DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A group of Daytona Beach property owners want to put a family-friendly food truck park on North Atlantic Avenue, just off of Seabreeze Boulevard.
However, because of a recent rise in crime in the area, the project has received pushback from some residents.
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One owner, Scott Klioze, said the idea was first brought before the city ten years ago. But Daytona Beach wasn’t on board.
Now with a new police substation just off Seabreeze and extensive efforts to curb crime on that side of town, Klioze believes it’s the best time to try again.
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“We don’t have, in my opinion, a lot of things for these families to do when they come off the beach in the evening. These food truck parks have become a little more mainstay, they’re a little more accepting of the concept and actually almost enthusiastic at this point,” said Klioze.
Residents have raised concerns to Eyewitness News. Some people believe the park could make the crowds, crime and noise from the bar district worse.
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“Bar patrons would just go over there and there would be disruptions,” said Roland Parker.
Klioze wants the food truck park to close before the bars, to keep that from happening.
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“We are not coming in with an endless amount of money that we are just going to pour into the project without some kind of assurance there will be cooperation from the city to help us protect that investment,” said Klioze.
The project is still in the very early phases. The city still must vote to re-zone the land to allow the development. A date for when that might happen has not yet been determined.
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