Summary The proposed Site Specific Amendment to the City of Alachua Official Zoning Atlas (Rezoning) is a request by Christopher Gmuer, P.E., of Gmuer Engineering, LLC, applicant and agent for Wallace Cain, property owner, for the consideration of the rezoning of the subject property from Community Commercial (CC) to Residential Single Family – 3 (RSF-3).
The subject property is located at 17002 NW County Road 241 and is comprised of a portion of Tax Parcel Number 03067-005-000. The subject property is approximately 20.0 acres in size, and is located south and west of the intersection of NW County Road 241 and NW 172nd Avenue (Rock Meadow Farms).
The property subject to the proposed amendment is presently vacant and primarily consists of natural vegetation. It is heavily wooded. There is an existing driveway connection to NW County Road 241 which provides access to one (1) single family residence located to the south and west of the subject property (in common ownership with the subject property).
The current Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Designation of the subject property is Moderate Density Residential. The FLUM Designation was amended from Community Commercial to Moderate Density Residential in 2008, however, the property has yet to be rezoned to a zoning district that is consistent with the underlying FLUM Designation. This application would make the land use and zoning of the property consistent, thereby permitting future residential development to occur on the property.
The general purposes of the residential zone districts established by the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) are described in Section 3.4.1 of the LDRs:
The residential zone districts contained in this section are established and intended to provide a comfortable, healthy, safe, and pleasant environment in which to live. More specifically, they are intended to:
(A) Provide appropriately located lands for residential development. Provide appropriately located lands for residential development that are consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the Comprehensive Plan;
(B) Protect from harmful effects. Protect residents from the harmful effects of noise, traffic congestion, and other significant adverse environmental effects; and
(C) Provide lands with varying degrees of density. Provide for residential lands with varying density, together with public and semipublic buildings and facilities, accessory structures, and nonresidential services, as may be compatible with such development.
The specific purpose of the RSF-3 zoning district are described in Section 3.4.2(B) of LDRs:
RSF-3, Residential Single-Family-3. The RSF-3 district is established as a district in which the principal use of land is single-family residential development at a moderate density in areas served by water and sewer systems. The regulations of this district are intended to discourage any use that would substantially interfere with the development of single-family dwellings and that would be detrimental to the quiet residential nature of the district. Complementary uses customarily found in residential zone districts, such as community facilities, religious institutions, parks and playgrounds, and schools, are also allowed. The minimum lot area is 10,000 square feet and the maximum density allowed is three dwelling units an acre.
At the October 9, 2018 Planning & Zoning Board meeting, 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 application to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve.
Ordinance 19-03 was unanimously approved on first reading at the November 5, 2018 City Commission meeting. | | |