The Story of Thornby is Now Available
Volusia County club member, author and activist Sandy Walters has written a book about how she and others in the tiny community of Enterprise rallied to save their historic heritage in the face of overwhelming odds. On the north shore of Lake Monroe sits 40 acres of pristine “Old Florida,” now the site of a playground for disabled children and the City of Deltona ‘s Thornby Park . Eleven years ago, however, the future of this historic property was on the chopping block. Annexed into the city of Deltona after County officials turned down a land use change to multi-family housing, the property was first slated for strip shopping, then apartments, then hundreds of condominiums. At stake: Acres of wetlands; a historic home; an old railroad spur; archeological sites; a bald eagles’ nest and, possibly, Fort Kingsbury, a Seminole War fort.
The grassroots struggle to prevent a massive “upzoning” of the waterfront property would last for nine years and include arson, three hurricanes and three local elections. It brought hundreds of residents to 11 public hearings, received newspaper, radio and TV coverage, and played out at the city, county and state levels. “The Story of Thornby: How Ordinary People Took on Government” is part how-to manual; part local history; and part inspiring story of how a community banded together to stop a harmful land use change that would have forever altered the character of the Enterprise community. For more information, please visit www.thestoryofthornby.com.