Commission Agenda Item

MEETING DATE:  6/10/2019

SUBJECT:  Ordinance 19-29, First Reading: Site-Specific Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas - A request by Clay Sweger, AICP, LEED AP, of EDA Engineers - Surveyors - Planners, Inc., applicant and agent for Hodor & Southwell, Hodor Farms, LLC, Howard Hodor Trustee, and H&S Holdings, Inc., to amend the Official Zoning Atlas from Agricultural ("A") (Alachua County) to Agricultural ("A") on a ±199 acre subject property. Consisting of Parcel Numbers 04043-000-000, 04044-000-000, 04049-000-000, 04049-004-000, 04049-004-001, 04049-004-002, 04049-007-000, and 04051-000-000 (Quasi-Judicial Hearing).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Staff recommends that the City Commission:

1) Approve Ordinance 19-29 on first reading; and,

2) Schedule second and final reading for June 24, 2019, upon making the following motion:

Based upon the competent substantial evidence presented at this hearing, the presentation before this Commission, and Staff’s recommendation, this Commission finds the application for a Site-Specific Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas for Hodor Farms to be consistent with the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan and in compliance with the Land Development Regulations and approves Ordinance 19-29 on first reading and schedules second and final reading for June 24, 2019.

Summary

The proposed Site Specific Amendment to the City of Alachua Official Zoning Atlas (Rezoning) is a request by Clay Sweger, AICP, LEED AP, EDA Engineers – Surveyors – Planners, Inc., applicant and agent for Hodor & Southwell, Hodor Farms, LLC, Howard Hodor Trustee, and H&S Holdings, Inc., property owners, for the consideration of the rezoning of the subject property from Alachua County Agriculture (A [County]) to City of Alachua Agriculture (A). 

The subject property is comprised of two tracts, each approximately 100 acres in size, located east of County Road 241 (NW 143rd Street). The northern tract is located east of County Road 241, between the intersection of County Road 241 and NW 78th Avenue and the intersection of County Road 241 and NW 94th Avenue, and is south of NW 88th Place. The southern tract is located north of the intersection of County Road 241 and Millhopper Road. The two tracts primarily consist of timberland with an existing single family dwelling and pasture lands located on the northern tract. The existing single family dwelling and pasture lands are located proximate to County Road 241. 

The property was annexed into the City of Alachua in 1999. A City of Alachua Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Designation was applied to the property in 2004, however, the property has retained its Alachua County zoning since this time. The property owner seeks to rezone the subject property to permit the development of a single family dwelling on one of the parcels and to apply a City of Alachua zoning to the property, consistent with the existing FLUM Designation.

The general purpose of the Agriculture zone district is established and described in Section 3.3 of the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs):

3.3.1 General purposes. The A district is established and intended to:
(A) Support agriculture and agriculture supportive uses. Support the primary use of land for agriculture and agriculture support uses to help maintain the agricultural and rural character of the district;
(B) Ensure residential development consistent with rural and agricultural character. Ensure that residential development is consistent with the rural and agricultural character of the district, by requiring either low-density residential development or encouraging residential cluster development, and subdivisions that are harmonious with the rural economy and agricultural uses; and
(C) Consistent with Comprehensive Plan. Be consistent with the areas designated as agriculture on the Comprehensive Plan.

3.3.2 Specific purposes. The A district is intended to provide for areas primarily consisting of agriculture uses and agriculture support uses and also allow low-density single-family residential development. The maximum residential density allowed in the district is one dwelling unit per five acres, except that homesteaded lots may be developed at one unit per two acres. Residential cluster development is encouraged through the use of the Conservation Subdivision option. (See Section 7.9, Conservation subdivision.)

At the May 14, 2019 Planning and Zoning Board hearing, the Board voted 3-0 in favor of transmitting the proposed rezoning application to the City Commission with a recommendation to approve.