Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning And Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local manufacturer proposes rezoning on Moncrief and light-industrial use on Spring Grove to expand jobs
Summary
A Jacksonville manufacturer and his agent presented plans to rezone a 7.5-acre Moncrief parcel to extend commercial use and to convert a roughly 2-acre Habitat-owned parcel on Spring Grove to light industrial, saying the projects would create local jobs and take 6–8 months to advance through land-use and zoning processes.
A Jacksonville manufacturer told a neighborhood meeting that he plans to seek a land-use amendment and rezoning for two properties to relocate manufacturing and create leasable business space.
Arthur Wells, owner of Elite Steel and ADL Forbidden Construction, and Mike Herzberg, the applicant’s agent, described a roughly 7.5-acre parcel along Moncrief between Rutledge and Roe Avenue where Wells would extend existing commercial designation to the rear of the lot to build a manufacturing facility and a second building for leasable space. Herzberg said about five of the acres would be converted to commercial to accommodate Wells’s corporate offices and manufacturing operations.
The project would require a land-use amendment and rezoning process. Herzberg told the meeting no formal applications have been filed and estimated the combined land-use and zoning review would take about six to eight months after an application is submitted; he said notices to adjacent property owners would follow the application filing.
The applicants also discussed a second proposal: a roughly two-acre parcel along 20th Street West near Spring Grove that Habitat for Humanity currently owns. Herzberg said he would seek to change that site’s designation from its present light-industrial coloring to a heavier industrial designation so Wells could operate a manufacturing facility there.
Wells described his company’s operations and hiring approach. "We usually start people off between $22 and $25 an hour," he said, adding that pay can rise after 90 days and that some workers can reach about $40 an hour. He said his firm manufactures roof panels and light-gauge steel products and ships materials to customers outside Florida. Wells said the buildings would be insulated to limit noise from punch machines and other equipment.
Residents asked about timing, construction hiring, required skills, noise and buffer treatments. Herzberg said the applicants expect to work with the district on conventional zoning or a planned-unit development to provide community-desired buffers, screening and architecture. Wells said he hires people with a positive attitude and that the company trains employees on fabrication and machine operation.
No formal vote or application was taken at the meeting; the applicants presented concept materials and asked that neighbors review maps and provide feedback before any application is submitted.
Details provided at the meeting include the parcel sizes, an estimated six- to eight-month review timeline after filing, an estimated starting pay band of $22–$25 per hour, and the applicants’ stated willingness to add landscaping, screening and building insulation to reduce impacts.
