TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A showdown over an unfinished roadway in Southwood ended without immediate penalties Monday after Tallahassee city commissioners voted to postpone enforcement action and instead pursue a broader review that could expose additional developers and properties to sanctions.
City commissioners postponed enforcement action over the unfinished Orange Avenue extension, directing staff to broaden its investigation into Southwood transportation obligations before returning with recommendations in August.
The City Commission voted 3-2 after more than an hour of testimony from developers, residents and city staff over the long-delayed Orange Avenue extension, a key roadway that was supposed to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025, under the Southwood Development of Regional Impact (DRI) agreement.
Rather than approve sanctions recommended by staff, commissioners directed city staff to issue new notices of violation and expand the enforcement review to include other transportation obligations within Southwood, including the Biltmore Avenue extension and additional development parcels that could be affected. The case is expected to return to the commission Aug. 28.
Why the city held the hearing
The hearing centered on a roughly 900-foot gap in the Orange Avenue extension that remains unfinished on property owned by Next Gen Family Group LLC.
The city issued notices of violation to both Next Gen and The St. Joe Company, Southwood’s master developer, arguing the road should have been completed by the end of 2025 under the development order.
St. Joe attorney Robert Volpe told commissioners the company has been working for months to obtain the property rights necessary to finish the road and filed a lawsuit against Next Gen on June 25 after negotiations broke down.
Volpe said the company still intends to complete the roadway and asked commissioners to allow additional time rather than impose sanctions.
Residents demand accountability
Southwood residents urged commissioners to act immediately, saying they have waited years while traffic continues to increase and promised road improvements remain unfinished.
John Ray, who said he represents a coalition of neighborhood and community leaders, criticized both developers and argued that limiting sanctions to Next Gen would fail to hold St. Joe accountable.
“We’ve been patient long enough,” Ray told commissioners. “If this situation does not deserve sanctions, nothing else does.”
Ray also urged commissioners to halt additional development approvals in the area until Orange Avenue and other required roadway improvements are completed.
Commissioners split on next steps
Several commissioners questioned whether the proposed sanctions would unfairly affect only Next Gen because the draft resolution suspended permitting only on the parcel where the unfinished roadway sits.
Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox said she wanted both St. Joe and Next Gen held responsible.
“I am tired of this Groundhog Day, this merry-go-round,” Williams-Cox said. “The residents of Southwood deserve resolution.”
Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter argued the city should move forward immediately with sanctions tied to Orange Avenue while addressing any additional violations separately.
Instead, Williams-Cox withdrew her original motion to approve sanctions and successfully proposed postponing the hearing so city staff could prepare a broader enforcement case.
City attorneys advised that expanding the case to include additional roadway obligations or development parcels would require new notices of violation and another quasi-judicial hearing.
What’s next?
The commission voted 3-2 to postpone the matter, with Williams-Cox, Mayor John Dailey and Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Richardson voting in favor. Commissioners Matlow and Porter voted against the delay.
When the case returns Aug. 28, city staff is expected to present expanded notices of violation, additional evidence regarding affected properties and recommendations for possible sanctions involving the broader Southwood transportation network.