DeBary council finds proposed Spring Vista K–8 site inconsistent with comprehensive plan

The City of DeBary City Council voted to find Volusia County Schools’ plan for a K–8 public school at the southeast quadrant of Shell Road and Spring Vista Drive inconsistent with the City of DeBary comprehensive plan. The finding, reached after presentations, public comment and rebuttal during a quasi‑judicial hearing, means the council concluded the proposal fails the city’s consistency criteria for the proposed site.

City staff led the case against the site. Stephen Baff, the city’s growth management director, told the council staff reviewed the proposal under Florida Statute 1013.33 and the interlocal agreement dated July 1, 2007, and concluded the project “is inconsistent with the comp plan” and “the proposed school is not appropriate, not allowed, and hereby denied at this location.” Baff cited Policy 5.505 of the City of DeBary comprehensive plan and said the site would replace an intended mixed‑use/industrial transition area and would adversely affect adjacent industrial, office and residential properties; staff estimated direct traffic impact to roughly 785 residences.

City traffic and safety concerns were emphasized by the city manager and the city’s retained traffic engineer, Tanya King of Stanley Consultants. King and the city manager described observed parental pickup behavior at nearby schools, limited pedestrian crossings on U.S. 1792, queuing that can overflow onto Shell Road and Spring Vista Drive, and uncertainty about whether on‑site stacking would be sustained over time if the school or district changed safety policy. The city manager said potential post‑development costs to the city could include roadway widening and additional law‑enforcement detail.

Volusia County Schools and its consultants disputed those conclusions and argued the site is appropriate. Mark Watts, attorney for the district, introduced school officials and the project team and said the district is fulfilling its obligation to educate local students. Justina Gale (Forward Planning and Design) presented a planning analysis that described the subject parcel as about 25.4 acres and concluded the site could meet the comprehensive‑plan criteria with on‑ and off‑site improvements. Jamie Haines, chairwoman of the Volusia County School Board, urged approval so students living in DeBary would be able to attend a neighborhood school.

Traffic consultant Michael Razor (Razor Transportation Consulting) presented the district’s transportation analysis. Razor said the site design includes separate, secured bus and parent loops and on‑site dual inbound lanes that expand to provide a gated stacking lane; he reported the internal stacking loop could accommodate roughly 628 cars and estimated daily trip generation at 3,122 trips with a morning peak inbound entry of about 595 vehicles. Razor also compared the school’s modeled trips to the traffic potential previously modeled for the property’s existing PUDs and reported, per those prior PUD traffic studies, the PUD buildout could generate a greater daily trip count than the school.

Dozens of residents and business owners in Spring View, Spring View Woods, The Reserve and nearby neighborhoods opposed the site. Public speakers cited existing congestion on Shell Road and U.S. 1792, pedestrian safety on a five‑lane section of 1792, impacts on small businesses in the Spring Vista business park, potential for traffic to divert into private roads and concerns that school operational changes (gates, safety policy, redistricting and vouchers) could increase off‑site stacking. Several speakers described localized flooding and erosion concerns along Shell Road and questioned whether promised off‑site improvements would be completed or funded.

State and education officials also addressed the council. Violet Brown of the Florida Department of Education said her office had reviewed the district’s siting work and cited statutes the department uses in site reviews, including provisions requiring schools to be sited as community focal points, to avoid through highways and rail corridors, and to consider contamination and hazardous conditions; she said those statutes informed the department’s evaluation and communications with the district.

After applicant rebuttal and council member questions, Councilmember [name not specified in transcript] moved to find the school inconsistent with the comprehensive plan. The motion passed on a recorded roll call with all council members voting in favor (Vice Mayor Butlin: yes; Councilmember Sells: yes; Councilmember Papalardo: yes; Councilmember Stevenson: yes; Mayor Chazet: yes).

The council’s action was the formal consistency determination required under the interlocal agreement and local code; the applicant and its team had earlier requested the consistency determination from the council. The council framed its decision as a site‑specific land‑use determination and not as a final decision about whether Volusia County Schools may or may not ultimately seek other remedies or sites.

The hearing record contains detailed technical exhibits from both sides, including the district’s traffic and site plans and the city’s technical comments. The council did not take additional legislative action at the meeting beyond the consistency finding and closed the public hearing following the vote.