The Volusia County Council devoted much of its Dec. 2 meeting to a contentious public and council debate over whether to pursue restoration of vehicular access to a 1‑mile corridor of Daytona Beach between International Speedway Boulevard and Auditorium Boulevard.

Staff told the council that restoring beach driving would require addressing four independent legal issues: a state statutory prohibition on beach driving, federal incidental‑take/permitting (ITP/HCP) constraints, existing contractual/ development‑agreement commitments with upland owners, and the judicial test for customary public use of private upland beaches. Staff said each issue must be satisfied to reduce litigation risk and legal uncertainty.

The public record was sharply divided. Supporters — including Main Street business owners and a local Libertarian Party official — said reopening the corridor would restore customer traffic and revive long‑struggling businesses. "Public land should remain accessible to the public," Gabriel Wozniak said, urging the council to "give the beach back to the people."

Opponents — including several beachfront property owners and representatives for hotel investors — warned that reopening would deter private investment and raised public‑safety and quality‑of‑life concerns. John Nicholson, a long‑time resident, described disruption at a previously converted property: "It became an absolute zoo," he said, recounting problems at a house converted to a halfway house.

Council action and next steps: Members considered multiple motions. A motion to prohibit further effort failed; a motion to pause and not proceed at this time was defeated 5‑2. Council directed staff to continue engaging upland property owners, the city of Daytona Beach and the legislative delegation, and to return with details on legal exposure, potential easements and possible legislative sponsorship should the council wish to pursue a statutory change.

Why this matters: The corridor has historical and economic significance to the county’s tourism and small‑business economy; changing vehicle‑access rules implicates private contracts, environmental permits and potentially lengthy litigation.

What’s next: Councilmembers asked staff to continue the outreach the chair earlier requested — to upland property owners and to the city of Daytona Beach — and to work with lobbyists to seek legislative sponsors for any special local law. Any final decision would require formal council action after staff returns with the legal and property documentation requested.