TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Leon County Commissioners passed changes to its land use constitution on Tuesday night. <\/p>\n
The changes will limit utility expansion in the Lake Jackson area, but allow it near Southwood. <\/p>\n
The vote was 5-2, with Commissioners David O\u2019Keefe and Rick Minor against.<\/p>\n
The comp plan tells developers where they can build and at what density.<\/p>\n
The land use discussion focused on something called the Urban Services Area, which is a boundary on a map where sewer and electric grids are run, signaling likely development.<\/p>\n
NEW: The Leon County Commission passes changes to its land use constitution, which limits utility expansion in the Lake Jackson area, but allows it near Southwood. <\/p>\n
Vote was 5-2 with O\u2019Keefe and Minor against for complex reasons explained above.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) November 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Urban planners previously recommended rescinding a vote<\/a> that would have expanded utilities in the Lake Jackson area. <\/p>\n On Tuesday, they recommended a more limited expansion from what was already laid out.<\/p>\n Commissioner Bill Proctor said a lot of Black neighborhoods, even those already inside the Urban Service Area (USA), don\u2019t have a central sewer. <\/p>\n To have utilities, residents must be in the USA, which is an indication of where the county wants folks to develop.<\/p>\n Minor made a motion to accept what the staff recommends, but added four items which would require how many acres need to be added to the USA to meet home targets.<\/p>\n Commissioners Nick Maddox and Brian Welch made a substitute motion to accept the staff recommendation without three of Minor\u2019s points, including the acre requirements.<\/p>\n Commissioner David O\u2019Keefe took issue with what would be an expansion of the USA near Southwood. He said it\u2019s one landowner who wants the change, and nearby zoning could allow for denser housing if utilities are allowed.<\/p>\n He said the canopy road in the area should be protected. He added that it makes more sense to develop near Mahan or Buck Lake.<\/p>\n O\u2019Keefe expressed worry about increased traffic on Old St. Augustine Road, which is a protected canopy road. He asked Maddox to amend his motion to largely prevent the expansion of the USA south of Apalachee Parkway, but Maddox declined to accept.<\/p>\n Regarding Old St Augustine, Welch said, \u201cthese are going to happen\u201d since they\u2019re right next to Southwood, a major development.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to accept the community is going to grow and that houses will be built,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Minor supported limiting the expansion of the Urban Services Area near Lake Jackson, but wanted to add four more items to the staff\u2019s recommendation.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the board only supported the first of Minor\u2019s four points after staff said it would \u201ctake decades\u201d to determine how many acres need to be added to the Urban Services Area to ensure enough housing is built by 2050.<\/p>\n Urban planners have said the Tallahassee area needs 23,000 new housing units in the next 25 years, with a boom in population likely coming.<\/p>\n That\u2019s led to the overhaul of the \u201ccomp plan,\u201d which has taken several years.<\/p>\n Both the city and county will hold final hearings in December, when the state will have a final chance to weigh in before the maps are officially adopted.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n