Commission extends 'Keep Deltona Wild' zoning study but rejects activity‑center overlay amendment amid SB 180 concerns

The City Commission on Monday extended a zoning‑in‑progress study to develop a “Keep Deltona Wild” overlay intended to protect large parcels and environmentally sensitive lands, but it stopped short on a separate effort to rewrite the Activity Center overlay. Commissioners supported an extension for the Keep Deltona Wild study 6–1; they rejected an extension to study and amend the Activity Center overlay 3–4.

Why the split: legal uncertainty introduced by SB 180, a 2025 Florida law discussed at length during the meeting, led to caution among commissioners. City legal counsel told the commission that SB 180 contains multiple sections that can preempt local regulations: one section explicitly protects homeowners impacted by federally declared disasters, while another section addresses moratoria and can limit cities’ ability to impose certain land‑use restrictions in areas within a…