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Consultants present data analysis to inform Baker County comprehensive plan update; recommend focusing growth in municipalities
Summary
North Florida Professional Services presented a data analysis for the county's required evaluation and appraisal of its comprehensive plan, outlining population projections, employment and land-use recommendations and suggesting a designated dense-urban development area to concentrate growth around McClenny and Glen St. Mary.
Consultants from North Florida Professional Services presented a data analysis on Oct. 9 to support Baker County's required seven-year evaluation and appraisal of its comprehensive plan, recommending policies to concentrate future growth near existing municipalities and employment nodes.
Justin Taber, AICP, senior land use planner with North Florida Professional Services, summarized statutory requirements under Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, and presented population trends, projections and land-use capacity analyses. He said the county’s population grew from about 22,259 in 2000 to 28,679 in 2020 and that state demographic projections show multiple scenarios for the next 10 and 20 years. "Chapter 163 requires each local government to adopt a comprehensive plan," Taber told the agency as he explained the required planning periods and infrastructure elements.
The consultants recommended using a "medium-high" projection (an average of the medium and high state projections) or the high projection to avoid undercounting demand. Under the medium-high scenario, Taber said the county would need to plan for roughly 5,411 additional people over the next 10 years; under the high scenario, projections rise higher.
Key recommendations included encouraging growth within existing employment and industrial nodes (along I-10, US-90 and Enterprise East), focusing residential infill and higher densities proximate to the City of Macclenny and the Town of Glen St. Mary, and considering a designated dense-urban development area (DUDA) or similar boundary on the future land-use map to direct growth and preserve rural and conservation land. The consultants also highlighted infrastructure constraints—potable water and sanitary sewer capacity are provided by municipalities, not the county—and suggested coordinating growth strategies with municipalities and road, water and economic-development funding programs.
Board members discussed strategic planning to identify what kinds of industry and development the county wants to attract and noted available state grant programs that can fund infrastructure to support industrial development. The consultants outlined a phased public engagement and draft amendment timeline tied to potential grant funding and to the statutory requirement to transmit plan amendments.
The presentation will be used as the baseline data analysis for upcoming comprehensive plan amendments and public engagement; the county will proceed with drafting plan revisions, public workshops and the statutory transmittal and adoption process.
