DELAND, Fla. – Deland city commissioners on Monday discussed a strategy to increase affordable housing opportunities.
City staff created a set of draft “tiny home” regulations.
Tiny homes are a minimum of 200 square feet to a maximum of 600 square feet.
“It (kind of) looks like those cabins you rent,” Commissioner Jessica Davis said. “I wouldn’t want that look like a pass-through , park your trailer next to it, stay a couple days and go.”
Staff said bringing tiny homes to the city’s Core Gateway Overlay could be possible with a planned development, but the administrative and legal costs associated with a zoning amendment have kept tiny home developments out of reach.
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City staff said a number of developers have already expressed interest in building tiny home communities in Deland.
Some developers have even offered the idea of using shipping containers.
The city has researched tiny home developments statewide and throughout the country and will continue reviewing regulations and requirements within other cities and counties.
“You don’t want to make them super expensive because that kind of defeats the purpose, but at the same time, I do feel like there needs to be some sort of aesthetics,” Commissioner Charles Paiva said.
The planning board is requesting feedback about the tiny homes’ potential location, design, and amenities.
Staff plan to use guidance from commissioners to develop tiny home regulations.
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