The City of Newberry Commission voted to approve a rezoning request that would allow a concrete batch plant to relocate within the 41 Commerce Park area. The rezoning ordinance (Ordinance 2025‑36 / LDR 25‑13) changes a recently annexed, 9.6‑acre Alachua County agricultural parcel to City of Newberry Industrial I zoning; the motion to approve first reading passed unanimously.
John Paul Perez, with the Community Development Department, summarized the application and said the zoning change is the companion to a future land‑use amendment. Residents and developers then addressed the commission. Brian Hercules, representing SRM Concrete, described plans for a new, manufactured Stevens plant and told the commission the firm will remove the existing, older plant if the relocation is approved. He said the new plant will “have the capacity to control 99.95% of the dust in the batch system,” that the company will pave operating areas, install a four‑pit stormwater collection and recycle wash water, and operate truck wash stations before trucks leave the site.
The nut graph: Commissioners and residents pressed the applicant on noise, beeper alerts on backing trucks, proximity to planned residential areas and whether rail delivery would be used; the applicant said operational controls, buffers and a paved yard would reduce dust and truck emissions, and that rail access could be an option to reduce truck trips.
Commissioners and residents also sought clarity about access: the applicant said a usable right‑of‑way adjacent to the tracks had been reviewed and that agreements for ingress/egress were in place or in negotiation with third parties. The applicant estimated vehicle trips on the site in a typical operating day to be in the order of fewer than 150 total trips, with 6–10 concrete trucks operating six loads per day.
Several commissioners asked about the location relative to nearby subdivisions. City staff and the applicant noted the industrial park pre‑dated some adjacent residential construction and that, under current process, site plan review and any special use permits for heavy uses would require additional public review and conditions. Commissioner concerns about buffering and potential future residential development were acknowledged; staff said those matters will be addressed at site plan and special‑use stages.
Key voting and next steps: The first‑reading rezoning ordinance (LDR 25‑13 / Ordinance 2025‑36) was approved on first reading and will return for second reading on Sept. 22. Staff and the applicant noted that any material‑oriented industrial operations still require special use permits, site plans and permits for air, stormwater and traffic that will be evaluated in later proceedings.
Why it matters: The project brings a significant private investment and a modernized industrial operation to an expanding industrial park; it also raises standard local concerns about industrial activity near developing neighborhoods — questions the commission and staff said will be handled by subsequent permitting steps and by conditions tied to special exceptions and site design.