Welaunee is a huge development on Tallahassee’s northeast side between Miccosukee and Centerville roads. This decades-long undertaking is often referred to as a city within a city – and it’s far from being completed.
In fact, plans for the portion known as the Welaunee Arch are being delayed -- at the developer’s request -- so more public input can be gathered.
The Welaunee development is the topic of today’s Speaking Of.
The Tallahassee City Commission recently approved an amendment to the portion known as Canopy.
“This has been really been confusing because I’ve gotten conflicting information from so many different sources.”
That statement by Commissioner Curtis Richardson during a recent commission meeting was about the proposed Dempsey Mayo Road extension, but it sums up a lot about what is happening regarding the massive Welaunee development. By the way, that section is owned by Leon County, which will have to weigh in on the road extension.
Welaunee is comprised of three main sections: the Toe, the Heel, and the Arch - the largest section. The southernmost portion is the Toe, and it has seen a lot of building with the Canopy at Welaunee development.
The city recently approved a modification to the Canopy Development Agreement, written by the developer’s legal team. Attorney Erin Tilton with Stearns Weaver Miller addressed the commission. She represents the developer, Ox Bottom Mortgage Holdings.
"The changes that are being proposed here are really to reflect the current conditions of the project, which is fairly typical for a project that has been around as long as this one, that is as large in scale, and that is built out over a timeline consistent with this one," Tilton said.
She also addressed the planned extension of Dempsey Mayo Road.
"No one is asking the City to pay for this roadway. Nothing in this agreement obligates the City to construct this roadway. That narrative is patently false, and facts matter."
Retired land planner Scott Henderson sees it differently.
"Let's go over to page 9 of the developer's agreement that she drafted. 'The developer is not obligated to construct the Dempsey Mayo extension,'" Henderson says. "So you get a statement by the attorney representing the developer that says one thing, but you open up the agreement and you read the words — the City is obligated."
Henderson says the agreement exempts developers and builders from paying impact fees to cover the impacts of thousands of homes and business customers on roads and services like EMS.
"One of the important things we need to do is look at Welaunee as a whole," says Lynne Takacs. She owns a graphic design business, but much of her time is spent delving into development projects for her website Before We Build TLH.
"If we look at Welaunee as a whole, it's over 6,600 acres, which is about twice the size of Southwood," Takacs says. "It's smaller than the city of Quincy and has about five times the number of houses."
Hear the full conversation on the Speaking Of Radio Hour Thursdays at 11 a.m. Eastern on 88.9 FM, WFSU.org, and on the WFSU app. Also hear Speaking Of wherever you get your podcasts.
Click LISTEN above to hear this episode.
