TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Leon County Commission voted on the final Comprehensive Plan at Tuesday\u2019s meeting. <\/p>\n
The Comprehensive Plan, or land use constitution, lays out a map for Tallahassee\u2019s growth over the next 30 years.<\/p>\n
Urban planners say the Tallahassee area needs 23,000 new homes by 2050, which has led both the city and county to consider changes to their comp plan over the past few months.<\/p>\n
The county has already limited staff\u2019s original recommendation, primarily around Lake Jackson.<\/a> They voted against expanding the utility map, but the current plan does allow for some expansion near Southwood.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do the taxpayers get out of expanding the urban services area?\u201d one public speaker said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to end up paying for long-term maintenance of these areas.\u201d <\/p>\n Another speaker who lives on Old St. Augustine Road said expanding the urban services area, which is a boundary on a map where sewer and electric grids are run, will hurt the canopy road. <\/p>\n More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n \u201cOld St. Augustine is already falling apart,\u201d he said. \u201cIt cannot be widened and is already threatened by traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n Commissioner David O\u2019Keefe asked planners about the urban services area expansion near Southwood, which he opposes.<\/p>\n By blocking expansion near Lake Jackson, O\u2019Keefe said the commission forced the landowner into an individual process and wants the same to happen around Old St. Augustine.<\/p>\n Commissioner Bill Proctor said the urban services area line \u201cdoesn\u2019t mean anything to Black neighborhoods,\u201d saying that even when Black homes are put in the USA, they don\u2019t receive the same services.<\/p>\n He said the expansion near Southwood should be \u201cdecoupled\u201d and would support the substitute motion to adopt the final comp plan excluding those parcels.<\/p>\n Commissioner Nick Maddox asked urban planners if the urban service area expansion would encompass anything that isn\u2019t urban fringe.<\/p>\n Planners said the majority of the expansion would be urban fringe, which serves as a buffer between the urban and rural areas. <\/p>\n NEW: The Leon County Commission is now voting on adopting its land use constitution, known as the comp plan. <\/p>\n It sounds boring, but it’s important. That’s because Tallahassee needs 23,000 new homes, and has to put them somewhere. https:\/\/t.co\/nXvTJMYAEs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/n9PRhEWBkP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) December 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate what the staff has put together,\u201d Maddox said. \u201cWe have to balance planners through logic and reason vs residents who are emotionally tied to their community.\u201d <\/p>\n Commissioner Brian Welch said the frustration surrounding growth is a threat to the community. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a perfect encapsulation of the paralysis we\u2019ve had in this community,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThis property near Southwood will not realize the densities that were referenced. That\u2019s not based in fact. In order to create affordable housing, we have to build.\u201d<\/p>\n Commissioner Rick Minor emphasized that changes to the plan must be made transparently. \u201cThe key for us is to grow in a smart way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the commission voted 4-3 to adopt its 30-year comprehensive land use plan. <\/p>\n At the last step, the commission stripped out acreage near Southwood where utilities would be built up.<\/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