City of DeLand launches 16‑month overhaul of Land Development Regulations

Consultants from Inspire Placemaking Collective on May (date not specified) introduced a 16‑month project to overhaul the City of DeLand’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs), describing a phased schedule of launch, direction‑setting, drafting and public review and testing before returning to the commission for adoption.

The consultant team said the rewrite will “overhaul, reformat, reorganize, and modernize this code,” aiming to remove conflicts, refine and streamline processes and make the code easier to use for both applicants and staff. David Henning, a lawyer and planner with Inspire, said, “We are here to clarify the rules. We are here to remove unnecessary burdens and restrictions. And we are here to help embrace the community vision.”

Why this matters: the LDR rewrite would change how development proposals are reviewed and what is allowed by right versus by exception. Commissioners said they want the final product to be user friendly, to increase predictability for developers, and to broaden housing options while ensuring inclusive outreach across neighborhoods.

Scope and schedule Inspire summarized the project as beginning with the city’s 13 LDR articles and working through constituent rules that make up the regulations. The firm described four broad phases across roughly 16 months: (1) project launch and initial outreach, (2) confirming direction with staff, advisory groups and the public, (3) intensive…