The Daytona Beach Planning Board unanimously approved a plan development general rezoning on June 26 for a proposed Drury hotel and an outparcel restaurant at the former Havertys/Ale House site along West International Speedway Boulevard.

Staff presented the request to rezone approximately 4.6 acres from T5 (Tourist/Highway Interchange) to PDG for a hotel and a restaurant outparcel and recommended forwarding the rezoning to the City Commission. Staff noted the applicant seeks several waivers, including reduced lot‑width and setback standards, a reduced parking standard and a slight reduction in stall depth, and a modified landscaping and signage program.

Attorney Robert Merrill presented the application on behalf of the applicant. Jared Barbie, director of development for Drury Development, described the company’s long‑term, vertically integrated ownership and operating model and emphasized the operator’s focus on reuse and reinvestment in communities. Barbie said the company is pursuing phase‑1 site‑plan submittal at risk and that phase‑1 would be the hotel; the developer seeks flexibility on the restaurant outparcel while the hotel is permitted.

Parking was the central issue in public comment and board questions. Staff and the applicant discussed a parking study submitted with the PD. Drury’s presentation explained three parking scenarios used in the study: the hotel operating alone (an ITE‑based 0.82 spaces per room minimum), the restaurant operating to city standards, and a blended scenario that combines hotel and restaurant peak demands (the 0.51 spaces per room figure referenced in the PD is a blended result when the restaurant is added). Jared Barbie told the board Drury would not take actions that "jeopardize parking for the hotel," adding that the company will seek a restaurant tenant whose parking demand can be accommodated. He also said the hotel site‑plan submittal provides approximately 210–220 parking spaces for phase‑1, which the applicant said would meet the hotel’s immediate needs.

Board members repeatedly raised concerns about large events at nearby facilities and recurring seasonal congestion along the Speedway corridor. Commissioner Robinson and other members urged the applicant to plan conservatively for event periods and to return with a site plan that clearly demonstrates capacity during Daytona’s high‑demand periods. Staff reiterated that site‑plan review will evaluate detailed parking counts, circulation and operational mitigation and that the applicant’s phase‑1 site plan is under review.

The Planning Board recommended approval of the PDG rezoning; the item will go to the City Commission for public hearings on the ordinance in August. The rezoning does not authorize construction — building permits, site‑plan approval and any required permits must be obtained before work begins.