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Commission approves 84‑unit affordable apartment project on West New York Avenue with parking conditions
Summary
A Class‑4 site plan for 84 affordable apartments at 225 W. New York Ave was approved Oct. 20 with two conditions requiring recorded cross‑access and off‑site parking agreements (20 off‑site spaces on adjacent county lot). The project drew both support and opposition over scale, ground‑floor activation and downtown character.
The DeLand City Commission on Oct. 20 approved a Class‑4 site plan for an 84‑unit, six‑story affordable apartment building at 225 West New York Avenue, subject to two conditions requiring a cross‑access easement and a recorded off‑site parking agreement with Volusia County.
Planning staff said the 1.63‑acre C‑2A project meets the land‑development regulations and that the applicant had secured HPB Certificates of Appropriateness for the architecture, including approval for a stepped‑back increased height on the rear portion of the building. The project’s approval followed an extended review: multiple Technical Review Committee meetings, planning‑board review, earlier hearings on a parking waiver, and a negotiation that produced 94 on‑site spaces plus 20 off‑site spaces on an adjacent county lot to meet commission conditions previously set for the parking reduction.
Mark Watts, counsel for the developer, told the commission the design complies with the comprehensive plan and the city's land‑development code. Watts emphasized that the comprehensive plan encourages mixed uses but does not strictly require ground‑floor commercial uses; the applicant said the first‑floor areas within the 50‑foot corridor required by code would provide resident amenities such as a leasing office, fitness room and meeting spaces, as well as bike storage and a lobby rather than general retail.
Opposition voiced by downtown business owners focused on character and scale: Kelly Joyce and Matt Joyce argued the site should prioritize street‑facing retail and smaller‑scale uses to preserve downtown charm. Supporters, including neighborhood residents and advocates, said denser downtown residential will increase foot traffic and support local businesses. "It's going to introduce new families to downtown," said Devin Morris, a nearby resident who spoke in favor.
Commissioners debated the balance between city goals for downtown activation and the project's affordable‑housing and infill benefits. The commission approved the site plan by voice vote with one recorded dissent. Staff will not issue a development order until the cross‑access easement and the county off‑site parking agreement are recorded; the county was scheduled to consider the parking agreement on the following day. The developer and county representatives said the off‑site parking arrangement had been negotiated to reserve 16 spaces on the clerk’s lot and four additional spaces along Clara Avenue for the development, with a review mechanism five years after stabilization to assess actual utilization.
The city's action advances a project that city staff and some commissioners characterized as consistent with downtown residential goals while spotlighting ongoing tension between housing density and preserving street‑level commercial character.
