At the last Leon County Schools Board meeting on August 29th, attorneys for Pine Cone Woods, LLC informed the Board that their client was seeking support of an application to expand the Urban Services Area (USA) for approximately 180 acres that borders Chiles High School.
See map below.
In a letter to Superintendent Hanna, Pine Cone Woods, LLC noted that one of the requirements in filing the application with local officials requires the applicant meet informally with adjacent neighbors to provide for an early opportunity for dialogue.
Representatives for Pine Cone Woods asked if Board had any objection to the expansion.
The Board appeared to vote unanimously to support the application, though LCS Board member Rosanne Wood did ask for a benefit analysis.
The Urban Service Area (USA) includes the portions of the City and the County which are to be developed at urban levels of density and can expect the availability of urban infrastructure and services.
The intent of the Urban Service Area is to 1) promote efficient and compact urban growth; 2) protect the rural character of those areas outside the USA from incompatible uses and densities; 3) assure that local government can afford to provide needed urban services to areas which we designate to receive such services; and 4) make sure that areas designated for urban development are not “under-utilized.”
At the LCSB meeting, Ed Murray of NAI TALCOR, speaking on behalf of Pine Cone Woods, LLC, told the Board that “we believe there is a need to do moderate housing…and various forms of housing…” in the area.
Murray also noted that a successful application would open up conversations with the Board about possibly expanding the footprint of Chiles High School.
Owners to Seek Urban Designation for 180 Acres Around Chiles High School to Facilitate Development added by Staff on
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The Land behind Chiles High is a flood plain, and it floods terribly. I can understand wanting to develop land around a popular school with a good academic record, but that land is not suitable for any development, unless you plan on buildings with stilts. That’s not a joke. It’s a god-awful slog back there after a good rain.
Here we go again. Developers want to exploit for maximum personal gain regardless of the cost to others, including the land. After purchasing land out of the Urban Services Area (USA), they want the land annexed into the USA. This allows it to be developed far more intensively (and, of course, subsequently sold for a far greater profit) than had the land remained out of the USA.Ed Murray and his cronies have been at this for some time. Mr. Murray is often appointed to citizen committees addressing future development in Tallahassee. As so often seems to be the case in Tallahassee and Leon County today, the special interests of a few developers unduly influence local land use zoning and policy. The request by Pine Cone Woods, LLC is more of the same.
And when all those houses are built they will do another taxpayer funded study to figure out what to do about traffic congestion on Thomasville Rd.
Good points Tony. But, we must remember that most of us that moved to the north side of town was to get out of the city of tall.
Then I must not understand what your point is because, you build Schools where you want growth. The NE sector was growing but it really sped up after Chiles was built. We need more Schools to make Class Room Sizes smaller so Teachers can teach and to bring growth to improve Blighted areas. Expansion means Jobs and Revenue. Build the Schools, the rest should follow. It may not be what you want but, it is what’s needed.
We have four high schools south of I-10 and one north of I-10. With the growth in the northern quadrant we need one in the NE sector as long as it is not named “Hanna Hi”
Chiles is in the Northeast Sector. One at Chairs Cross Rd & Buck Lake will help a lot and then put one out North Monroe St & close to the Canopy Roads School and then one out Spring Hill Road out side Cap Circle. The City will grow towards the new Schools.
We need a High School built at Chairs Cross Road and Buck Lake Road.
“promote efficient and compact urban growth; 2) protect the rural character of those areas outside the USA”
Well they fail on at least the first two points right off the bat. Expanding the USA is promoting sprawl, not compact urban growth. This area is 15 miles north of the city center. And this is a rural area; adding homes and businesses makes it suburban, not rural, not to mention that growth begets more growth. Thomasville Rd. is already a nightmare to drive and this will make the roads worse and fill the schools beyond capacity. Bad idea.
Amen.
The woods is home to many many creatures. Let’s leave it alone. Mankind’s greed is destroying the planet. The reality is we are heading for a recession and the average family cannot afford the asking price for these homes.
Tell that to the Gopher Turtles in Canopy. You will find them buried alive.
Turn some of that land into Industrial / Manufacturing and bring in Manufacturing Businesses (Not Fast Food). As many Teens in that area, some will need Jobs after High School.
All for it grow the city, stop crying and advance the city. Bunch of old boring people in this town!
The area is already saturated with housing and area schools are at capacity
This is NOT needed. Typical of developers paying off politicians and key people to rape land. Wake the Hell up people and fight crooked politicians and don’t allow developers to walk all over you
Mark you always go on a rant about RH for every story this website publishes. You act as if Pons was God. He was not. He and his cronies including Paul Byrd took kickbacks from contractors and consultants. Gary Yordon has been implicated with Maddox. Get a life and vote for who you want but stop acting like Pons was or is a good guy. He is not. He proved that when outed Hanna’s daughter.
The U. S. Attorney ended the investigation. Rocky Hanna sent information to state and federal authorities with the intention of having someone charged knowing no crime was committed. Further, Rocky cost taxpayers over $600,000 to investigate his notebook but he acknowledged he made up everything in the notebook with no knowledge of wrongdoing. I have read all of Mark’s post, he never endorsed or mentions Mr. Pons. The scales of justice should always remember that knowingly falsifying information to state and federal authorities is something that we should all be concerned with. I am sorry about the ad you wrote about, I am even more upset that Mr. Hanna had to be sued to provide child support.
Question: Who is in charge of construction in Leon Schools?
Response: Superintendent Rocky Hanna
Clarification : Didn’t Rocky Hanna gather documents for a notebook, write the knowingly false and misleading summaries in each section and then circulate the notebook to state, federal and news outlets seeking to open an investigation into the former Superintendent concerning construction issued? Yes Rocky admitted to the school board attorney he did all of these things and the U.S. Attorney found no merit in the Hanna notebook. Rocky did tell the school board attorney that he (Rocky) had no first-hand knowledge of any wrongdoing, yet he gathered the documents and authored the misleading summaries in each section.
Another Clarification: Rocky Hanna is the self proclaimed leader of construction in Leon Schools. Who approves the contracts to contractors? Rocky. Who received political donations from contractors and sub contractors? Rocky
Mark (Jackie Pons) dude Jackie, get some help! You are such a psycho idiot.
If this area is to build homes, it will be a major impact on schools. It is my understanding that Chile’s, Montford Middle, Killearnlakes Elem, Desoto Trails Elem, Roberts Elem. Are at capacity. Maybe the issue about the new park on Proctor and Thomasville Road is related. Sounds to me this is all part of a scheme by politicians to do bond issues and raise our taxes. It is real interesting that Hanna or the Board never addressed or cared about the impact on our school system.
Story doesn’t say how big the lots would be. One-acre lots? 180 homes. 2/10ths-acre lots (like SouthWood): 900 homes.
Big difference.
Is this part of learners development? If not who are the owners?