DeLeon gets business rezoning

BEACON PHOTO/PAT ANDREWS
Making the case — At the Nov. 15 County Council meeting, DeLeon Springs resident and Community Association leader Don Malmborg pleads for zoning changes that will allow revitalization of the business zone in the unincorporated area.

By Pat Andrews
Beacon Staff Writer

posted Nov 27, 2012 - 5:21:25pm

As rezonings go, this was a whopper.

While many actions by local government to change the zoning of a piece of property affect only the property owner or a developer of a particular parcel, the rezoning granted Nov. 15 by the Volusia County Council will affect the future of a whole community.

The Volusia County Council unanimously approved rezoning properties in DeLeon Springs’ business corridor to B-4.

DeLeon Springs will get a redesigned business corridor, thanks to the work of the county planning staff, members of the DeLeon Springs Community Association and others who want to revitalize the little unincorporated area and fill it with healthy businesses.

The changes eliminate problems for properties that have been zoned partly residential and partly business, a status that created a nightmare of conflicting regulations for owners who wanted to make any changes.

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The changes pleased resident Don Malmborg, who has advocated for reduced setbacks, so businesses can build closer to U.S. Highway 17, creating more of a downtown feel to the DeLeon Springs business corridor.

Also in the overlay zone, the minimum lot size will be reduced from 1 acre to 15,000 square feet, and minimum lot widths will be reduced from 150 feet to 75 feet.

DeLeon Springs Community Association Secretary Amy Munizzi pleaded her case to the County Council to allow mixed-use development in DeLeon Springs, “so people could potentially live above stores, allowing people to live and work in the Downtown,” she said.

However, the county had no mixed-use zoning classification it could grant to DeLeon Springs or other areas with similar needs.

So, with County Council approval, county staff is working on one.

After the meeting, Malmborg, Munizzi, Laura Strawn and other Community Association members said they were pleased with the County Council’s action.

“They appear to understand the dreadful predicament our business community is in, and want to work with us to do what is best for our businesses, landowners and citizens,” Munizzi said.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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