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Planning commission recommends commercial land use, rezoning for 1.26‑acre Kanapaha parcel
Summary
Alachua County staff and the planning commission recommended changing a 1.26‑acre parcel owned by Kanapaha Presbyterian Church from institutional to commercial and forwarding a rezoning to BA to the Board of County Commissioners after staff said the parcel is vacant, within the Archer Tower Activity Center, and the church plans to sell it to raise funds.
The Alachua County Planning Commission recommended approval of a small‑scale comprehensive plan amendment to change a 1.26‑acre parcel from institutional to commercial and forwarded a companion rezoning request to the Board of County Commissioners.
Matey Venkatar, a planner with Alachua County Growth Management, told the commission the site is vacant and lies within the Archer Tower Activity Center, adjacent to a UF Health facility and Kanapaha Presbyterian Church. If the amendment is approved, staff said the implementing rezoning (Z25000032) would rezone the parcel to BA commercial to allow a broad range of commercial uses.
Clay Swager, the applicant’s representative, said the church intends to sell the parcel to help fund upkeep of church facilities and that a small commercial out‑parcel or single business is the most likely outcome. "The church has part of their planning to sell this property to help have additional funding for to keep their church facilities up to date," Swager said.
Commissioners asked whether a mixed‑use designation would better reflect surrounding development. Commissioner comments noted nearby mixed developments and urged county staff to consider mixed‑use categories when the comprehensive plan is reviewed. Staff responded that Alachua County does not have a generic, countywide mixed‑use land‑use category and that the commercial category and implementing districts can allow mixed uses in some places only with specific policy language.
One commissioner raised a list of intense uses allowed in the BA district, including vehicular repair and some other commercial categories; staff and counsel noted that county land‑development code contains proximity restrictions for adult‑oriented businesses and that an adult‑oriented business could not be established on that parcel because it lies adjacent to a place of worship (the code’s minimum distance is 500 feet measured from property line to property line).
A motion to recommend approval of the staff recommendation passed; the planning commission will forward the recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision.
The planning commission also took public comment: Clay Swager (applicant representative) reiterated the church’s intent to use sale proceeds for church upkeep and said the prospective buyer is an entity called Rock Ventures. No party status requests were filed for this item. The next step is a review and possible final action by the Board of County Commissioners.
