County OKs $10.4 million for construction of 280 new affordable apartments
The Volusia County Council quickly and unanimously approved the move at Tuesday's meeting after delaying the decision in January to get more information. Councilmen wanted to know more about how the new apartments would impact flooding, traffic, and schools.
"The projects address vital areas of need for affordable housing in Volusia County," according to a county presentation. "Three of the county's Public Housing Authorities lost almost $20 million worth of property in Hurricane Ian alone."
County officials, including engineers, looked at all of the developments and found that the traffic volume created by each development will have a "negligible effect on the surrounding road network."
Here are the apartment projects, the funding they will receive, and information about flooding and school impacts:
Over $1.9 million to ACRUVA Community Developers for 56 senior housing units in Daytona Beach.
Rent will be capped at 65% of the area's median income, which is $1,009 a month. Some units will be offered for less than that.
There will be no school-aged children in the development.
The site was not flooded in recent storms. Also, "the development will result in less flow toward the floodplains than the site currently sends."
Over $2.7 million to Blue Sky Communities for 84 units in DeLand.
Thirteen units are designed for the homeless.
It will include secure parking for 66 bikes, including a portion in a bike garage.
Volusia County Schools doesn't object to the development.
The site is in "an Area of Minimal Flood Hazard," but the site isn't flood-prone and "has no history of flooding."
The developers plan to install "a dry retention pond and underground exfiltration system" that can hold water runoff from a 100-year storm event.
$3.6 million to Good Housing Partnership for 60 affordable housing units in New Smyrna Beach.
This is replacing units that were destroyed during Hurricane Ian and adding more, and there's no expected increase in students. The county will be demolishing 40 units to build 60.
The property flooded during Hurricanes Ian and Milton, but the developers will add stormwater management infrastructure to the site. That includes "on-site areas consisting of retention ponds and floodplain compensation areas."
Over $2 million to Wendover Housing partners for 80 senior housing units in Orange City.
All of the units will be for people who make at or below 80% of the area median income, and 52 of the units will be for people who make 60% of the area median income or less.
School-aged children aren't a part of the development.
Flooding hasn't been seen on the site, and the project includes added safety features such as bigger stormwater ponds.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia apartment developments get over $10.4M from County Council
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