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Volusia County adopts voluntary low-impact development standards into comp plan; council to monitor uptake
Summary
The County Council adopted a comprehensive-plan amendment implementing a voluntary Low Impact Development (LID) and green stormwater program; staff and developers showed interest, but council members debated whether the program should be mandatory.
Volusia County on May 6 adopted a comprehensive-plan amendment to implement a voluntary Low Impact Development (LID) and green stormwater infrastructure program, intended to give developers options and incentives to reduce stormwater runoff and flood risk.
Proponents including public commenters and environmental groups urged the county to require LID as mandatory, arguing it reduces flooding, saves developers money over time, and protects natural areas. Supporters on the council described the adoption as a first step and said the county can return with a hybrid or mandatory approach if voluntary incentives prove insufficient.
County growth-management staff said the ordinance and code updates will provide a unified “treatment-train” approach — site-design rules, construction practices (for example reduced fill and use of stem-wall foundations), street-width and material options, and bioretention features — and offer incentives such as density bonuses and expedited review for projects that meet the full LID standard. Staff told council that several developers have expressed interest in using the standards but that only a handful of projects historically had used similar approaches under older programs.
During public comment, local residents, academic researchers and a Stetson University student presented cost-benefit studies showing LID savings in other Florida counties and urged mandatory requirements. After council discussion, members voted 7–0 to adopt the voluntary program and asked staff to return with additional recommendations from the county’s Natural Resources/Environmental advisory committee on avoiding/minimizing impacts and ways to increase participation.
Supporters framed the action as making tools and incentives available now while preserving flexibility for developers. Opponents who favored a mandatory approach cited long-term flood-risk reduction and said voluntary programs sometimes see low uptake. Staff said the comp plan and code changes are the final step needed to allow implementation; projects can immediately use the incentives once the code is effective.
