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Daytona Beach commissioner outlines housing, schools and safety priorities for Zone 5
Summary
Commissioner Quandita Bay described efforts to expand affordable housing, strengthen school partnerships, and boost neighborhood safety in Zone 5, noting redistricting changes and local programs such as free Ring cameras and expanded use of the Yvonne Scarlett Golden Center.
Commissioner Quandita Bay said she will pursue affordable housing, stronger ties with schools and neighborhood-safety programs as priorities for Zone 5 in Daytona Beach.
Bay told meeting attendees that the city is building new apartments along the Beach Street area, including affordable units, and called retaining young residents a central challenge: "Do people really stay here when they graduate?" she asked, adding that the community currently feels like "cautious optimism."
Bay said visible projects are helping change that perception: "We're giving you parks. We're giving you better services. Right? We're improving things that you that actually touch your life," she said, and later added, "It's cautious optimism. ... Show me." Those comments framed a wider explanation of neighborhood programs and services Bay said she is supporting.
On redistricting, Bay described boundary changes affecting Zone 5. She said the zone will lose Madison Heights but gain territory running down LPGA Boulevard to Clyde Morris and reaching the line near Ormond Beach; she said Tanger Outlet will now be part of Zone 5. Bay estimated the new zone will include "somewhere around 12,000 or so" residents.
Bay emphasized investment in schools as a top priority while noting that schools are administered by the county: "Strong schools build strong community," she said, and added that school quality strongly shapes where families choose to live. Bay said she purchased book-vending machines for two elementary schools to increase student access to books and urged more city involvement with county-run schools.
Bay described neighborhood-safety efforts in Zone 5, including a city program to distribute free Ring brand doorbell cameras to residents so police can use camera feeds to investigate crimes. "The Ring program was a wonderful thing that we brought to Zone 5 this particular year," she said. She also said the city will work more closely with police to address a "little uptick in crime."
Bay highlighted the Yvonne Scarlett Golden Center, located in Zone 5, as a hub for both seniors and youth: "Total game changer," she said, describing weekday senior meals and activities and summer and after-school programming for children, including basketball and youth-sports programs.
On commercial development, Bay said Zone 5 historically has been largely residential with limited business corridors; she said the city is working to create more mixed-use and market-rate housing options so residents can find local jobs and services. She noted the area's older GE-built homes and the need to help homeowners maintain aging properties.
Bay framed her outlook for the zone as progress that must be visible to residents: incremental improvements matter but "if I build something, you see it," she said. She concluded by emphasizing continued focus on housing, school partnerships and safety programs as the new zone boundaries take effect.
