DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There's a new push in Daytona Beach to bring back driving and parking on a section of the beach where it hasn’t been allowed for more than 20 years.

What You Need To Know

  • A group of business owners with the Daytona Beach Main Street Merchants Association are asking the Volusia County Council to bring back driving on the beach in a section that has been prohibited for more than 20 years

  • Beach driving from International Speedway Boulevard to Auditorium Boulevard in Daytona Beach was banned in March 2000

  • According to the county, the current state law allows removal of beach driving from sections where it was previously authorized but does not provide authority to restore beach driving

During the May 21 Volusia County Council meeting, the council discussed allowing people to drive on a section of the beach from International Speedway Boulevard to Auditorium Boulevard in Daytona Beach.

The request to reopen the stretch of beach along Main Street in Daytona Beach was placed on the agenda after staff received direction to do so by County Council Chair Jeff Brower, who said this was one of his goals at the 2024 State of the County address. Brower said members of the public and business owners in the area have said they think driving access could help businesses flourish.

In 1996, the County Council enacted an ordinance that banned public beach driving from Seabreeze Boulevard to the northern boundary of the extension of International Speedway Boulevard upon the opening of at least 1,000 additional parking spaces near the area.

Beach driving from International Speedway Boulevard to Auditorium Boulevard was banned in March 2000, when the Ocean Center parking area was opened to the public with 1,500 public parking spaces, which exceeded the required condition.

Ormond Beach resident Thomas Caffrey is the owner of the World’s Most Famous Brewery, a business located on Main Street Daytona Beach. They open seven days a week, with flexible hours depending on traffic of customers that fluctuates from day to day. “We get a few of our friends that are locals and people that know about us that come down this way. But there’s really not a lot going on over here,” Caffrey said.

He said since they have been at this location in 2018, a lot of things have changed, “but the largest change I’ve seen is when they closed the beach down in March of 2000.”

Caffrey said after the county removed beach driving between International Speedway Boulevard and Auditorium Shores in 2000, businesses have not been the same.

“Some people say that they didn’t know that they couldn’t drive here," he said. "They thought driving was available everywhere on the beach. “

Caffrey serves as vice president of the Daytona Beach Main Street Merchants Association, a group comprised of more than 15 local businesses. He said they brought their concerns to the County Council last month and asked them to reopen this section and allow driving on the beach.

“We got around 100 signatures from other businesses and local people that are right here to try to push for this," Caffrey said. "And we’re going to grow that, hopefully, over the next few weeks, or however long until the next county council meeting that we can talk about it some more and try to get a little bit better traction."

His business is only two blocks away from the beach. He says since driving on the beach was removed in this area, there have been at least 20 businesses that closed their doors. 

“This used to be McDonald’s. This is going back 25 years ago ... there was a Steak ‘n Shake, a Krystal’s — there were many other buildings up and down the street that are all gone in the quarter district," Caffrey  said. "So, everything’s changed quite a bit."

He said restoring beach driving would have a significant impact on local businesses on Main Street, and was hopeful the County Council will bring the item back for this discussion in the near future. 

But county officials say the process of bringing back driving on the beach would not be a simple one.

According to the county, state law allows removal of beach driving from sections where it was previously allowed, but does not provide the authority to restore beach driving. At a minimum, county leaders say the action would require the state Legislature to enact a special law to allow the Council to restore beach driving to that section of the beach.

The motion in Volusia County failed 4-2, after county councilman Troy Kent voted against it, with councilman David Santiago absent. He said his no vote was a “chess move” so the motion could be brought back at a future council meeting where all seven members are attendance.