- Neighbors living off of Ox Bottom Road near Thomasville Road have started a petition to stop zoning changes.
- Some people worry about increased traffic with a gas station allowed at the site.
- Neighbors have one last chance to speak about the development to city leaders December 13th.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
As this land in Northeast Tallahassee continues to change week to week, neighbors are now collecting signatures to ask the developer to change the plan.
I have been following this project on the corner of Ox Bottom and Thomasville Roads for six months.
Neighbors sent me these emails after seeing our coverage. Now, I'm hearing what they're planning ahead of the next public hearing about this land.
Jerry Phifer said the entrance to his neighborhood has only gotten busier over the years.
"As you turn on to Ox Bottom Road from Thomasville, it's already very busy," Phifer said. "Just last week, I witnessed a near accident "
He knows commercial development is coming to the area at the corner of Ox Bottom and Thomasville Roads.
"Most of it can't be undone, but we still have some safety concerns that we want addressed," Phifer said.
He's talking about a recent request to allow a gas station and fast food restaurant at the site.
That request prompted him and other neighbors to start a petition asking leaders to not allow a gas station on the corner.
"You want to put some commercial businesses in there, fine. but let's be judicious about that and not make it a total disaster," Phifer said.
The project goes back to 2004.
The zoning has been changed five times since to allow for more commercial and residential space.
One of Phifer's neighbors, Larry Dodd, remembers when those changes were proposed.
He said he was interested in the possibility of new businesses coming to the area.
"My wife and I were kind of excited, because we'd love a restaurant we could walk to," Dodd said.
He is concerned with the number of times the developer has asked for changes and the impacts a gas station could have on his neighborhood.
"What we're looking for is under the current rules, build something based on those rules," Dodd said.
I called Justin Ghazvini Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
He's a local developer involved with Ox Bottom Meadows LLC.
He did not return my recent calls, but Ghazvini told me in August there were no set plans for the site just yet.
Phifer said he has also reached out to Ghazvini and Premier Commercial Group.
He wishes them the best, but wants local leaders and the developer to think further before making a final vote on the decision next week.
"This has launched. But as one last safety measure, that gas station is a major threat," Phifer said.
Neighbors like Phifer said they plan on coming out to that December 13th meeting to get one last chance to voice their concerns to city leaders.
That meeting will be held at 6 in the evening at City Hall.
