Commission forwards Woodruff Ridge PUD amendment to County Council, emphasizing low‑impact design and Spring-to‑Spring trail link

Woodruff Ridge planned unit development amendment forwarded to County Council for recommendation after staff and applicant described new low‑impact design elements and trail connections.

The Volusia County Land Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission on a unanimous vote agreed to forward a small‑scale comprehensive plan amendment and companion PUD amendment that would add about 19.15 acres to the previously approved Volusia Land & Timber development, increasing the PUD’s unit cap while reducing overall density and adding low‑impact development (LID) stormwater features and a planned connection for the Spring‑to‑Spring Trail.

Why it matters: The applicant said the added acreage lets the project lower per‑acre density while expanding stormwater treatment, tree preservation and active‑recreation amenities. Commissioners and staff treated the application as a test case for new county LID guidance, and discussed whether the planned trail alignment and stormwater approach would reduce downstream flooding risks and increase connectivity to the SunRail station area.

Staff presentation and recommendation Staff planning and project manager Scott Shams summarized the requests: a comprehensive plan change from Rural to Urban Low Intensity for roughly 19.15 acres adjacent to the existing PUD and a major PUD amendment that would restate the master plan as Woodruff Ridge and increase the overall permitted units from 121 to 169 while spreading development over a larger combined area and lowering net density. Shams told commissioners the project was reviewed as Volusia County’s first formal LID implementation under the county’s recently adopted LID Guidance Manual and that staff recommended forwarding both the land‑use amendment and the PUD amendment to County Council with recommendations of approval.

Applicant team: LID, stormwater and trail design Michael Woods, attorney for the applicant, described the changes as an "improvement across the board both from environmental, from the amenities, and from the project overall," saying the extra land allowed a better layout and more tree preservation. He told commissioners the team coordinated with county engineering on trail connectivity and with county environmental staff on the LID approach.

Engineer Sean Fortier of KCG Engineering detailed the stormwater approach. He said the design uses a system of vegetated swales, rain gardens and treatment ponds that direct runoff into existing depressions and wetlands rather than relying only on raised perimeter ponds. Fortier said the team modeled the wetland hydroperiod, compared mean annual and 100‑year storm stages and "we did incorporate the new code that you guys personally adopted," meaning the county’s LID and stormwater standards. He said the larger northern parcel allowed the team to encapsulate a central depression for long‑term storage, and that modeling showed the design remained within conservative tolerances for wetland stage and would not increase flooding to Grand Avenue under the modeled scenarios.

Trail connectivity and amenities Woods and his team described a planned multimodal link to the Spring‑to‑Spring Trail along the project’s northern edge. The applicant said it will convey land for the paved trail segment to the county and that the county will construct and maintain the trail. The PUD includes amenitized stormwater ponds, rain gardens, hammock gardens, a playground, dog park and a small network of paved and pervious trails intended to provide public access and passive recreation while treating runoff.

Public comment and neighbor concerns Several residents raised concerns during public comment about existing and future drainage in the area, saying development near Grand Avenue and nearby projects already contributed to increased runoff. One resident said a portion of Grand Avenue that historically stayed dry has shown signs of new surface flow since adjacent projects were built. Commissioners and applicants acknowledged those concerns and said the project’s LID system and conservative storm modeling were intended to avoid worsening downstream conditions; the applicant also noted that some adjacent parcels are being developed and that the PUD’s plan concentrated new impervious area away from the wetland depressions.

Commission discussion and vote Commissioners discussed stub streets, trail surfacing (mulch vs. stabilized pervious surfaces), potential future connections and tree preservation choices for wetland margins. Several commissioners urged final alignment details be resolved during site engineering and review; staff said the final trail geometry will be coordinated with county trail engineers.

Following discussion, the commission voted unanimously to forward the comprehensive plan amendment (CPA‑25‑003) to County Council for transmittal to the state and to forward the PUD amendment (PUD‑25003) to County Council with the staff‑recommended master development plan and standard conditions.

What’s next The matter now moves to County Council for final action; staff and the applicant will proceed with engineering design, final stormwater calculations and the formal site plan process. The county said an approved traffic impact analysis will be required during land development review, and the trail alignment will be finalized with county trail and public‑works staff.

Ending: Commissioners and the applicant framed the project as a demonstration of implementing LID at the neighborhood scale; while neighbors remain concerned about drainage, staff and the development team said the expanded acreage made more robust wetland‑based stormwater treatment practicable and that connectivity to the Spring‑to‑Spring Trail was a public benefit the county would build and maintain.