Date: January 23, 2026
Dear Ormond Beach Residents,
Communities are shaped not only by what they build, but by how they choose to use what they already have.
I am currently working with a group focused on bringing a higher-education institution, in the form of a university or college annex, to Ormond Beach. Importantly, this effort would utilize an existing building — no new construction is contemplated or required.
A school changes the character of an area immediately and measurably. It alters traffic patterns by replacing transient or idle activity with predictable, purposeful movement — students attending classes, faculty and staff working regular hours, and families engaging with the surrounding neighborhood. This kind of daily rhythm creates stability and accountability in places where it may currently be lacking.
The presence of a properly policed educational institution also has a direct impact on public safety. Campuses require consistent law enforcement coordination, regular patrols, and defined security standards. As a result, areas surrounding schools become more actively monitored and less conducive to long-term encampments or unmanaged activity. While homelessness is a complex issue that requires compassion and broader solutions, it is also a reality that active, well-policed areas reduce its concentration by virtue of oversight and enforcement.
A school does more than educate — it activates its surroundings. Local businesses benefit from a new, reliable source of customers. Restaurants, cafés, convenience stores, and service providers see increased daytime and evening activity driven by students and staff who live, study, and spend locally. This kind of economic input is steady, recurring, and rooted in the community.
Equally important, a local campus provides opportunity for our own young adults. It offers a nearby pathway to higher education without the financial or logistical burden of leaving the area. Keeping students local strengthens families, retains talent, and reinforces Ormond Beach as a city invested in its future workforce.
This initiative is not about expansion for its own sake. It is about smart reuse, improved safety, economic vitality, and educational access — achieved through thoughtful planning and responsible stewardship of existing assets.
I look forward to engaging the community as this effort progresses and to working collaboratively toward solutions that strengthen Ormond Beach for residents today and generations to come.
Respectfully,
William J. Sanchez
Ormond Beach