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Leon County
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Item#17 June 9, 2026 |
| To: | Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board |
| From: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
| Title: | Acceptance of the Woodville Sense of Place Plan |
| Review and Approval: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
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Department/Division Review and Approval: |
Ken Morris, Assistant County Administrator Nawfal Ezzagaghi, Assistant County Administrator Artie White, Director, Planning, Land Management & Community Enhancement (PLACE) Mike Alfano, Director, Planning Department |
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Lead Staff/ Project Team: |
Tyler Maldonado, Special Projects Coordinator Sean Reiss, Principal Planner Jeanette Kisner, Graphic Design Specialist |
Statement of Issue:
This item seeks Board acceptance of the proposed Woodville Sense of Place Plan. As directed by the Board, the Woodville Sense of Place Plan includes recommendations for continued community engagement, park improvements, community beautification, economic development, and infrastructure projects in the Woodville area.
Fiscal Impact:
This item has no current fiscal impact. However, future implementation of recommendations identified in the plan will have fiscal impacts and will be presented to the Board for consideration during the Fiscal Year 2027 budget development process.
Staff Recommendation:
Option #1: Accept the Woodville Sense of Place Plan
Report and Discussion
Background:
At the January 27, 2025 Board Retreat, the Board added an initiative to the 2022–2026 Strategic Plan to develop a Woodville Rural Community Sense of Place Plan to evaluate land uses and guide future improvements in Woodville, which would include a five-year improvement plan for vehicular and pedestrian safety. The Board ratified the initiative at its February 11, 2025 meeting. This item seeks Board acceptance of the proposed Woodville Sense of Place Plan (Attachment #1), which includes recommendations for continued community engagement, park improvements, community beautification, economic development, and infrastructure projects in the Woodville area.
This status report advances the following FY 2022 – FY 2026 Strategic Initiative and Target:
This Strategic Initiative aligns with the Board’s Quality of Life Strategic Priority:
Following the Board Retreat, the County launched a robust public engagement process to build a community-driven Woodville Sense of Place Plan — grounded in the values and vision of Woodville residents — so that future improvements reflect local priorities, strengthen quality of life, and position the area for sustainable, compatible growth.
In May 2025, the County began the Woodville Sense of Place Plan public process, establishing a project website (www.leoncountyfl.gov/woodville) and online survey to give residents a direct voice in shaping the future of their community. To maximize participation and ensure the plan reflected a broad cross-section of the Woodville community, staff took to the streets — going door-to-door, visiting local businesses and churches — directly engaging over 600 residents and asking them to share the survey within their own networks.
In October 2025, the County held two community workshops — on the 15th and 21st — to bring residents together for focused conversations on specific topics including park improvements, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, roadway safety, and land use. These workshops gave residents the opportunity to engage directly with staff and shape the plan's recommendations firsthand. When the online survey closed at the end of November 2025, the County had gathered meaningful input through three distinct channels — direct street-level engagement with residents, in-person community workshops, and the online survey — together providing a rich body of community feedback to inform the plan.
The feedback was clear — Woodville residents want their community to:
On March 26, 2026, after analyzing the community feedback and developing the Draft Woodville Sense of Place Plan, the County hosted an open house community meeting to present the draft plan to residents and stakeholders. Over 60 community members attended the meeting and were given an opportunity to review the draft plan, learn about the proposed recommendations, and share any final comments before the plan was brought forward to the Board for consideration. Since the public meeting, the Planning Department has received minimal critical feedback. This low volume of concern speaks to the strength of the process, the quality of the recommendations developed, and the community's support for the Woodville Sense of Place Plan.
Accordingly, the proposed recommendations of the Woodville Sense of Place Plan, presented for Board consideration and acceptance, fall into the focus areas below:
The fiscal impacts associated with implementation of the Woodville Sense of Place Plan recommendations will be presented to the Board for consideration at the FY 2027 Budget Workshop in July, including a five-year Capital Improvement Plan outlining the funding and sequencing of the Plan's short-term recommendations.
