Volusia County Council Discusses Rural Boundary Amendment

Following moves by officials in Orange and Seminole counties, the Volusia County Council earlier this month moved a step closer to approving a measure that would put a rural boundary referendum on the ballot at a future election. The charter amendment would make it more difficult for dense development in rural areas.

Referencing the efforts already underway in Orange and Seminole, County Council Chair Jeff Brower said the idea of a rural boundary is to balance growth.

“Both of them are geared toward curbing, as they say in their own words, urban sprawl, and trying to protect rural areas,” he said. “I just want all of you to know on the council that I don’t know what this will look like when we get it to the end, if it gets that far.”

Brower asked county attorney Michael Dyer what the timeline would be if the county decided to create a rural boundary.

“If you were to start on your own, it would be a many months process,” Dyer said. “You are allowed to adopt ordinances in the cites and the county on environmental subjects. This is a bit different because under the current charter a city still has their zoning authority. This would introduce a county role in the comprehensive planning process.”

Councilmember David Santiago asked why the rural boundary issue was being discussed at all.

“Didn’t the Council at its previous meeting vote to start that process?” he said.

Brower said he wanted the Council to “understand what that process is” of creating a rural boundary.

Clay Ervin, Volusia County director of  growth and resource management, said his department is working to get everything in place and bring an item back to the Council in March of next year on the issue.

Brower said he was motivated to raise the issue because he received calls from residents asking about it.

“The public thought it was completely shut down,” he said. “I immediately got calls. That’s why I brought it back today, so the public knows this is a process they need to be included in.”

Brower said with the county’s growth the rural boundary concept is an effective way to manage future development.

“A rural boundary (is) the best way to stop urban sprawl,” he said, adding that if the referendum is approved by residents, it would not completely halt further development in rural areas, but make it a little more difficult “because it needs to be.”

County Administrator George Recktenwald said county staff will “put together some scenarios of what some other people have done” and bring that information to the County Council in March.