Florence City Council passed a first reading of the Lake Oakdale annexation ordinance on Monday.
According to Florence City Manager Drew Griffin, the annexation ordinance passed a first reading on Monday afternoon after a lengthy discussion. The discussion was deferred in November to Monday’s meeting.
In May, residents spoke out against a proposal for a developer to annex a section of the land at The Palms Course to the city, saying it would cause a number of issues in their community, including decreased home values and traffic congestion. Residents also expressed concern that it could lead to apartments and condos being built.
“The code does open a door for either apartments, condos, townhouses or something that will increase the density of the population in the area. And, we don’t want to give that up,” John Cameron, a Lake Oakdale resident, told News13.
The land is currently privately-owned and in Florence County. Mayor Stephen Wukela previously said the developer, Gary Finklea, is requesting to annex the land because he wants the benefits that the city provides.
In June, the topic of the annexation was pulled from a city council agenda due to questions of land ownership.
