August 11, 2024
 
Hi Everyone,
 
I hope you all are doing well. By the grace of God, we dodged the first hurricane of the season. Pray for all those who were not as lucky. Looks like there’s more to come so keep your eye out and please have a plan just in case.
 
Your turnout at our commission meetings has been amazing, Let’s keep it up! Thank you all for supporting your community. Participation is essential to the health and well-being of our city and you are having an impact.

This Makes Me Happy

Cheryl White’s house is just about finished. After nearly two years of waiting, I’ll bet she’s anxious to move back into her rebuilt home. Years of run-off led to flooding which in turn overwhelmed her septic system and caused severe damage to the inside of her home. Click here to view a short video. Click here to view what I wrote about this situation in a previous newsletter. 

The new house and the septic system have been raised at least two feet higher than the previous ones. Hopefully, this will keep Ms. White and her dogs high and dry. Now if we can just get city hall to do the right thing and stop allowing its parking lot run-off to go flow into her yard. I think that after years of this she’s ready for a new start and the city should see to it that she’s no longer a victim.

How’s Everything Going for You?

Are you satisfied with the way your city government has been run for the past 12 years? Getting all the answers you seek when you visit city hall? How’s your comfort level when you pass an approaching vehicle on River Road? The average passenger car is 5.8 feet wide. Google says add about 6 inches to each side for a typical side view mirror and your right at 7 feet. The average pick-up truck is 81.4 inches or just shy of 7 feet. Add at least 10 inches to each side for side mirrors and you’re at 101.4 inches or just under 8 ½ feet wide.
 
When these two types of very common vehicles pass each other, they occupy 15.5 feet of the road. The Main Street in Oak Hill is Halifax Avenue. It measures a scant 16 feet at the speed bump east of Osteen Road. With passenger side wheels riding on the shoulder, this leaves only six inches between vehicles. Imagine what happens when two full sized boat trailers being towed pass one another on this road. How about a semi-truck at 8 ½ feet wide and a pick-up towing a boat trailer? Together they would total 17 feet; add in, say one foot, for a squeaky tight pass and you’re off the road by 18 inches on both shoulders. Most of our city’s roads are substandard for the traffic they handle today. Can you remember the last time a road was upgraded in our city?
 
In the past three years our City Commission has approved the following RPUD subdivisions for our city.

At Monday’s City Commission meeting we will be asked to approve a zoning change for the Light House Cove RPUD development. It is planned for 212 homes. That’s a total of 1,737 new homes in a city that currently has approximately 1000 homes. Most of these new homes were approved with lot sizes that are 40 and 50 feet wide and average between 1200 to 1500 square feet under air conditioning. Most of these subdivisions were approved by our city commission with 5-foot side setbacks, 20-foot front yards, and 10-to-20-foot back yards. One of the largest projects features a 5-foot perimeter buffer. Can you say love thy neighbor? 

In total, that’s 4,690 new residents being added to a town with about 2,025 current residents. That’s a total of 6,715 or a 232% increase in the population of our city. The state of Florida averages about 1.7 automobiles per household which means that when these approved projects are built out and occupied there will be an additional 2952 vehicles added to the 1700 already using our roads. All of this with no improvements to our roads. According to our city’s most recent budget, line number 179 “improvements-street,” indicates that $20,000 has been budgeted for street improvements.
 
Our current budget indicates that without outside funding there is zero chance of improving any of our roads. Maybe we could fill a few potholes but not much more. Keep this in mind when you visit your voting station this fall. Mayor Gibson, Commissioner McGee and Vice Mayor Lindlau all voted to approve the four RPUD subdivisions listed in the table above. If history is any guide they will most likely vote to approve the one on the agenda for Monday. If you think this vision is right for your city, come to the meeting or write them and let them know. If you do not agree with the trajectory they have our city on, write to the commission or come to Monday’s meeting and let your voice be heard.
 
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Our City Commissioner’s meeting is Monday, August 12, 2024 at city hall. The time is 6:00 PM. Click here for the agenda pack. Click here to see the staff report release late in the day on Friday.
 
Please come and let your voice be heard. Your presence and participation are how we hold our commission to account.
 
As always, it’s my pleasure to serve you, I appreciate your support. Please let me know what I can do to help. I’m here to represent you…
 
Thanks again,

Joe Catigano
Oak Hill City Commissioner
Seat 3