To: The Mayor of the City of Live Oak, Florida, and
The Members of the City Council
Delivered by Email
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Re: Proposed Annexation and Development of Property owned by
Live Oak Investments 2, LLC. – Ordinance 1532
Sirs:
On behalf of the residents of Tara Trace and other affected residents in District 3, we would like to state our position on the proposed development and annexation of property owned by Live Oak Investments 2, LLC. (hereinafter referred to as LLC) that is located adjacent to the City limits on State Road 136. Local reference Ordinance 1532, ANX-25-01.
The following are Issues and Contentions that we would like to have addressed and resolved at the upcoming hearing before any vote.
ISSUES AND CONTENTIONS
- Assumption: We have to assume that the investors and principals of LLC are astute businessmen and not some dumb yokels willing to throw their money away on some losing business proposition.
Any astute businessman would know that a retail business will only be successful if it is properly exposed to public traffic (location, location, location). State Road 136 (11th Street) is a rural road in a residential area that is not densely populated. Traffic on State Road 136 is approximately 5,000 vehicles per day, which consists mostly of rural residents coming into the City for work or shopping. Yet, LLC proposes to build a convenience store on its property, even though there are already two other convenience stores in close proximity (Howland’s on 11th Street and the Jiffy store on State Road 51). Astute? In addition to the convenience store, LLC proposes a 134-room hotel on a road in an area with no commercial or traveler traffic. Astute?
The above propositions do not appear to be sound business decisions. So, why is it necessary in their petition to the City that the property be zoned commercial? This question will be addressed again later.
- The petition also proposes the building of Section 8 Affordable Housing under Federal provisions for low-income families in need of adequate housing. 24 CFR 982 is the Federal provision for Section 8 housing. 24 CFR 982 has requirements and standards for housing under its provisions.
In addition to 24 CFR 982, the Florida Legislature also has provisions for Section 8 housing: § 166.04151, F.S. (2025) - Affordable Housing (Municipalities). The City has adopted these provisions of the Florida Legislature. The sections that are relevant to the City are: § 166.04151 (1) through (10), Florida Statutes. The remaining sections pertain only to other entities and taxing consequences.
It is noteworthy that there are provisions that apply to the County as well. LLC does not need to be annexed in order to build Section 8 housing.
N.B. Suwannee County does not provide central water or sewer to this area. The existing residences have wells and septic tank systems.
In order for LLC’s housing development to meet the requirements of 24 CFR 982, the LLC would have to: a) build a water treatment plant and b) a sewer processing plant. Both plants are very costly (in the millions) to build and extremely costly to maintain and service. Both plants would require permitting from the SRWMD and Florida DEP. That is also a costly process.
- The SOLUTION to this problem for any astute businessman is simply to get annexed to the City. The City can provide the water and sewer lines. All the LLC has to do, then, is connect to existing lines that run along Goldkist Avenue. That is a whole lot less expensive than spending millions to build your own systems.
- Now, to come back to the issue of commercial zoning. § 166.04151(7) provides in part: (7)(a) A municipality must authorize (EMPHASIS ADDED) multifamily and mixed-use residential as allowable uses in any area zoned for commercial (EMPHASIS ADDED), industrial or mixed use, and in portions of any co such as a planned unit development permitted for commercial, industrial, or mixed use … (This is a mandatory requirement for which the City has no discretion but to follow).
So, now as an astute businessman, I’ve solved the problem of initial costs. When the LLC gets annexed, they save millions in up-front costs. But, there’s more:
§ 166.04151 (e)(1) A proposed development authorized under this subsection must be administratively approved (EMPHASIS ADDED) without further action by the governing body of the municipality. (Again, this is mandatory).
By the above statute, approval is automatic. The City cannot provide provisions to protect existing residences or any other safeguards to protect its citizens.
There is more than just mandatory approval; there is also this requirement:
§ 166.04151(4) In exchange for a developer fulfilling the requirements of subsection (2) or, for residential or mixed-use residential development, the requirements of subsection (3), a municipality MUST (Emphasis Added) provide incentives to fully offset all costs to the developer of its affordable housing contribution … but are not limited to:
(b) Reducing or waiving fees, such as impact fees or water and sewer charges … (EMPHASIS ADDED).
- Once the City annexes the property in question and approves zoning for commercial use, LLC gets automatic approval of its Section 8 housing development, but also mandatory subsidies. The convenience store and the hotel are simply a ruse to get commercial zoning contrary to the facts that there is no commercial or practical need in that area for a convenience store or a 134-room hotel for the above-stated reasons.
- Voting to annex the property is an abrogation of the rights of the citizens for a voice and representation on taxation. It is our neighborhood. It is our tax dollars that the State Legislature is trying to take away from us and give to this LLC. For what benefit do we receive? We would submit: NOTHING!!!
As our representatives, we would think you have a duty to us, citizens, and realize that Big Government in Tallahassee (and we thought we had conservative representation instead of this Big Brother Progressive approach) should not, and we say, will not tell us what to do with our neighborhoods and with our tax dollars.
That’s what you are voting for on this petition. If the LLC wants to build its housing in the county, that’s fine. It is an admirable undertaking. But they should not do so with our tax dollars, nor destroy our neighborhoods.
Respectfully submitted,
David W. Chandler
Tara Trace residents, property owners and voters
Pine View Circle residents, property owners and voters
Coliseum Avenue residents, property owners and voters
All other concerned, affected and disenfranchised citizens of the City of Live Oak and Suwannee County