Daytona planning board approves small-scale land-use change and rezoning for LPGA golf property amid resident opposition

A majority of the Daytona Beach Planning Board voted Jan. 20 to recommend a pair of applications that would change how 36.5 acres inside the LPGA International property may be used, approving both a small-scale comprehensive-plan amendment and a related planned-development (PD) rezoning that together would limit new construction to 120 single-family homes.

Why it matters: The change replaces current future-land-use designations that permit higher-intensity office and retail uses and a theoretical maximum of roughly 620 dwelling units with a Level 1 residential designation tied to a text policy that caps development on the site at 120 single-family units. City staff and the applicant argued the switch substantially reduces potential traffic, water and sewer demand compared with what the current land-use categories would allow.

Staff summary and technical findings: Doug Terry, a city planner, told the board staff found the small-scale amendment consistent with the comprehensive plan and not an instance of urban sprawl. He told the board the request would reduce the site—s theoretical maximum trips and utility demand; staff—s technical memo computed a potential net decrease of about 145,800 gallons per day of combined water and wastewater demand and a reduction of thousands of daily and peak-hour vehicle trips compared with the maximum currently permitted under the existing land-use categories. Staff recommended approval of the future-land-use change and the PD rezoning to match zoning with the requested future use.

Applicant presentation and rationale: Rob Merrill of Cobb Cole, speaking for the applicant, said the change—s goal was to align the land use map with a zoning pattern that limits density. He described the request as a negotiated outcome after multiple revisions and neighborhood meetings since 2022 and said the applicant would add a policy in the comprehensive plan limiting the site to 120 units. The applicant also agreed in the PD materials to a 2.5-year delay between zoning approval and the issuance of the first certificate of occupancy to allow certain public road projects and interchange work to advance before homes are occupied.

Traffic, stormwater and utilities: Transportation consultant Matthew West (LTG Inc.) and engineer/landscape architect Parker Mitchenberg presented technical material. West said the current office/retail allowances could produce many thousands of daily trips and several thousand PM peak-hour trips; under the proposed residential cap, he estimated daily trips would fall to roughly a few thousand and peak-hour trips to the low hundreds. Mitchenberg said the site ties into the LPGA master stormwater system and that the applicant intends to add stormwater storage and meet St. Johns River Water Management District and city drainage standards. He noted the city—s water and sewer plants have existing capacity and that the development must demonstrate hydraulic performance (including fire-flow requirements) in later permitting.

Resident concerns: Dozens of residents turned out to oppose the change or to press the board for slower, more constrained development. Speakers described existing traffic congestion along LPGA Boulevard and nearby intersections, flooding and standing water on local streets and golf-course areas, impacts to the community—s tree canopy and wildlife, and fears that smaller-lot housing could increase rental turnover.

Notable comments included residents saying the area already experiences frequent backups and that drainage and reuse-water patterns have made some fairways wetter in recent years. Several speakers told the board they preferred leaving the property as golf/open space; others said they would accept fewer or different types of development only with stricter limits on lot sizes and design.

Board action and outcome: On the small-scale comprehensive-plan amendment (item 4A), the board took a roll-call voice vote and the motion passed; board members recorded on the record included McLean, Robinson, Servance, Weatherholtz and Washington voting in favor. On the related PD rezoning (item 4B) the board voted in favor by voice vote after a motion and second. Both items were recommended to the City Commission for final action; staff noted the commission is scheduled to hold first and second readings in March.

What remains: If the commission approves the comprehensive-plan amendment and the PD rezoning, the applicant will still need final PD/site-plan approval and infrastructure permits, and the city will review more detailed stormwater, sanitary sewer and traffic-impact analyses. The PD package includes several site-specific waivers (smaller 40-foot lots in places, modified setbacks and a reduced requirement for active park area), all of which were addressed in the PD discussion and flagged for review in later technical submittals.

Next steps: Both applications were transmitted to the City Commission for public hearings on March 5 (first reading) and March 19 (second reading). The applicant—s voluntary delay on issuing the first certificate of occupancy for 2.5 years was included in presentation materials and will be reflected in the PD agreement if the commission accepts the rezoning.

Ending: Board members who supported the measures said they viewed the applications as a negotiated reduction in intensity compared with what the current future-land-use designations would allow; residents who opposed the change said they will continue to press commissioners for more restrictions or for alternatives that preserve the golf-course land and tree canopy.