The commission moved to amend an earlier draft and add explicit language asking the FAA whether a golf course — described as both a 9-hole and an 18-hole layout — would be permitted on airport property. Commissioner Travis Sargent made the motion to add the golf-course question; Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland seconded it.

The item followed more than an hour of public comment from residents who urged the commission to reject runway extension plans, restore the golf course, or at minimum seek firm FAA guidance before changing zoning. Many speakers said recent airport traffic and training flights over Bear Creek and other neighborhoods had increased noise and safety concerns. “Please do not support lengthening the runway,” said Lynn Bartlett, a Bear Creek resident. Patricia Franzen, another Bear Creek resident, asked the commission to remove the item from consent for fuller review and said consulting materials proposed retention ponds that the FAA typically prohibits because they attract birds.

City staff and legal counsel told the commission the FAA may request additional information or site plans before issuing a definitive opinion. Airport manager Stephen Licklider told the commission the Citation 650 aircraft class is currently authorized to operate at the airport. City Attorney Randy Hayes and staff recommended including the concept plan packet that the commission previously approved in 2024 and adding any supplemental details the FAA might request to avoid follow-up questions.

Commissioners and staff discussed practical next steps: send the revised letter now with detailed attachments (the commission-approved concept plan and the former golf-course layout) and, in parallel, ask staff to reach out informally to potential private operators to gauge market interest in reviving the course if the FAA allows it. Commissioner Sargent said he favored seeking a definitive, “black and white” FAA response and also exploring whether a private operator would take on the course without taxpayer subsidy.

Randy Hayes noted the FAA’s past environmental staff comments invoking Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act, which protects park and recreational lands in some transportation actions, and warned that the FAA could request additional documentation. City Manager Joyce Shanahan and airport staff said construction mitigation at the airport would continue regardless of the letter.

The revised letter as approved asks the FAA to review the GAI consulting study of possible uses, clarifies that the parcel is airport property, and adds the explicit question whether a nine- or 18-hole golf course is an approved non-aeronautical use for that parcel. The commission voted in favor: Commissioner Travis Sargent — yes; Commissioner Kristen Deaton — yes; Commissioner Briley — yes; Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland — yes; Mayor Jason Leslie — yes.

Commissioners asked staff to return with any substantive FAA response and to pursue outreach to potential golf-course operators in parallel. The commission did not adopt any rezoning or development approvals during the meeting; the vote authorized only the letter to the FAA and follow-up outreach.

The item prompted multiple public requests that the commission slow land-use changes until litigation over the airport property is resolved and until more definitive FAA guidance is received. City staff said they will update the commission when the FAA responds and will include any additional information the FAA requests.