Even as critics raise concerns, plans are taking shape for the thousands of acres known as the “Arch” within the Welaunee Plantation property.
Property owner Powerhouse Inc. was granted a continuance from the city’s Development Review Committee for its request for a Conceptual Planned Unit Development (PUD) plan for its 4,800-acre tract in the northeast part of the city.
The plan focuses on 1,227 acres within the property. The proposal is slated to be discussed again at the DRC’s Sept. 14 meeting.
If approved, the Arch’s PUD would enable massive development that would include two mixed-use centers located along a future Welaunee Boulevard, as well as neighborhood and residential districts, according to city documents. That level of development has sparked worries among many who live in the area.
The Arch is the last big swath of land that can be developed on the overall Welaunee property.
Once called Welaunee Plantation, it was a huge tract of land intended for quail hunting, having been assembled from former farms and cotton plantations. Records show it was owned for many years by the Fleischmann family and later other private owners.
Its entirety spans a little over 6,600 acres, divided into the “Toe,” the “Heel” and the “Arch.” The Arch land also will be home to the Northeast Park, a Blueprint-funded project on the southwest corner of the Arch’s borders.
Here’s a breakdown of the Welaunee Critical Area Plan first approved in 2020:
Community activist Lynne Takacs spoke at the meeting, summing up the concerns of many. She said this is arguably one of the most important steps in the process: “What is happening is basically giving the owner entitlements, which allows the density that they’re allowed to build,” she said.
“Once you give those entitlements to an owner, they’re almost impossible to take back.”
She said the conceptual plan at this stage is “very vague,” and suspects there “will be surprises coming.” Tacaks, who’s made several Facebook posts about the Conceptual Plan, said she’s asking planners to share the plan’s density caps, which aren’t readily known at this time.
For example, Tacaks said the plan mentions 6,600 residences and approximately 425,000 square feet of commercial space and the plan contains disclaimers throughout the document that says the numbers don’t reflect the maximum density allowed.
“So right now, naturally, it’s written in the best interest of the property owner,” said Tacaks, adding more specifics are needs for the greenspace, stormwater and environmental protections. “It’s not identified how much goes where, and I think that all of that needs to be identified because otherwise we’re creating loopholes that can be exploited later.”
Contact Economic Development TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Residents question massive Welaunee Arch development
Reporting by TaMaryn Waters, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By TaMaryn Waters, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
