On March 24, 2026, the Ormond Beach City Commission voted 3–2 to issue a development order to Triumph Oaks of Ormond Beach, LLC for up to 254 homes on the 147-acre former Tomoka Oaks golf course. The project is called Tomoka Reserve. Most of the headlines stopped there. For anyone looking at a home in Tomoka Oaks or the nearby Trails this fall, the vote is where the important part begins.
Six months later, the public record shows no approved plat, no named homebuilder and no ruling on the neighborhood's appeal. An August 10 traffic memo still asks the developer to revise its study. The city's Residential Development Report as of October 1, 2026 lists only two dates for the 24-lot phase one: a June 5 application and a July 1 first review. It shows no second review, and the engineering permit is marked "Not applied." The details that will decide how this "hole in the doughnut" changes the surrounding streets are being worked out now. A state law change means most of that work happens in staff review, not at the City Commission dais.
Why the March Vote Was a Risk Decision
The commission wasn't weighing a fresh proposal on its merits. In 2023 the Planning Board recommended denying an earlier 272-home plan. The commission then sent that plan back with a request for lower density. Instead of resubmitting, the developers asked to rezone the land to R-2, "Single-Family Low Density." The commission denied that request in April 2024. The developers appealed in the Seventh Judicial Circuit and, in late December 2024, filed a federal property-rights lawsuit in Orlando.
That history set the terms of the March choice. The Ormond Beach Observer reported that R-2 zoning could allow more than 300 homes and would need only administrative approval. Commissioners were deciding whether to keep fighting in court, knowing a loss would likely bring higher density and a much smaller buffer. The HOA's attorney mentioned a $16 million figure tied to the litigation. According to the official minutes, the city attorney told commissioners there was a deadline of April 3, 2026, so postponing wasn't an option. Their choices were to approve the order as presented or deny it, without amendments.
So the approved plan is a negotiated outcome, made in part to avoid a worse one. It's also the only part of the project that went to a public vote.
Where the Decisions Went After Approval
Preliminary plats in Ormond Beach used to need City Commission approval. That changed in 2025, when Senate Bill 784 required plats to be approved administratively under certain conditions. The commission sees a plat only if the Site Plan Review Committee denies it. Construction can't start until a final plat is approved.
Here is the public record since the vote:
| Date (2026) | What happened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| March 24 | Development order approved, 3–2 | Final city vote |
| April 23 | Tomoka Oaks HOA and 14 residents file appeal | No ruling found |
| May 6 | Pre-application meeting for a 24-lot phase one | Review begins |
| June 5 | Phase-one application filed | Multiple sections marked "Requires Re-submit" |
| July 1 | City plan-corrections report | Revisions requested |
| July 8 | Site Plan Review Committee first review | Comments, no approval |
| August 10 | City's traffic consultant reviews revised traffic-study plan | More changes requested |
| October 1 | City development report lists phase one | No second review, engineering permit not applied |
At the March hearing, Commissioner Kristin Deaton pointed out that the developer had no contracted builder. None of the later city records we reviewed names one.
What Phase One Looks Like on Paper
The approved plan has a density of 1.72 homes per acre, down from 1.84 in the 2023 version. Lots around the edge of the old course must be at least 80 by 120 feet, and interior lots at least 60 by 120 feet. Tomoka Oaks residents had asked for 100-foot lots from the start, citing compatibility with their homes.
The first 24 lots are split evenly between 80-foot and 66-foot widths. The July 8 review minutes add some practical details:
- The amenity center won't be built in this phase. Its parking lot will be used for model homes.
- Construction and emergency access for the full plan won't be reviewed until the preliminary plat reaches 100 houses.
- Stockpiles, storage and concrete washout must stay inside the silt fence, and silt fence is required along Tomoka Oaks Boulevard.
- The contractor must get a city-approved traffic-control plan, with proper notice.
