The Growth Management Department’s walking tours use the City as our classroom. Each walking tour is less than 1 mile in length and is hosted by a member of our planning staff. The goal of the tours is to explain how the zoning code works in the real world using actual projects. The text of the zoning code can be complex because it must respond to a complicated world. However, the walking tours make zoning regulations easy to follow by explaining them in simple terms using built projects as our examples. We’re starting with the development around Cascades Park and along Midtown. We hope you can join us.

Tallahassee requires new projects to be noticed as follows:

• If non-residential or multi-family development doesn’t request a deviation from the Tallahassee Land Development Code, then it may be reviewed as a Type A site plan. The Type A site plan meetings are posted weekly online.
• All development that doesn’t qualify for the Type A process must do the following:
  • Post a sign on the project site which lists the hearing date and location, the project name and description, contact information for City staff, and a QR code that can be scanned to obtain the project details online. Thumbnails of each sign are shown at the right. The large letters correspond to the type of application. For example, a “P” means site plan and an “S” means subdivision. The public notice signs are prepared by staff, and the applicant must provide a photo of the sign installed on the project site before the City accepts their application.
  • Mail a notice to all tenants, property owners, and registered homeowner associations within 1,000 feet of the project site. Staff prepares the notices and the mailing labels. A private company does the mailing, and the applicant is billed for the cost of the postage and mailing.
  • Place an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the City.

We believe in using technology to provide better service, but sometimes it’s best to just talk things through in a face-to-face meeting. We have several tools that fall into this category, as follows:

• We Come to Your Meeting - Community groups occasionally ask us to attend one of their meetings to discuss what we do and how the zoning code works. We’re happy to do that.
• You Come to Our Meeting - The Growth Management Department provides staff support to several review boards, including Type A Site Plans, the Development Review Committee, and the Board of Adjustments and Appeals. Each of these boards reviews different types of development applications in public meetings. The agendas for each meeting can be found online.
• Planner of the Day - If you ever have a project or an issue that you would like to discuss with a planner, please let us know. You can reach our Planner of the Day at 850-891-7001, option 4, or at zoning@talgov.com, or at our office on the third floor of the Renaissance Building at 435 North Macomb Street in downtown Tallahassee.

The Growth Management Department will expand its use of social media in 2024 even further. Our goal is to make our work continuously transparent and accessible to ensure citizens have ample opportunity to stay informed and participate. We will regularly add posts to the City’s social media accounts, so please stay tuned!

Have a large-scale or unique project and are unsure where to start? The City of Tallahassee has an optional offering to further assist applicants in the development review process for certain projects. The Introduction Meeting is scheduled with a select group of supervisory City staff with the goal of establishing early lines of communication and coordination to ensure a clear and expedient path forward.

Below is a list of project types that may be eligible for an Introduction Meeting:

• Any project incorporating affordable housing
• Projects proposing 10,000 gross square feet or more of commercial space within the Multi-Modal Transportation District overlay
• Projects proposing 10 or more residential dwelling units within the Multi-Modal Transportation District overlay
• Projects contemplated on City of Tallahassee or Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) property for sale
• Projects seeking CRA funding

Staff can guarantee availability for an Introduction Meeting within one week from the initial request, with the ability to accommodate a later meeting date as needed.

To schedule your Introduction Meeting, or to determine if your project is eligible for an Introduction Meeting, please contact Dylan Haase at 850-891-7165.