Analysis:
The Woodville Sense of Place Plan (Attachment #1) is grounded in community feedback that identified maintaining rural character, preserving natural areas, and attracting more businesses as the top priorities for Woodville's future. To address these priorities, the Plan organizes 13 actionable recommendations across five focus areas, as displayed below in Table #1.
Table #1. Summary of Woodville Sense of Place Plan Recommendations
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Focus Area |
Recommendations |
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Community Engagement |
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Park Improvements |
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Community Beautification |
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Economic Development |
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Infrastructure Projects |
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The vision for the Woodville Sense of Place Plan is to enhance the rural town center through activation and beautification of public spaces, economic development, and continued investment in infrastructure improvements. With the assistance of sustained citizen engagement, Woodville can utilize its community assets to benefit both residents and visitors. To achieve this vision, the proposed Woodville Sense of Place Plan includes the following recommendations:
Continue to engage Woodville residents (Community Engagement Recommendation)
Successful implementation of the Woodville Sense of Place Plan recommendations depends on ongoing and continued resident involvement. To ensure the plan continues to reflect the community's top priorities — maintaining rural character, preserving natural areas, and attracting more businesses — Leon County departments will engage residents through open houses and other forums as each recommendation advances from planning to implementation. Engagement efforts will be organized around each of the Plan's key initiatives, including park improvement planning and design at Woodville Park and Robinson Road Park; trail hub development and St. Marks Trail beautification; gateway and wayfinding signage design; zoning district updates and trail-oriented development standards; streetscaping design on rural town center cross streets; and Woodville Highway corridor improvements. By maintaining an active and ongoing dialogue with residents at each stage of the process, Leon County will ensure that the priorities expressed by Woodville residents — maintaining rural character, preserving natural areas, and attracting more businesses — remain the benchmark against which every recommendation is evaluated and implemented.
Implement targeted improvements at Woodville Park (Park Improvements Recommendation)
The Woodville Park would receive targeted amenity upgrades including water bottle filling stations, shade structures over playground equipment where feasible, and a dog park. These improvements, combined with the recently launched Woodville Community Market and the continued growth of the Woodville Founders Day festival, are intended to further activate the park beyond its current role as a sports and recreation facility, establishing it as a true community hub and premier gathering place for residents and visitors alike.
This activation builds on a strong foundation. Woodville Park, also known as the J. Lewis Hall Sr. Park and Recreation Complex, is Leon County's largest park complex, featuring seven lighted athletic fields and a range of recreational amenities. Over the past five years, more than $800,000 has been invested in upgrades, and planned improvements already underway include batting cages in collaboration with the Woodville Little League, expanded spectator safety netting, and three new scoreboards. Ample parking, new electrical infrastructure, and renovated facilities provide the foundation needed to support a growing number of community-driven activities. While the park's amenities are abundant, the current opportunity lies in increased activation — drawing more residents and visitors to use the space more regularly for a wider variety of purposes.
Enhance Robinson Road Park (Park Improvements Recommendation)
Robinson Road Park would be enhanced with improved signage, a more welcoming entrance, additional seating, bike racks, and wayfinding signage to encourage passive use of the park and increase its visibility as a trail-related destination. These modest but meaningful improvements are intended to activate Robinson Road Park as a natural stopping point for St. Marks Trail users entering the Woodville rural town center. This activation addresses a notable gap in the park's current use. Robinson Road Park was originally acquired for flood management purposes and offers passive recreational uses, including a picnic area and direct access to the St. Marks Trail. Despite its convenient trail access and potential as a gateway into Woodville, infrequent use of the park is attributed to limited signage and low visibility from Woodville Highway and Old Woodville Road. Many residents and trail users are unaware that the park is open to the public, representing an untapped opportunity to draw visitors into the community.
Develop a new trail hub (Community Beautification Recommendation)
A new trail hub would be developed at the intersection of Oak Ridge Road and Old Woodville Road, featuring a small parking area, wayfinding signage, and beautification elements to create an attractive and identifiable stopping point for trail users. These amenities would complement the state-managed trail restroom that already exists at this location. As a long-term recommendation, the construction of the Oak Ridge Road Multi-Use Trail would further strengthen this area as an ideal trail hub, connecting Woodville to the broader regional trail network and drawing users from multiple directions into the rural town center.
