A dispute over unfinished roads in Southwood dominated the Tallahassee City Commission meeting, with neighbors urging commissioners to stop waiting and force a resolution.
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Southwood road dispute dominates Tallahassee City Commission meeting Thursday
Commissioners approved moving forward with emergency repairs and paving by the city’s Public Works Department and billing the owners for the repairs.
However, there is a catch. The road runs through private property, so the owners, NextGen Family Group, will have to grant the city access before crews can get to work.
Commissioners also approved starting eminent domain proceedings to try to acquire the right-of-way needed to build the Orange Avenue extension. The city would then work with the St. Joe Company to get that road built.
The city says required deadlines for road projects in Southwood were missed and issued notices of violation to St. Joe and NextGen earlier this month.
St. Joe’s attorney told commissioners the company cannot build the Orange Avenue extension because it does not own the required right-of-way. The company’s position is that it unintentionally transferred that land to NextGen.
Gary Hunter, St. Joe’s attorney, said:
“Saint Joe doesn’t own the land under which Orange Avenue extension currently sits. Saint Joe’s position is: we didn’t intend to sell them all of the land that issue there. Saint Joe has acted in every sense in every effort in working with the city through this.”
Southwood neighbors had a different message. Some asked commissioners to sanction the developers, enforce the development order, and stop future development until the road is finished. Others called the condition of the road a safety issue and asked the city to fix it and bill St. Joe.
“Please don’t allow Saint Joe to transfer any of their developments to any other builder in order to avoid sanction,” one Southwood neighbor said.
“I had to pull over to make sure that this school bus going to Connolly at a place to drive safely,” another neighbor said.
Without public objection, commissioners also approved moving forward with the annexation of 3 parcels near Capital Circle Southeast and Tram Road.
In a written statement sent to ABC27, Commissioner David O’Keefe wrote in part:
“The County objected to this annexation because it does not meet the requirementsAll annexations should be held to the same rules. Not go around one local government to the other.”
Commissioners will also move forward with the 3 finalists for city manager after some questioned whether additional candidates should be considered.
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