The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners approved a preliminary development plan (PDP) for the Ironwood Industrial Park on July 8 with conditions that limit access from NE 30th Street and require traffic and environmental mitigation for any full access connection.

Planner Jacob Stout presented the PDP for two parcels totaling about 137.5 acres at 6505 County Road 225 and 6310 NE Waldo Road. The site carries heavy-industrial future land use and MP (manufacturing/processing) zoning. Staff's review noted several conservation management areas (CMAs) that contain wetlands and tree-canopy preservation areas; together the CMAs represent roughly 18% of the site area.

Stout said existing tertiary and secondary well-field protection zones for the Murphy well field overlap the project area. County hazardous-materials staff noted additional permitting and hazardous-materials-storage licensing requirements would apply to uses within those zones; specific requirements would be evaluated if and when a developer proposes a concrete-batching plant, fuel operations, or other specialized industrial uses.

Traffic and access were central conditions. The county engineer and public works reviewed the plan and advised limiting NE 30th Street access to a single emergency/gated connection due to network safety concerns; the board's approval includes a requirement that if a full access connection is later proposed the applicant must submit a revised traffic impact analysis (TIA) showing mitigation for intersections on NE 30th Street (notably where it intersects NE 50th Avenue and NE 50th Place) and implement necessary improvements at final development plan.

Other conditions require the applicant to show how on-site stormwater will address off-site flow and floodplain considerations, and to provide a CMA management plan for the wetlands and tree-canopy areas. Building setbacks and landscaping standards will be reviewed at final plan stage; lighting and height standards will be evaluated to ensure compatibility with nearby residential properties and the nearby airport.

Several neighbors testified at the hearing, expressing concerns about flooding, off-site drainage, nighttime lighting, noise and the potential for heavy truck traffic on local roads. A nearby resident said existing flooding issues (including runoff tied to a county borrow pit) are unresolved and asked the board to account for off-site drainage when approving development. Commissioners and staff responded that stormwater design and TIA mitigation are required at the final development plan and that the county will review off-site impacts then.

The board approved the PDP with conditions that require submission of the revised TIA and traffic mitigation if a full NE 30th Street connection is proposed, restricted access for NE 30th Street unless mitigations are demonstrated, and standard CMA protections. Commissioner Wheeler cast the lone dissenting vote (4-1).