In the last two years, many of our city commissioners, and mayor have approved the construction of 1491 new homes in the city of Oak Hill. Citizens have done all they can to let it be known that they in no way support this wholesale destruction of our city’s small-town charm. If the motivation for this administration’s short-sighted policy is to leave the city with a legacy that represents their vision of Oak Hill, it falls short of reflecting the values and vision of its citizens. No one moved to Oak Hill because they were excited to participate in the ruin of our historic community and its heritage. People move to Oak Hill looking for a better life, fleeing the countless examples throughout Florida where poorly planned, uncontrolled growth has led to overpopulation, destroyed communities and led to chaos and poverty.

We must prevent outside interests from destroying our city and denying its citizens a heritage they and their families have rightfully earned. These planned communities with houses built on 40- and 50-foot-wide lots are not representative of the character of our city. They do not represent the very thing that makes our community unique. Our community, for better for worse, is what makes Oak Hill a great place to live and enjoy our lives. City

Commissioners have approved Oak Hill Preserve, 112 homes, Indian River Hammock, 131 homes, Oak Hill Towne Centre, 942 homes, and Oakbridge Colony 306 homes, and this will directly affect your way of life. That’s the addition of 1491 new homes to a town with roughly 2000 residents. According to the 2018 estimates in the Summary of Population and Housing Units for Volusia County, Oak Hill has 866 housing units available for a population of 1969. In that same document, that number is projected to increase to 1526 housing units available for a population of 2832 by year 2040.

1491 new homes added to a community of about 950 homes represents 2441 total homes. This represents a 156% increase in the number of homes. Most of the residents who’ve lived in Oak Hill for a generation or more choose it because of family ties, history, small-town charm, hospitality, and pace of life. Residents who have chosen to move to Oak Hill did so for many of the same reasons. They like the way the town looks today and believe city leaders will adhere to its comprehensive plan and future land use map.

Commissioners don’t have to vote in favor of an ordinance (development project / rezoning), simply because the project complies with the city’s land development regulations (LDR) and comprehensive plan or find a way around them when the project does not. Commissioners are completely within their right to vote against an ordinance because the project doesn’t reflect the value, character, or vision of the community.

The last four projects approved by our current city leaders required zoning designations that are not consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan provides the public with a vision of what the city and its citizens agree the city should look like in the future. Business and the public make high-risk, often life changing decisions based on this document with the expectation that it will be taken seriously by elected officials. The document’s wisdom is gleaned from the expectation that things will be as agreed upon in the future. Our current leadership treats the city’s comprehensive plan as an obstacle that needs to be overcome, not as a contract with its citizens. Oak Hill deserves more than this. This behavior is the very thing that has time and time again proved to be recipe for destruction for so many communities. The same cookie cutter lay-out that’s been repeated a thousand times before. This is a loss of character stolen from our city by a corporate model.