Commissioner Brian Welch Explains History Behind NE Development

There has been a lot of discussion about the recent announcement related to the permitting of two restaurants near Chiles High School off of Thomasville Road. The projects include a Waffle House and a Culvers.

The initial announcement stimulated a lot of discussion about growth and development and resulted in approximately 400 comments on a social media post by Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch. The project is located in Welch’s district.

Recently, Commissioner Welch posted a timeline related to the projects to provide some “context about the deliberate and thoughtful nature of our local planning efforts.”

In his post Welch notes that “As Leon County continues to grow, questions about development—especially near schools and residential neighborhoods—are understandable and expected.”

Welch’s comments about the permitting process related to the projects is provided below:

While construction activity may seem sudden, the truth is that this growth is the result of over three decades of deliberate planning, coordination, public oversight and private investment.

The history of this site dates back to the early 1990s, when the property was zoned Agricultural, allowing for low-density uses like farming, single-family homes, churches, and schools. This began to change in 1997, when Harry Middlebrooks deeded approximately 70 acres to Leon County, which later became the site for Chiles High School. That same year, the Urban Services Area (USA) was extended to include the school site, signaling that the area would soon have access to infrastructure like water, sewer, and roads needed to support more intensive development.

In 1998, Leon County entered into an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Leon County School Board to build a regional stormwater facility and frontage road to serve the school. This infrastructure—funded in part by FDOT—laid the groundwork for future development. That same year, construction transforming Thomasville Road from a rural two-lane roadway, to a major six lane principal arterial was taking place.

In 2000, the County adopted the Bradfordville Sector Plan, which introduced more detailed planning for growth in the area, including the establishment of zoning overlays and land use guidance around the intersection of Thomasville Road and Bannerman Road. This plan was created to guide growth in a way that encourages compact, walkable communities. One of its key successes is Bannerman Crossings, a walkable, mixed-use town center that brings together shops, restaurants, and offices and residences in a compact space. This type of development offers several benefits: it helps reduce traffic by promoting walking and shorter trips and makes better use of infrastructure.

The next major step came in 2020, when both the Board of County Commissioners and the City Commission approved a Future Land Use Map amendment, changing the designation of the subject property from Rural to Bradfordville Mixed Use, and extending the USA to include it. Importantly, Talquin Electric Cooperative confirmed that water and sewer service were available—and committed to expanding capacity if needed. The Leon County School Board also unanimously supported the USA expansion. Rather than immediately developing the site, the property owner chose a more customized and community-sensitive path by pursuing a Planned Unit Development (PUD).

Between April and September 2021, the proposed Bradfordville Hills PUD was reviewed by staff and the Development Review Committee and later received unanimous approval from the Planning Commission. The Board of County Commissioners approved the PUD in December 2021.Development will advance in phases and will ultimately provide a much-needed variety of housing to serve multi-generations of families and workforce options to support area businesses, as well as additional office and restaurant commercial uses – all supported by appropriate infrastructure.

This development reflects a model that Leon County strives to follow: intentional growth supported by infrastructure, guided by long-range planning, and informed by public engagement. Every step—land use changes, USA expansion, zoning, stormwater planning, and site-specific approvals—followed a transparent, public process.

The area around Chiles High School is growing, but it is not doing so haphazardly. It is developing as planned, in accordance with the County’s vision for responsible, well-supported growth. This is not just new construction—it’s a case study in how decades of careful planning can shape a thriving, connected, and well-served community.

I hope this provides you with a better understanding of the deliberate and decades-long planning process that is undertaken when new growth is contemplated. This is an example of smart, responsible growth management that serves our community and generates tax revenue to support social services and quality of life improvements.