These improvements, along with the zoning and development standards reforms discussed in the economic development recommendations, are intended to convert trail traffic into economic opportunity for Woodville. The thousands of trail users who pass through Woodville each year currently have little reason to stop, representing a significant untapped opportunity for the community. A well-designed trail hub at this intersection — paired with the enhancements proposed at Robinson Road Park — would serve as a front door to everything Woodville has to offer, encouraging trail users to explore local parks, businesses, and community spaces rather than simply passing through on their way to other destinations.
This strategy is well-supported by Woodville's geography. Situated at the midpoint of the 16-mile St. Marks Trail, Woodville is uniquely positioned to serve as a natural resting stop and destination point for cyclists, runners, and outdoor enthusiasts traveling between Tallahassee and the coast. Despite this advantageous location, the community currently lacks the infrastructure and amenities needed to capture and retain trail user activity, making the proposed trail hub at this location a high-impact investment relative to its low cost.
Beautify sections of the St. Marks Trail (Community Beautification Recommendation)
An approximately 2,800-foot segment of the St. Marks Trail between Oak Ridge Road and Church Road would be beautified through wildflower plantings, tree plantings, and decorative fencing. This project would be completed in coordination with the proposed trail hub at Oak Ridge Road and Old Woodville Road, located approximately 500 feet to the north, creating a cohesive and attractive entry experience into the Woodville rural town center. Coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection would be required given their management role for the trail, and resident engagement would be pursued to implement this project as a community event.
Together, the trail beautification and trail hub projects are intended to create a more inviting and distinctive experience for the thousands of users who travel through Woodville each year. By improving the aesthetic quality of the trail corridor through Woodville, these efforts would signal to users that they have arrived somewhere worth stopping, complementing activation efforts at Robinson Road Park at the southern end of the rural town center and creating a connected series of improvements that span the length of the Woodville trail corridor.
This investment addresses an existing gap in the trail experience through Woodville. Unlike most segments of the St. Marks Trail, which benefit from tree canopy on one or both sides, the Woodville segment between Oak Ridge Road and Church Road is largely exposed, with numerous driveway entrances to residences lining the trail's edge. This segment currently lacks the visual appeal and sense of arrival that would encourage trail users to slow down and engage with the community, making it a natural candidate for targeted beautification investment.
Develop gateway and wayfinding signage (Community Beautification Recommendation)
Gateway signage is recommended at key entry points to the Woodville rural town center, with potential sites along Woodville Highway near Rhodes Cemetery Road and Robinson Road on County-owned properties. Complementing the gateway signage, a wayfinding program would be developed to include markers and signposts directing users to County parks and facilities, connections to the regional trail system, local historic landmarks, and nearby conservation lands. Pursuing a Trail Town designation through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection would further promote Woodville as a recognized destination for trail-oriented activities and support Leon County marketing itself as an eco-tourism hub.
Together, these efforts are intended to give Woodville a stronger and more recognizable identity — both for residents who call it home and for the growing number of trail users and visitors passing through the rural town center. By clearly marking entry points and directing people to points of interest, gateway and wayfinding signage would work in concert with the proposed trail hub and trail beautification efforts to create a cohesive sense of arrival and encourage deeper engagement with everything the community has to offer.
This investment addresses a current gap in Woodville's sense of place. Despite its rich history, distinct rural character, and proximity to world-class natural and recreational assets, Woodville currently lacks the physical markers that signal to visitors that they have arrived somewhere distinctive. Without clear entry points and directional signage, trail users and visitors may pass through without ever knowing what the community has to offer, leaving significant economic and community-building opportunities unrealized.
Implement trail-oriented development standards (Economic Development Recommendation)
A new mixed-use zoning district would be established along Old Woodville Road and Woodville Highway between Oak Ridge Road and Natural Bridge Road to support trail-oriented development in close proximity to the St. Marks Trail and Woodville rural town center. This new zoning district would allow for a mixture of residential and non-residential uses, permit small-scale retail activities near the proposed trail hub at Oak Ridge Road, and establish development standards to ensure any new development aligns with the character of the corridor. As part of implementing the recent Land Use and Mobility Element update to the Comprehensive Plan, the Planning Department would work with Leon County Development Support and Environmental Management (DSEM) to engage Woodville residents on these zoning reform efforts.
