PLDRC forwards stormwater management ordinance and LID rules to County Council ahead of special meeting

Volusia County’s Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission (PLDRC) voted unanimously Jan. 16 to forward a package of stormwater management code changes to the County Council for consideration, sending Ordinance 202506 and related LID (low‑impact development) rules to a Feb. 11 special council meeting for final action.

The proposed ordinance would add several technical requirements for new development’s stormwater design, including a required 6‑inch safety factor above a site’s measured seasonal high groundwater elevation, a minimum number of geotechnical borings per pond, specifications for soils (“curve number”) use when soils maps show mixed drainage characteristics, and guidance for pond siting and emergency overflow features when downstream property is at lower elevation.

Samantha West, Volusia County sustainability and resilience manager, told commissioners the NRAC (Natural Resources Advisory Committee) reviewed the draft at multiple meetings and that staff will present the package along with the county’s LID ordinances at the Feb. 11 County Council special meeting. County Engineer Tad Kaysbier explained the technical aims: the rules are intended to reduce future flooding risk and close gaps among state, county and local standards that apply when land is developed.

Kaysbier described the seasonal‑high groundwater issue as foundational to pond and finished‑floor elevations in new developments, saying the county’s design practice uses the seasonal high to establish pond normal water level and then models storms from that baseline. He told commissioners that recent multi‑year rainfall increases have raised groundwater baselines in some areas and that the added 6‑inch safety factor will raise pond bottom elevations and increase storage to reduce the risk of overtopping or pond failure during clustered storms.

The draft also would require two borings per acre of pond area to better sample variability in soils and groundwater, and instruct engineers to coordinate tail‑water (downstream) elevations with county staff during design rather than relying on post‑submission adjustments. Kaysbier said the draft asks designers to provide additional controls (for example a clay core or engineered emergency weir) when a stormwater pond’s topography would allow large uncontrolled overflows onto lower adjacent properties.

Members of the public and private sector urged context and coordination. Mike Woods, an attorney who represents development clients, said he supported the general direction and urged adoption alongside the LID standards so the two rule sets work together. “I think we’ve got the tide moving the right direction,” Woods said.

Commissioners discussed whether the draft was sufficiently informed by private‑sector practitioners and whether aspects such as the use of the highest measured seasonal high (versus an average) and the two‑borings‑per‑acre rule should be adjusted. Kaysbier and staff said the Feb. 11 special meeting will be the venue to receive targeted technical input; staff told the commission that the County Council may adopt the ordinance with an effective date and that projects with applications already submitted would typically proceed under the rules in effect at the time of submittal.

Chairing commissioners voted to forward the ordinance and supporting code amendments to County Council with a recommendation of approval. The PLDRC recorded the measure as Ordinance 202506; the commission’s motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

The County Council special meeting on Feb. 11 will consider Ordinance 202506 together with the companion LID ordinances; staff asked interested contractors, engineers and developers to use that meeting to offer technical comments limited to the sections noticed for that hearing.

What’s next: staff will appear before County Council on Feb. 11 with the NRAC‑recommended language. If the council adopts the ordinance, staff said effective‑date provisions will determine which in‑process applications, if any, must meet the new requirements.

(Reporting note: direct quotes and technical attributions in this article are taken from the Jan. 16 PLDRC meeting: Samantha West, Sustainability and Resilience Manager; Tad Kaysbier, County Engineer; and Mike Woods, attorney.)