TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Proposed development north of Lake Jackson has been halted by Leon County following environmental concerns.
- Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor said County staff have recommended increasing the commitment for public infrastructure by connecting sewer to the area east of Meridian Road.
- The County Commission will need to vote on the revisions to the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan during their meeting on December 9th.
- Watch the video below to hear why these plans have changed and what the next steps are.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In October, ABC 27 reported a proposal to develop about 2000 acres north of Lake Jackson to allow for new homes and commercial property.
These plans have since been rolled back by the County.
"The concern that we had was we need more housing, we need growth, we need to put it in areas where it's going to be the most sense for the community," said Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor.
Minor said there is a staff recommendation to connect the area east of Meridian Road to sewer to increase the commitment for public infrastructure.
The halt feels like somewhat of a win for environmentalist groups who had major concerns about the development impacting the quality of the lake.
"This lake, especially the northern part of it, is remarkably still natural," said Sophie Wacongne-Speer, President of Friends of Lake Jackson. "The minute you are clearing land to put roads and houses and stuff, you're disturbing the whole ecosystem there."
Wacongne-Speer said she does worry that future development is not far away.
"I don't think there will be much of an appetite to prevent the development," said Wacongne-Speer.
As for any future development north of the lake, Minor said the owner of the land would need to submit a request for consideration for future changes.
"If and when he does that, we'll give that the consideration it deserves just like we would with any other request," said Minor. "For me, the priority that we always need to keep in mind is protecting the water quality of Lake Jackson and the canopy road on Meridian."
The County will need to vote on these staff suggestions at their next meeting on December 9.
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