These changes are intended to create the regulatory framework needed to translate trail traffic into tangible economic activity for the Woodville community. By allowing small-scale commercial uses in close proximity to the trail and proposed trail hubs, this new zoning district would give entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to serve the thousands of trail users who pass through Woodville each year — turning an existing recreational asset into an economic development engine for the rural town center.
This recommendation addresses a key gap in Woodville's current land use framework. While the community has expressed strong interest in attracting more local businesses, the properties adjacent to the St. Marks Trail are currently zoned exclusively for residential use, which limits the potential for trail-oriented commercial activity. The existing commercial zoning districts are concentrated along the Woodville Highway corridor, leaving the trail corridor — where foot traffic and economic opportunity are greatest — without the regulatory framework needed to support new business development to capture current and future trail activity.
Update Woodville zoning districts (Economic Development Recommendation)
The existing commercial zoning districts in Woodville's rural town center would be consolidated into a unified commercial zoning district along the Woodville Highway corridor, establishing uniform development standards, uses, and intensities. This consolidation would be implemented alongside the trail-oriented development land use standards recommended for the St. Marks Trail corridor, creating a cohesive and complementary framework for commercial development throughout the rural town center. Additionally, as the Woodville Septic-to-Sewer conversion project progresses, residential zoning districts in areas scheduled to gain access to central sewer would have the option to be updated to allow for additional densities that align with the scale of development supported by the community.
These proposed zoning updates are intended to create a regulatory framework that allows the type of modest, rural character-consistent growth supported by the community. A unified commercial corridor along Woodville Highway in the rural town center would make it easier for businesses to understand what is permitted and how development should look and feel, reducing barriers to private investment while ensuring new development reinforces Woodville's distinct rural character. Updating residential densities in areas served by central sewer would similarly open the door to thoughtful residential growth without requiring a wholesale change to the community's established development pattern.
This recommendation addresses the complexity and redundancy of Woodville's current zoning framework. With 11 zoning districts — including four commercial districts in the rural town center alone — the existing zoning map includes districts with overlapping uses and intensities that create confusion and inefficiency. At the same time, large tracts of land are currently zoned for Residential Acre, a designation intended for areas without central sewer access. As the Septic-to-Sewer project extends service to more properties, maintaining these low-density designations would leave significant residential capacity unrealized, limiting the community's ability to accommodate the modest growth needed to support a more vibrant local economy.
Explore economic development incentive programs (Economic Development Recommendation)
Available state and local funding programs and resources would be actively promoted and utilized to support local business development in Woodville. Grant funding would also be explored for both residential and commercial improvement programs, and additional analysis would be conducted to identify new opportunities. These efforts are intended to bridge the gap between Woodville's economic development potential and the current level of private investment in the rural town center. By proactively identifying and promoting economic development tools, the County can help lower the barriers for businesses and property owners interested in investing in Woodville, helping to translate community interest in more local retail, restaurants, and services into tangible on-the-ground activity. A stronger local business environment would not only serve residents' daily needs but also enhance Woodville's appeal as a trail destination and strengthen its overall sense of place.
Continue existing infrastructure programs (Infrastructure Projects Recommendation)
The Woodville Septic-to-Sewer Project would continue to progress through its remaining phases, with Phase 2 construction expected to begin in 2027 pending an additional $5 million state funding grant application currently submitted by Leon County. Grant funding will continue to be pursued for the unfunded Phases 3 and 4. In parallel, Leon County's five private road maintenance programs — the Private Road Preventative Maintenance and Repair Program, the Two-Thirds Program, the Private-to-Public Improvement Program, the Rural Road Safety Stabilization Program, and the Safe Passage Program — would continue to assist Woodville residents with private road maintenance needs.
Continuing these infrastructure programs is essential to establishing the foundation upon which the Plan's economic development and community beautification recommendations can be realized. Central sewer availability is a prerequisite for the type of modest commercial and residential growth the community has expressed interest in, and reliable private road access ensures that all Woodville residents — regardless of where they live — can safely and conveniently connect to the improvements being made in the rural town center. Together, these programs represent the infrastructure backbone that makes everything else in the Plan possible.
