Volusia County’s new surge in development raising concerns

DAYTONA BEACH — Less than a decade ago, the local economy here was still in the grips of the Great Recession with real estate development activity practically at a standstill. New development was largely viewed as a sign of hope and optimism.

Not anymore.

Today, a flurry of new home construction, apartment projects and commercial development throughout Volusia County has some citizens and elected officials alarmed that area is quickly becoming over-developed.

Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower is one of them.

“The flood gates have come open,” said Brower while standing on a grassy field along LPGA Boulevard that is set to become the site of a retail center called Tymber Creek Village. “The pendulum has swung the other way. Now, it’s at the point where people daily are telling me ‘Stop all growth.’ We can’t stop all growth, but what we could do is try to slow things down. It’s like we’ve been on a sprint.”

Volusia County Chairman Jeff Brower stands in front of the future site of a commercial development called Tymber Creek Village on LPGA Boulevard, west of Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach. The project site is across the street from the new Publix-anchored Latitude Landings shopping center and the entrance to the fast-growing Latitude Margaritaville 55-and-older community.

The site just west of Interstate 95 is directly across from the new Publix-anchored Latitude Landings shopping center as well as the entrance to the fast-growing Latitude Margaritaville 55-and-older community.

Just to the east of where Brower was standing is the two-lane bridge over the Tomoka River on LPGA — a bridge that is now the site of weekday traffic backups. As growth has exploded north and south of it, there are still no definite plans to widen the bridge.