The DeLand Planning Board Sept. 13 OK’d a rezoning application for Taylor Ridge, a 65-unit housing development planned near DeLand’s southeast side. Denied by the DeLand City Commission last year, the Planning Board recommended approval for the development that has fewer units than it did before, larger lot sizes and more amenities.

When Taylor Ridge came before the DeLand City Commission last year, it sparked a larger conversation about zoning classifications and the differences in minimum housing density between Volusia County and the city. Eventually, that led to the creation of a new zoning classification — transitional residential development.

That classification, which Taylor Ridge is pursuing, is meant to create neighborhoods that gradually transition from sparsely populated land to the high-density housing developments nearer to DeLand’s core.

With 65 homes proposed at the northwest intersection of East Taylor Road and South Blue Lake Avenue, Taylor Ridge is adding some additional amenities to take advantage of the city’s trade-off under that transitional category — more amenities mean you get to build more units.

In this case, Taylor Ridge’s developers, a limited liability company affiliated with the Texas-based Hanover Company, intend to build exercise stations along its internal trail system, a fenced-in dog park, a playground for kids, and a park area complete with charcoal grills, picnic tables and more.

But it wasn’t the amenities some nearby residents took issue with; most of those concerns were about continued growth in DeLand and the potential for flooding.

“There’s such a high density of homes there, and they’re just piling everything on top of each other,” DeLandite Felicia Demeere told the Planning Board. “I thought you people were supposed to be here to protect the City of DeLand in some way shape or form to maintain some green spaces for people.”

Another opponent of the development was local business owner J.C. Figueredo, who lives nearby. Figueredo has experienced flooding on his property that he and his neighbors attribute to the nearby large-scale housing developments.

He argued the property should only be allowed to be annexed into the City of DeLand — the 26-acre parcel is currently in unincorporated Volusia County — and developed if the city ensures it won’t adversely affect residents who are already there.

“I think that annexing this property into the city to allow it to be developed is going to be a huge issue,” Figueredo told the Planning Board. “These guys that are doing this development and this construction and coming in and ruining our town, they need to be responsible and solve some of the issues they’ve caused before they can create any more of these issues.”

Despite protests from several residents who live near where the development would be built, as well as Planning Board Member Nora Lewis who argued the development was not transitional enough to fit the qualifications for the transitional zoning classification, rezoning for Taylor Ridge was ultimately approved by a 5-1 vote. Planning Board Members Don Liska, Buz Nesbit, Albert Neumann, Harper Hill and Jeremy Owens voted in favor of the project — with some suggestions — while Lewis voted against it.

When the DeLand City Commission gets the final word on the annexation, land-use change and zoning application for Taylor Ridge in November, it will come with the Planning Board and staff’s recommendations, which include getting an updated school district concurrency letter.

Other Planning Board approvals

Taylor Ridge was just one item on the DeLand Planning Board’s Sept. 13 agenda. Here are some of the other items the board heard:

Spring Garden Townhomes: Preliminary plat

This construction plan is the next step forward for the Spring Garden Townhomes project, which will see the development of 90 town homes on the west side of South Spring Garden Avenue south of Plymouth Avenue.

The plat was unanimously approved by the Planning Board and forwarded to the City Commission.

Cresswind phases two and three: Preliminary plat

This plat includes plans for 226 of the approximately 600 homes that will make up the controversial Cresswind development along Lake Winnemissett on DeLand’s east side.

The plat was unanimously approved by the Planning Board and forwarded to the City Commission.

Pointe Grand Apartments: Site plan

The Pointe Grand Apartments will consist of nine three-story buildings on roughly 15 acres of land southeast of the intersection of Clear Lake Road and North Spring Garden Avenue on DeLand’s northwest side. The 204 apartment units will be constructed near the Cascades community.

The site plan was approved by a 4-2 vote, with Planning Board Members Jeremy Owens, Nora Lewis, Don Liska and Harper Hill voting in its favor and Members Buz Nesbit and Albert Neumann voting against.