Live Oak Police Chief Buddy Williams recommended the city raise the speed limit on a portion of Helvenston St. to 40 miles per hour.

LIVE OAK — The speed limit will be increased on the eastern most portion of Helvenston Street.

The Live Oak City Council unanimously approved raising the speed limit to 40 miles per hour from Lee Avenue east to U.S. Highway 90 at its March 12 meeting. The rest of Helvenston will remain at 30 miles per hour.

Councilman Don Allen requested the rate increase at the council’s February meeting and data gathered by the Live Oak Police Department supported that change.

According to Police Chief Buddy Williams, the average speed on Helvenston in the Lee Avenue area over a two-year time period was 36 miles per hour with an average of 1,300 cars traveling the road daily in one direction. In the 85th percentile, which is around what the Florida Department of Transportation recommends using to set the speed limit according to Williams, the average speed was 42 miles per hour.

Williams’ recommendation was only to raise it for that eastern stretch of road before having it slow back down near the Heritage Park disc golf course, Heritage Park & Gardens, Heritage Park and with work ongoing on the Heritage Trail extension that will soon cross Helvenston.

“If I had a recommendation to give it would be east of Lee Avenue to change it to 40,” Williams said. “The setback of the houses and businesses there is pretty good. At Lee Avenue is really where you begin the disc park and then getting into the more populated area from Heritage Park and the walking trail.

“But it’s been pretty consistent.”

City Manager Ron Williams said he did receive one phone call from a concerned resident that lives along Helvenston.

With the rate increased on that stretch of Helvenston, Councilman Mark Stewart asked about the possibility of also raising the speed limit on Ichetucknee Road. Ron Williams pointed out that the city limit doesn’t extend all the way to County Road 49 on Ichetucknee, but had no problem with the city collecting data to see if an increase should go into effect on that road as well.

Buddy Williams said his department would start collecting data on that road later in the week and bring it back for the council’s consideration.

“There’s really no housing there on that,” Buddy Williams said. “I would almost guarantee the traffic count over there would double than from what it is on (Helvenston).”

Wilkes recognized

Pam Wilkes was recognized with a proclamation from Mayor Frank Davis for her years of service to the Suwannee County Historical Commission. Wilkes served from 1980, when the commission began, through January when she stepped down.

Eric Musgrove, chairman of the Historical Commission, accepted the proclamation on Wilkes’ behalf.

The council then unanimously approved appointing Sue Lamb to the commission to fill Wilkes’ seat.