The buffer also changed between versions. The city originally wanted a "type six" buffer of seven trees, 70 shrubs and 70 ground-cover plants per 100 linear feet. The approved plan uses a "type four" buffer of five trees, 50 shrubs and 50 ground-cover plants. In July, city staff asked the developer to show the 50-foot buffer on the plat and to submit revised tree-survey and open-space calculations.
If you're comparing two Tomoka Oaks homes with similar prices, the one backing onto the old course and the one a few streets away now face different unknowns. The 24-lot first phase hasn't been fully mapped against existing streets in the public reporting. Lot widths, buffer plantings and tree preservation along each edge are still in review.
The Entrance Matters More Than the Lot Count
Every phase depends on how traffic gets in and out. Residents have raised concerns about the single access point and construction access, and those issues are part of the appeal. In June, the city's planning civil engineer noted that the existing conflict at the "diamond" intersection inside Tomoka Oaks seemed to remain in the proposed design. He asked the developer to discuss converting it to a roundabout with a bypass lane, including the effect on existing driveways and a cost estimate.
The traffic signal at Tomoka Oaks Boulevard and Nova Road has a specific trigger. At the March hearing, Planning Director Steven Spraker said it would be installed before the first certificate of occupancy unless the developer bonded it. The city's later review asked for language requiring the signal to be either completed or fully bonded, with its cost held in escrow. A bond secures the money for the signal. It doesn't set the date the signal goes up.
Nova Road won't add capacity to help. The August 10 traffic memo says FDOT confirmed its Nova Road project between Granada Boulevard and Wilmette Avenue will keep the existing three travel lanes in each direction. The same memo asks for 72-hour machine counts on St. Andrews Drive. That's the street where homes inside Tomoka Oaks would feel any traffic spilling through the neighborhood.
Two Court Questions Without a Public Answer
The HOA's appeal, filed April 23 by attorney Ralf Brookes, asks the circuit court to reverse the March 24 approval. It argues that pressure from the litigation shaped the decision and that the revised plan should have gone back to the Planning Board. The 63-page filing also challenges site access, the traffic study, lot sizes, neighborhood compatibility, stormwater and environmental impacts. We found no hearing date or ruling in public reporting through early October.
The developer's federal case was last reported in February. A magistrate's January 23 order had denied several of the city's dismissal arguments, and Observer Local News reported that the city said it would keep preparing for trial unless the case was resolved. We couldn't confirm any later status.
These cases matter to a buyer because they could still change the plan the city is reviewing. Until a court rules, the approved development order is the working plan, but it's still being challenged.
Questions Worth Raising Before You Write an Offer
These come straight from the open items in the city's own records. They're the questions I'd want answered for any home on the old course's edge or along the main entry road:
- Which existing lots back onto phase one, and are they across from the 66-foot or the 80-foot lots?
- What does the latest plat show for the buffer and preserved trees along that property line?
- Where will construction traffic enter, and how close is it to the house?
- Has the developer completed the Nova Road signal or bonded it, and is a construction date public?
- Has the circuit court ruled on the HOA appeal, or scheduled a hearing?
- What does the Tomoka Oaks HOA say in its own records about the appeal and how it's being funded?
Staff asked that the new development's private streets and stormwater systems be maintained permanently by a homeowners association. That association isn't the same as the existing Tomoka Oaks HOA. Keep the two straight when you read documents.
A Few Quick Answers
Is construction underway? Not according to any record we found. As of the city's October 1 report, phase one had one review on record and no engineering permit application. Construction can't begin until a final plat is approved.
Can the City Commission still change the plan? The commission's vote was the March 24 development order. Under SB 784, plats are handled by staff unless the Site Plan Review Committee denies one, which sends it to the commission.
Where can I follow the project? The city posts review documents on its Tomoka Reserve 2026 page. Site Plan Review Committee minutes are posted in the city's meeting archive.
If you own in Tomoka Oaks and want to know how this unsettled stretch is affecting what buyers will pay for your street, or you're weighing a home near the old course, I'm glad to go through the latest plat filings with you. Stacy Kelly can start with a free home valuation that accounts for where your lot sits relative to phase one.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
