At the March 22nd, Joint Workshop on the 2022 Cycle Comprehensive Plan Amendments, elected officials heard about a proposal that could result in the development of approximately 460 acres on the southside of Leon County by D.R. Horton, a national homebuilder.
D.R. Horton is based in Arlington, Texas and operates in 44 of homebuilding’s top 50 markets in the U.S.
The company has a presence in Wakulla County where it has developed Chadwick Estates . The neighborhood is located along Wakulla Arran Road and approximately 2.2 Miles from Hwy 319.
The workshop is one of the first steps in a process that will include public hearings and votes by elected officials related to the proposals.
During the workshop, elected officials highlighted the positives related to the proposal which included addressing the need for more housing options and the southside location of the development.
Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch noted “we do not have enough housing, there is not enough dirt.”
City Commissioner Curtis Richardson commented on the housing crisis and said, “we are growing….how we grow is what we determine…we need to bring more properties inside the Urban Services Area.”
Leon County Commissioner Jimbo Jackson said that “it is great to see something come to the southwest.”
There were also concerns mentioned about possible problems related to traffic issues and urban sprawl.
Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier said she was concerned about how the April Road project would impact traffic patterns in the area.
City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow voiced concern about the repeated expansion of the Urban Services Area (USA).
Matlow said, “I think we can’t continue to expand the Urban Services Area…we do not have enough money to provide service to sprawling neighborhoods.”
Comp Plan Changes
The changes requested by the developer include extending the Urban Services Area (USA) and changing zoning designations. The changes requested are related to three parcels.
The April Road designated parcel is approximately 173 acres of land at the northeast corner of Old St. Augustine Road and April Road. The proposed zoning changes would allow low-density residential development at 3.63 dwelling units per acre.
The proposed zoning allows townhouses, single family detached homes, two-family homes, and apartments as well as open space/recreation and community facilities related to residential use from 4-20 dwelling units per acre.
The Woodville Highway parcel is approximately 154 acres of land southeast of the intersection at Capital Circle and Woodville Highway and The Southwood Planation parcel is approximately 130 acres of land between Apalachee Parkway and Old St. Augustine Rd, east of Southwood Plantation.
The zoning request for these two parcels will allow low density residential development at a density up to eight dwelling units per acre and a mixture of office, commercial uses, and residential densities up to 20 units per acre.
The next step in the process is for planning officials to gather Information requested during the workshop and address any outstanding questions and concerns at public hearings scheduled for April 12 and June 14.
April Road
Southwood
Woodville Highway
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@Jeff. You need to get some facts. Local subcontractors are being used almost exclusively on these projects, and doing quite well! The residential game here in town is not like the commercial, where many of the big jobs go to out of town subs.
I hope the city/county/state are going to begin the already in existence project to bring sewer to Woodville.
Crime, students and poverty in TLH have drive prices into the ground in 3/4 of the city.
Starter home isnt just about the down payment either. You can do 3%, so thats not a big deal. But ideally you dont want to spend more than 1/4 of your income on a 15yr fixed rate, so what does that get you in the middle class? 150k house? Good luck with that.
Putting local contractors out of business.
Used to be a developer would install infrastructure and local contractors would build the houses, using local sub contractors.
Southwood changed all that, now Gazvini’s and Boulous buy up all the land and do the building themselves. Add another one and the local contractors are shut out.
The Boulos development very close to this proposed development is a nightmare. I still am perplexed on how the Boulos development got approved and why it is not up to standards in setbacks and landscaping. Someone got a bribe somewhere, somehow, someway…
@ David Hawkins for County Commissioner District 5…
Well said!
This has nothing to do with the “housing crisis” “affordable housing” or any simmilar leftist buzz words your elected nannies are throwing out for your warm fuzzy feelings.
You already know what I’m going to say: Curtis, Brian, Jeremy, Jimbo, Kirstin, and the others all smell that sweet sweet fragerance of untraceable campaigain contributions slipping into their fingers…yeah gonna get some of that The St. Joe Company LLC sweet sweet money.
Thats what this is about. Plain and Simple $$$$$$$$$$$$$
What David T. said at 10:41 am.
Before considering “affordable housing” one should ensure that those who will inhabit them have the skills and abilities to maintain them. Look first at the syringes and cigarette butts on the ground around “tent cities” and the plethora of cell phones that the inhabitants have. If they have money for those things, they have money to better themselves through education and rehabilitation. If the government is going to spend public money (taxes confiscated from others), let it be for rehabilitating those people and trying to foster in them skills that make them independent. If they cannot be rehabilitated or choose not to become independent and self-supporting, all the “affordable housing” in the world won’t help.
@ Jon = It is usually a 1500SqFt 3/2 Home with 1 Car Garage on a 10th of an Acre for $285,000 and UP.
Are they going to be either dense or 400k homes? Why cant they build some 200k starter homes? I dont need 4 bdroom, 2300sqft, on .5 acres.
I am sure this is already approved and the meetings are just a formality so, I suggest that you make the Developers do the needed Widening, Turn Lanes and Traffic Lights that will be needed on the Highways and surrounding roads BEFORE they build the first Home.
Local politicians are always talking about lack of affordable housing and then when a developer wants to build these same politicians talk about traffic and urban sprawl. You can’t have it both ways. The biggest way to keeping housing prices in check is to increase supply.