Daytona Beach approves special-use permit for Our Lady of Lourdes gym after neighbor safety concerns

The Daytona Beach City Commission voted 7-0 on Feb. 18 to authorize a special-use permit for a gym at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, after residents urged the city to address neighborhood safety tied to an existing unhoused-services program.

Planning staff described the resolution to permit a gym and related place-of-worship use on about 9.84 acres at 1014 North Halifax Avenue. The applicant’s representative, Steve Boswell, was present to answer questions about the project.

Several neighbors spoke during public comment. An announced speaker listed as Lauren Angeletti said she lives across the street and described problems she attributes to a third-Saturday unhoused program associated with the church, including a noted arrest at Collins Park and persistent loitering near children’s play areas. "Their third Saturday unhoused program is a disaster," she said, urging the commission to address safety before expanding activity on the site.

Supporters and other residents urged a different framing. John Nicholson and planning-board member Vernon Weatherholtz described the church’s community services, including feeding programs and veteran support, and said the proposed gym would provide needed indoor recreational space for schoolchildren and community events. "I think this is gonna be one of the greatest things that the church has ever did," Weatherholtz said.

Commissioners said they appreciated both perspectives. Several members said they would support the permit while also directing staff and the police department to better coordinate outreach and enforcement where appropriate. One commissioner noted that cold-weather shelters and humane responses will sometimes require churches to open doors to vulnerable people; others said the city must pursue layered responses — outreach, mental-health services and targeted enforcement — to reduce impacts on neighborhoods.

After discussion, the commission moved and adopted the resolution authorizing the special-use permit; the action carried 7-0. Commissioners and staff agreed to follow up with neighborhood meetings and to explore options the police department and social-service partners can deploy to address loitering and safety concerns in the area.

The measure is limited to land-use approval; use rules and any future change in operations would be subject to code enforcement and city oversight.