DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Tallahassee city commissioners addressed ongoing development issues in Southwood and local rooster regulations during Wednesday's meeting.
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City leaders revisited the development situation in Southwood, stating that required improvements to Orange Avenue and Biltmore Avenue were not completed on time. This delay violated the project's development agreement.
Commissioners decided to cancel a public hearing regarding the issue originally scheduled for April 21. They are now giving developers a 60-day window to come into compliance. If the developers do not meet the requirements, the city will schedule another public hearing.
"So I just want to get the road built. I want the neighbors to be assured that we're not going to let up and that they've been heard," Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox said.
The developer, The St. Joe Company, attended the meeting and stated they are ready to take action to move forward.
"St. Joe is prepared to go build Orange Avenue. Emergency or no emergency, we understand the residents of Southwood are ready for Orange Avenue to be constructed," a St. Joe Company representative said.
The commission also discussed backyard roosters. At the meeting it was noted that there have been 10 calls related to roosters from five homes over the past year. All complaints were resolved through education and conversations with the owners, and the city chose not to issue citations.
Tallahassee ordinance allows residents to keep one rooster on their residential property, but rules vary just outside city limits. Leon County prohibits roosters in home gardens or residential yards, though they are allowed in community gardens and urban agriculture settings. Even when roosters are allowed, excessive noise can still create problems under city nuisance rules.
"That's against our city ordinance, and so there could be, you know, punishment for that, if it's reported and they are found to be in violation of the ordinance," Commissioner Curtis Richardson said.
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