The ‘grand vision’: DeBary secures piece of riverfront land for new park
Towering live oak trees provide shade and habitat for more than 50 avian species residing in Volusia County, just a short walk from a sandy beach with a prime vantage point of the St. Johns River.
This pristine parcel is what DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez called the city’s “grand vision,” a project already three years in the making that now stands to be protected in perpetuity. After staff put “thousands of hours” of work into purchasing 170-acre Alexander Island, the city closed on the riverfront property Feb. 1.
“That this is public land and that the public will be able to stand here and enjoy the river in the River City is just really special,” Chasez said. “The whole experience has been extremely special and the result of a lot of hard work, but we did prevail. We realized the grand vision.”
Although the park may not be open to the public for a year or more, the space will ultimately provide a place for all types of passive recreation: hiking, biking, fishing and launching nonmotorized vessels into the St. Johns.
Alexander Island, which sits just across the river from Seminole County’s Black Bear Wilderness Area, will also serve as home to a research and education center run by the Aquatic Preserve Alliance of Central Florida.
The path to securing this serene site was not straight or easy. At one point, DeBary pursued Florida Forever funding earmarked for recreation lands before encountering a problem with the appraisal process. Then the city sought Volusia Forever funds, but Chasez said there was a “term in their proposed conservation easement that was just unworkable.”
The mayor and her team, including city manager Carmen Rosamonda and Shari Simmans, director of economic development, communications and government affairs, decided to pursue the $3.5 million parcel on their own, in part using pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Alexander Island was privately held by the Recicar Trust and used for family camping and outdoor recreation for decades. Trustees held off on selling until DeBary secured funding, but there was always a risk the property could fall into developers’ hands.
“The realtor told us when I signed the papers that there was recently a developer who was interested if the deal fell apart,” Chasez said. “I looked at him and I said, ‘Lose his phone number. I’m signing the papers. It’s ours.’”
Moving forward, the city will develop a master plan for the park, seeking public input this spring before the council and staff vote on the final plan. At that point, the build-out can begin. Chasez said DeBary hopes to leverage funding from Volusia ECHO (Environmental, Cultural, Historic and Outdoor Recreation) to build a boardwalk and finish the site planning.
The public is invited for an open house and tour of Alexander Island on April 1; timeslots can be reserved on the city’s website.
Georgia Turner, executive director of Visit West Volusia, said she’s excited by what this park can add to the region’s array of natural resources.
“It’s going to be a showplace for us. It’s definitely going to be another Blue Spring, De Leon Springs, Gemini Springs,” she said. “It’s going to be another great place for people to enjoy the nature that we have here.”
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