These programs reflect years of significant public investment in Woodville's future. The Woodville Septic-to-Sewer Project, represents a total investment of $110 million across four phases and will ultimately serve approximately 1,000 properties in the Primary Springs Protection Zone, improving water quality by transitioning septic tanks to central sewer. Phase 1 has been completed, serving 175 properties, while Phase 2 — covering an additional 357 properties — is fully designed with right-of-way acquisition currently underway. The five private road maintenance programs similarly represent a longstanding County commitment to ensuring safe and accessible roadways for residents throughout Woodville's largely rural road network.
Initiate streetscaping efforts on cross streets (Infrastructure Projects Recommendation)
Streetscaping improvements are recommended for six County-maintained cross streets between Woodville Highway and Old Woodville Road — J. Lewis Hall Sr. Lane, Oak Ridge Road, Page Road, Lawhon Road, Natural Bridge Road, and Robinson Road. Streetscaping elements to be considered for the rural town center cross streets include native landscaping, street trees, sidewalks, and streetlights at school bus stops. These improvements would build on a series of recently completed and ongoing sidewalk projects in the area, including segments on Bur Oak Drive, Shumard Drive, Woodville Highway, and Natural Bridge Road, with an additional segment on Canyon Creek Road estimated for completion by the end of 2026.
These streetscaping investments are intended to do more than improve aesthetics — they are designed to improve pedestrian comfort, enhance the visual character of the rural town center, and signal to private investors that Woodville is a community worth investing in. A more walkable, attractive, and well-connected rural town center would make it easier for residents and visitors to move between parks, businesses, and trail access points on foot, reinforcing the overall vision of Woodville as a vibrant and active community destination. Streetscaping improvements along these cross streets would also complement the gateway and wayfinding signage program, trail hub, and trail beautification efforts proposed elsewhere in the Plan, creating a cohesive and inviting public realm throughout the Woodville rural town center.
This recommendation responds to one of the most consistent themes to emerge from community engagement, with streetscaping improvements and more pedestrian facilities ranking among the top transportation-related priorities identified by survey respondents. While Leon County has made meaningful progress on sidewalk improvements in recent years — completing segments on Natural Bridge Road in 2018, Woodville Highway in 2022, and Bur Oak Drive and Shumard Drive in 2024 — these efforts have largely focused on individual corridors rather than the cross streets that connect Woodville Highway and Old Woodville Road through the heart of the rural town center. The proposed streetscaping program would concentrate resources on these connecting streets to maximize impact within the area where the Woodville Sense of Place Plan's recommendations are most concentrated.
Coordinate Woodville Highway improvements (Infrastructure Projects Recommendation)
The continued coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) is needed to incorporate streetscaping elements such as sidewalks, streetlights at school bus stops, and landscaping into the design of Woodville Highway. Other efforts for additional coordination with FDOT include ensuring appropriate speed limits along the corridor, particularly on the northbound approach to Woodville Park, and exploring the reclassification of the roadway segment through the rural town center from a suburban commercial context classification to a rural town context classification.
These improvements are intended to transform Woodville Highway from a pass-through corridor into a more welcoming and appropriately scaled main street for the rural town center. Slowing traffic, improving pedestrian facilities, and enhancing the visual character of the corridor would make Woodville Highway a more comfortable and attractive environment for residents, trail users, and visitors alike, reinforcing the sense of arrival that the proposed gateway signage is designed to create. A roadway that feels and functions more like a rural town center — rather than a suburban commercial strip corridor — would better reflect the community's identity and support the broader economic development and placemaking goals of the Plan.
This recommendation acknowledges both the opportunity and the complexity of improving a state-managed roadway. Because Woodville Highway is a state-managed roadway, all improvements require coordination with FDOT and the CRTPA, making early and sustained engagement essential to achieving the community's vision for the corridor. As the central spine of connectivity through the Woodville rural town center, Woodville Highway plays a critical role in shaping the experience of everyone who visits or passes through the community. Representing an important first step in achieving an enhanced Woodville Highway, improvements at Woodville Highway and Natural Bridge Road — including a new traffic signal, a northbound left turn lane, and upgraded crosswalks — are already in the design process, with construction expected to begin in 2028.
