Alachua County transmits UF Foundation golf‑course land‑use change and protections to state for review

The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 28 to transmit a proposed large‑scale comprehensive‑plan amendment that would reclassify a roughly 580‑acre University of Florida Foundation parcel from rural agricultural to a new UF Golf Institutional future‑land‑use and adopt implementing policies from the Hickory Sink Special Area Study.

Staff principal planner Chris Dawson told the commission the amendment would add a new objective (8.6) and several policies (8.6.1–8.6.5) that identify conservation management areas (CMAs), set irrigation limits, require nutrient‑management and water‑quality monitoring, and limit mineral fertilizer use outside defined turf and event lawn areas. “Staff recommends that the commission find the application consistent with the comprehensive plan and transmit the proposed comp plan amendment to Florida Commerce for their review and comments,” Dawson said.

Why it matters: the proposal threads a championship golf facility and associated accessory uses into a mapped conservation framework on land that includes karst features and habitat for sensitive species. Commissioners and technical presenters repeatedly framed the hearing around whether the CMA boundaries and implementing best‑management practices (BMPs) would adequately protect groundwater, springshed and rare species while permitting limited infrastructure such as reclaimed‑water irrigation and small, accessory lodging.

Applicant and experts described mitigation and monitoring measures. Tyler Matthews, the applicant’s planner, said the PD (planned‑development) rezoning and BMPs will carry most construction‑level details and that the county and UF teams are drafting conservation easements and monitoring protocols. IFAS turf and BMP expert Brian Unruh described soil/tissue testing, annual reporting and a water‑quality monitoring program tied to state Basin Management Action Plans. “Golf courses are intensely managed, but intensely managed does not mean excess,” Unruh said, explaining the certification and testing regime his team proposes.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on several points. One amendment, requested by Commissioner Prizia, would limit any CMA boundary adjustments so they occur only to “protect natural resources,” and would cap the temporary cottage lodging at 30 units as accessory to the golf club. Prizia read the proposed changes onto the record before the motion to transmit. The motion to transmit the map and text amendments to Florida Commerce with those clarifications passed unanimously.

Public comments at the hearing reflected mixed local sentiment. Janice Gary, a resident, said she opposed siting a golf course on a strategic ecosystem and urged stronger public notice about herbicide and pesticide applications, citing health concerns. “I’m not nuts about a golf course being put on a strategic ecosystem,” she said.

Next steps: the county will transmit the amendment for state coordinated review; Florida Commerce typically has 30 days to provide comments. Following agency comments, the county will schedule an adoption hearing; the commission indicated the PD rezoning and planned‑development details will return to the board at a later adoption hearing (the team referenced June 23 as a future meeting date).