Daytona Beach shortens lot-donation deadlines, requires proof of financing to speed affordable housing builds

The Daytona Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on Aug. 5 voted to amend the city’s form lot-donation contract for qualifying single-family, conforming lots to speed the conversion of vacant CRA-owned parcels into affordable or workforce housing. The ordinance amendment, as stated on the dais and refined in committee discussion, requires the contract to include a condition that the recipient pull required permits and demonstrate financial capacity within six months of commitment and complete construction within nine months thereafter.

Commissioner May introduced the proposal, saying the change was intended to stabilize neighborhoods and curb crime near vacant lots. “I would like them to pull the permit within the 1st 6 months and build within a year,” she said during the discussion; commissioners and staff refined that schedule in follow-up remarks to six months to pull permits and nine months for construction completion. Staff and legal counsel cautioned commissioners that the current form agreements and any revert clauses or title conveyance rules would need to be rewritten and that a force majeure clause would likely be retained to protect against uncontrollable delays.

Deputy City Manager Jim Morris and redevelopment director Ken Thomas told the commission that permitting itself can be fast when plan sets and surveys are complete, but surveys and financing are typical lead-time drivers. Permitting staff (Mark Boyse) said that, if applicants submit complete packages, residential permits can be issued in days; Ken Thomas said the city currently holds roughly "about 15 to 20" vacant CRA lots that could be affected by new rules and that staff would bring a recommended form contract back for the commission to review. The city attorney drafted a motion statement on the floor clarifying the amendment’s intent and scope before the roll-call vote. The amended form contract and specific enforcement mechanics will return to the commission for review after staff drafts the language.