NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera Frederick.

NSBNEWS.net Investigative Reporting
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NSB's Planning Debacle

Chad Lingenfelter, New Smyrna Beach's chief planner remained on the job Friday, despite calls from Mayor Adam Barringer for his ouster for his role in not sending up final paperwork for state approval on 29 land-use amendments affecting 72 community development projects. NSBNEWS.net broke the story earlier this month.
 
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- City officials got word Friday that Florida Department of Community Affairs Secretary Thomas Pelham had signed off on their request to expedite a review of 29 proposed land-use amendments affecting 72 large- and small-scale projects -- including a Wal-Mart Supercenter near I-95 and a hotel on Flagler Avenue -- that had come to a grinding halt earlier late last month after it was discovered that two city planners had not sent up final paperwork dating back five years.

Courtesy photos for NSBNEWS.net.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers cordon off the area where a 4-year-old boy was struck and killed on the beach Sunday after darting in front of a Dodge Ram.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 4-year-old boy was struck and killed on the beach just after 3 this afternoon by a Dodge Ram pick-up truck fitted with large tires after darting in front of the driver who told authorities he never saw the child as the large front right tire ran over him in front of horrified beach-goers.

Case#:201000021817 Date: 7/15/2010 Time: 2236 Invest Asgn:
Header: TRESPASS Location:1018 June Terrace SD Business Name: ZONE:51

A reported verbal disturbance between the residents at 1018 June Terrace and Defendant Maureen A. Mojave resulted in a trespass notice being issued against Maureen A. Mojave. The Defendant then refused to vacate the property in a timely fashion resulting in her arrest for tresspass after notice. Maureen A. Mojave was transported to VCBJ with a $250.00 bond with out further incident.

Case#:10-21683 Date: 7/14/2010 Time: 729 Invest Asgn:
Header: TRESPASS Location:1817 Maplewood Dr Edgewater Business Name: ZONE:52

D-1 Winton, Zachary E Winton was trespassed from the residence on 07-05-10. He returned to the property parking his vehicle around the northside of the residence out of public view. He was placed under arrest for trespass after warning and transported to VCBJ. His vehicle was towed by Universal wrecker.

Courtesy photo/VCBJ mug.

DNA blood evidence links Daniel Myles Buczek to a burglary, already jailed on an unrelated charge, according to Edgewater police.

EDGEWATER -- Like a scene in the popular TV series "Criminal Minds," an Edgewater cop used DNA to match a suspect to a burglary that had gone unsolved for four months.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A 27-year-old bicyclist was transported to Halifax Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries Wednesday night after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while pedaling westbound near the crest of the South Causeway Bridge, New Smyrna Beach police said.

Brandon Munsell was transported by EVAC ambulance after police and fire paramedics responded to a 9-1-1 call from a motorist who spotted the victim just after 9:21 p.m.

"He was conscious and talking," Sgt. Valerie Joyce said. The New Smyrna Beach victim's bicycle was taken into evidence by police.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The New Smyrna Beach Regional Library has on display a joint exhibition by the Southeast Volusia Camera Club and the Poet’s Corner Poetry Workshop featuring photographs and poems of people. The Voices and Visions exhibit remains on display through July.

NSBNEWS.net video and photos by Sera Frederick 

City Manager Pam Brangaccio spoke frankly with NSBNEWS.net immediately after the July 7 hearing with the Florida Department of Community Affairs in Tallahassee, but unable to answer why the city's planning department under the direction of department head Mark Rakowski (above) and (at left) chief planner Chad Lingenfelter, who worked under him and then continued alone after Rakowski's job was eliminated in December, dropped the ball on final paperwork on  land-use zoning amendments, dating back five years (see attachment for example of the transmittal forms). This fiasco, dating back to when Rakowski was promoted, has grounded 72 community projects a Wal-Mart-anchored shopping center and a 112-room hotel Flagler Avenue.  Lingenfelter has continued in his role  to this day despite calls from the mayor to have him fired .

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Adam Barringer makes no bones about it: He wants the two city planners identified by the city manager as being culpable for the city's five-year backlog of projects held accountable.

"This borders on criminal," the mayor, who has been in office less than eight months, said Wednesday as he deals with perhaps the biggest crisis in this city's history.

Case#:10-21504 Date: 7/12/2010 Time: 0248 Invest Asgn:
Header: TRAFFIC Location:1100 BLOCK N DIXIE FREEWAY Business Name: ZONE:D-5

Courtesy photo / Volusia County. A Votran bus heads west on Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach in this photo. The county came up with a "flex" schedule to lessen the blow of some routes eliminated for greater New Smyrna Beach resulting from budget cuts.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Cuts in public bus transit for Southeast Volusia are not as bad as initially feared.