Construct the Oak Ridge Road Multi-Use Trail (Infrastructure Projects Recommendation)
The construction of the Oak Ridge Road Multi-Use Trail, an approximately 5-mile segment extending between Woodville Highway and Crawfordville Highway, is recommended as a long-term infrastructure investment to further connect Woodville to the broader regional trail network. This trail connection is intended to fundamentally strengthen Woodville's position as a trail-oriented destination by drawing users from multiple directions into the rural town center. Complementing the existing St. Marks Trail, which runs north-south through Woodville, the Oak Ridge Road Multi-Use Trail would provide an east-west connection linking Woodville to a variety of parks and conservation areas including Lake Henrietta, Lake Munson, the Georgia-Florida-Alabama (GF&A) Trail, the Apalachicola National Forest, Munson Hills, and Eight Mile Pond. By expanding the network of trails accessible from Woodville, this project would significantly increase the community's appeal to cyclists, runners, and outdoor enthusiasts, multiplying the economic development potential of the proposed trail hub and associated beautification efforts.
This recommendation builds on a foundation of recent roadway safety investments along the Oak Ridge Road corridor. In 2025, Leon County completed the Oak Ridge Road Traffic and Safety Engineering Study, assessing conditions from Crawfordville Road to Taff Road and identifying improvements to enhance roadway safety and traffic flow. Improvements already implemented include installation of 11 school bus stop lights, resurfacing of approximately 4.5 miles of roadway with new striping and reflective pavement markers, enhancements to 15 signs, vegetation trimming to improve visibility, and the placement of six speed feedback signs. The Oak Ridge Road Multi-Use Trail is identified as a key component of the Pine Flats Greenway in the Tallahassee-Leon County Greenways Master Plan and is also recommended in the Tallahassee-Leon County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, reflecting broad regional support for this long-term investment.
Conclusion
The proposed Woodville Sense of Place Plan provides a roadmap for Woodville's future by focusing on what makes the community special and proposing updates to accommodate modest growth that will stimulate economic development. The Plan is directly responsive to the top priorities expressed by residents throughout the community engagement process — to maintain Woodville's rural character, preserve its natural areas, and attract more businesses.
A major focus of the Plan is improving recreation and trail facilities to encourage visitors to spend more time in the Woodville rural town center, located along Woodville Highway and Old Woodville Road between Oak Ridge Road and Robinson Road. This would be achieved through targeted amenity improvements at Woodville Park and Robinson Road Park, beautification of the St. Marks Trail, development of a new trail hub, and the long-term construction of the Oak Ridge Road Multi-Use Trail — all of which would strengthen Woodville's identity as a trail-oriented destination while preserving the natural landscapes and rural character that residents value most.
By updating zoning districts, establishing trail-oriented development land use standards, and pursuing additional opportunities to support entrepreneurs, the Plan also creates the framework needed to attract private investment in the kinds of small-scale businesses that would serve both residents and visitors. Streetscaping improvements and continued investment in infrastructure programs — including the $110 million Woodville Septic-to-Sewer project — would provide the physical and environmental foundation upon which these improvements can be realized, while also protecting the water quality and natural resources that define the Woodville community.
Upon acceptance of the Woodville Sense of Place Plan, the Planning Department will work with identified partners to begin implementation of the proposed recommendations. Partners include Leon County Parks and Recreation, Leon County Public Works, Leon County Development Support and Environmental Management, Blueprint, the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Department of Transportation. Recommendations in the Community Engagement, Park Improvements, Community Beautification, and Economic Development focus areas have been identified as short-term recommendations to be implemented over the next five years, while the recommendations in the Infrastructure Projects focus area have been identified as longer-term efforts with implementation timelines potentially exceeding five years. As projects move forward, community open houses and other forums will be organized to ensure Woodville residents remain actively engaged — keeping the community's voice at the center of every decision.
Options:
Recommendation:
Option #1
Attachment: