- December 13, 2025
In 2000, beach driving in Daytona from International Speedway Boulevard to Seabreeze went away.
Twenty-five years later, it's not looking like that will change anytime soon.
The County Council voted 5-2 against reinstating beach driving in this section of beach at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The discussion was put on the agenda by Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower, who has been advocating in favor of this issue since he was elected in 2021, saying reinstating beach driving will help revitalize the Main Street corridor and its businesses.
Brower said the County Council who approved removing beach driving from ISB to Seabreeze did so on a promise that it would bring bigger investments into the corridor. Instead, what happened was small businesses were left to struggle.
"I can't look at these people and say, 'You're not investing in our community, you don't deserve to have a spot here,'" Brower said. "... You're the ones that have dug in and are providing good services and fun places for s to come."
It's not the first time Brower has brought this discussion before the County Council. It has been one of his key issues since he was elected in 2021.
"There is nothing like the experience of going to this beach and parking your car, your van or your truck and having your own little section of beachfront property with everything you need to enjoy the day surrounding your vehicle," Brower said. "That's what made Daytona Beach the most popular beach in Florida."
In 1996, the Volusia County Council at the time signed the ordinance to remove beach driving from ISB to Seabreeze, which went into effect four years later, contingent upon the opening of at least 1,000 parking spaces near the beach.
The City of Daytona Beach entered into an agreement with the developer of Ocean Walk Shoppes for the construction of the beachside shopping center, but it would only occur if beach driving was removed in that section. The Ocean Center parking area later opened to the public, offering 1,500 public parking spaces.
Senior Assistant County Attorney Paolo Soria said that, to reinstate beach driving from ISB to Seabreeze, the Legislature would need to file a new bill, as the state's current law only allows for removal of beach driving sections, not restoration.
Included in the county's agenda item were five written letters of opposition from property owners, including the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and the Boardwalk at Daytona investment group, which is working with two developers for a mixed-use project that would include a new hotel and retail.
Representing Boardwalk at Daytona at the council meeting was Cobb Cole attorney Rob Merrell, who said the discussion to reinstate beach driving was bringing hesitation to those involved with the project.
"This has created a chilling effect," Merrell said. "... Can I say that the project is definitely going to happen as a result of you guys saying no? Of course not. But I can tell you that it will absolutely have an effect if this goes the way it started to go just now."
One member of the public questioned this stance, saying it would minimize access to the public beach.
"Their message to this council is loud and clear, and frankly, it's chilling," said Gabe Wozniak, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Volusia County, who spoke at the meeting. "They're essentially threatening to withhold investment if you do not maintain a sanitized vehicle-free zone that benefits their bottom line. ... These entities want the taxpayer-funded government to enforce a restriction on the public so their private developments can enjoy the exclusivity of a private beach atmosphere without paying for the land."
There was one letter of support, and the county states one other property owner verbally issued his or her support. The letter was written by Joyce Louizes, whose family owns and operates two shops on Main Street.
"I truly believe that the day they stopped it was one of the saddest days in Daytona’s history," she wrote. "I strongly believe that this will revitalize our area and city and encourage investment and hopefully be more attractive to someone to bring in some amusements on the large portion of the boardwalk that sadly now stands vacant."
Other property owners, the county reported, didn't respond. Neither did the City of Daytona Beach.
County Councilman Troy Kent was the only other councilman in favor of reinstating beach driving from ISB to Seabreeze. He said its removal was an "experiment."
"There are two words to describe the results of this experiment, and those words to me are 'epic failure,'" Kent said.
The council is hearing about a "possible investment," he said, referencing the Boardwalk at Daytona project. But the council should talk about the investments of the struggling Main Street Merchants — and, he added, the hundreds of businesses that have since closed.
"When you shut off access to the beach, you basically make a private beach for the landowners that own that beach," Kent said.
Councilman David Santiago said he didn't think reinstating beach driving was the solution to the Main Street merchants' issues. The answer is economic investment, he said.
"I think there's other potential opportunities," he said. "I'm not a hotelier, but I hear from hoteliers that they want to invest more in that community. Hoteliers bring people to the community, which bring people to your shops."
Santiago said the revitalization of the corridor through reinstating beach driving is a "false hope."
"Daytona Beach is the economic engine of Volusia County," he said. "Investment needs to occur there, and no insult to them —they are stuck in the '80s. We need to find ways to get investment in here, and we're hearing from people in the investment world: A solution to this in the vote of a no is a potential moving forward."
Brower compared Main Street's heyday to New Smyrna Beach's Flagler Avenue approach, and councilmen discussed the latter's popularity. Councilman Danny Robins also brought up Daytona Beach's infamous Spring Break era, which created public safety issues and disorderly conduct in local hotels.
Councilmen stressed wanting to collaborate with the City of Daytona Beach on what they envision for the future of Main Street.
Leaving Brower and Kent on the losing side of the argument.
"OK, so we wait another 30 years and maybe somebody from Atlanta will help us throw our locals under the bus — take their beach away from them," Brower said.
