City of DeBary planning staff presented proposed amendments to the future land use element of the DeBary 2045 comprehensive plan at a July 2 city council workshop, recommending new policies for nodes and village centers and a reclassification of the city-owned Palm Road property to Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL).

The changes, staff said, are intended to align the plan with recent updates to Florida law and to clarify the city’s direction on density, intensity and redevelopment. Staff told the council the package contains 46 changes in total, including 37 administrative edits and multiple substantive policy updates that would guide development patterns over the coming years.

Staff said the proposed substantive changes include establishing a High Banks node area (policy 5.302) and adopting village center policies to match the Land Development Code; new language to discourage urban sprawl and promote redevelopment; and additions of two state-required land-use categories, public recreation and public education. Staff also proposed policy 5.505 to clarify that public schools will be precluded from industrial land-use classifications and policy 5.507 to set percentage-based land-use guidance for DeBary Main Street and to codify transit-oriented development (TOD) features such as off-street parking, green infrastructure and pedestrian/bicycle improvements.

Staff recommended reclassifying the city-owned Palm Road parcel from commercial retail to Environmentally Sensitive Lands, noting a conservation easement already covers the property and that reclassification would be followed later by a zoning change to apply a conservation zoning consistent with existing conditions on the ground. When asked whether the I‑4 project’s proposed retention pond would prevent that designation, staff replied, “No, it does not.”

Council members asked staff to analyze three existing areas for possible land-use adjustments under the proposed amendments: DeBary Villas (along SR 1792), Riverside Condos (noted as denser than current low-to-medium residential designations), and a minor discrepancy in St. John River Acres. Council member Lehi said DeBary Villas is “one of our core assets for affordable housing” and asked that any administrative adjustments not discourage the complex’s continued operation.

City Manager and staff noted the council would retain the option to consider future land-use and zoning change requests on a case-by-case basis, including exceptions. Staff said some land-use changes can be made through the Evaluation and Appraisal (E/A) process without a separate ordinance; however, individual parcels and rezones would still come before the council for formal action when required.

No motions or votes were taken at the workshop. Staff advised the council the proposed amendments will be refined and presented again, with additional analysis of the three parcels, during upcoming public hearings and the E/A adoption process. The council was told the next workshop is tentatively scheduled for July 16, when staff will present additional goals, objectives and policies for economic development and transportation.