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Supporters cite jobs, tax base diversification and regional planning benefits
Summary
Business groups, chamber leaders and some residents testified in favor of Deering Park, saying the plan prioritizes commercial development first, will create high‑paying jobs, and helps diversify New Smyrna Beach’s tax base away from residential dependence.
A number of speakers supported the Deering Park rezoning as an economic and regional planning opportunity. Bliss Jamieson, president of the Southeast Volusia Manufacturing and Technology Coalition, and Stephanie Ford, CEO of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce, described the proposal as responsive to a regional economic development strategy and praised the developer’s engagement and MDA commitments.
Several supporters said the PUD prioritizes commercial and industrial space before residential construction and noted projections used by the applicant that suggest substantial job creation as nonresidential buildings are constructed. Developer representatives told the commission that Team Volusia had supplied sample job‑generation metrics (for example, one job per roughly 800 sq ft of certain industrial building types) used in early economic models.
Supporters argued the project will help retain local workers and expand a tax base currently described by the applicant as heavily residential; the developer said the buildout could shift the city’s residential tax share from about 83% toward a more balanced mix. Proponents urged the commission to use the MDA’s contractual safeguards and the project’s phased approach to manage impacts and deliver benefits.
