Summary The proposed Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (LSCPA) is a request by Craig Brashier, AICP, of CHW, Inc., agent for Thomas R. Sperring and Phyllis Sperring; Tom R. and Associates, LLC, owner, for the consideration of a Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (LSCPA) to the City of Alachua Future Land Use Map (FLUM) from Rural Employment Center (REC) to Industrial (±45.43 ac), Commercial (±18.02 ac), and Community Commercial (±1 ac) on an approximate 64.4 acre subject property. The subject property is comprised of four noncontiguous tax parcels (Numbers 05855-002-000, 05855-003-000, 05962-001-000, 05962-002-000).
The subject parcels are primarily vacant wooded land, except for a 1,862 square foot vacant office building located at 12981 NW US HWY 441 (parcel no. 05962-001-000) and a 27,658 square foot office building located at 12787 NW US HWY 441 (parcel no. 05855-002-000; CSI Academy of Florida[vocational school]). Located to the north of the subject properties is the Phoenix Commercial Park, and the Atlantic Coastline Railroad with agricultural/timberland beyond; to the west is NW 89th Street with Lindsay Precast beyond, and the Phoenix Commercial Park; to the east is the Phoenix Commercial Park with the Helena Chemical Co beyond; to the south is a single family residence, and US Highway 441 with vacant commercial property beyond.
The subject parcels were annexed into the City of Alachua on March 12, 2012 through Ordinance 12 16. Per Section 171.062 (2), Florida Statutes, County land use and zoning remains in effect until the municipality adopts a comprehensive plan amendment that includes the annexed area and rezones the property to a City zoning designation. Furthermore, Policy 1.5.c of the Intergovernmental Coordination Element of the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan states that “In the interim period between annexation and amendments of the Comprehensive Plan, the City shall implement the County’s adopted comprehensive plan and land development regulations.” The proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment would apply City of Alachua FLUM categories, as adopted by the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan, to the subject property.
The Rural Employment Center (Alachua County) designation is described in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan "as areas outside the urban cluster that can support light industrial and limited commercial uses not otherwise associated with surrounding rural/agricultural land uses". Permitted uses include Business and professional services, retail sales and services, food service, personal services, entertainment and recreation activities and the processing, packaging, warehousing and distribution of agricultural products, office uses, and conference and training facilities.
At the October 13, 2015 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Board, the Board voted 5-0 to find the application to be consistent with the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan and in compliance with the Land Development Regulations, and to transmit the proposed Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve. One citizen spoke at the public hearing and had concerns regarding access. The applicant appears to have sufficiently addressed this concern with the citizen.
The proposed ordinance was approved on first reading at the City Commission meeting held on November 9, 2015. The proposed plan amendment was then submitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (the State Land Planning Agency) and to the review agencies (these include the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, the Suwanee River Water Management District, FDOT, FDOS, FDEP, and FDOE). No comments or objections were filed with the City by the review agencies within 30 days of their receipt of the application package. | | |