Developers propose nine townhomes near railroad; staff flag stormwater, tree and fire-access constraints

A developer and its design team presented a concept Wednesday for nine fee‑simple townhomes at the corner of Alachua and North 2nd Streets, but city staff cautioned the project could face multiple technical constraints before it proceeds to permitting.

"My name is John Tolan, representing Harbor Development Group," said John Tolan, the project representative, introducing the conceptual site plan prepared by Gulfstream Design Group. Matt Lotte of Gulfstream summarized the layout and said the proposal sits adjacent to the railroad and would tie into the city’s master stormwater system.

Planning staff told the panel the proposed residential use is permitted in the zoning district but that the site lies within both the community redevelopment area and the local historic district, so vertical and architectural elements will need HDC (Historic District Council) review. "You can run the TRC and HDC processes concurrently," a planning staff member said, but the TRC cannot issue the land development order until the HDC issues a certificate of approval.

Stormwater and utilities came up as early technical issues. "If you are wanting to connect to that stormwater system that's on our end, you would have to pay a fee in order to do that," a staff member said, and water/sewer tap and capacity calculations will be required. Staff recommended locating backflow preventers in an accessible bank because each attached unit will require protection.

Tree requirements also pose a challenge. Staff noted the code requires two native shade trees per 2,500‑square‑foot lot (minimum 2.5‑inch caliper) and that because the proposed units are intended as fee‑simple lots, trees generally must be planted on each lot. The team said utility easements and narrow lot widths on the concept plan limit planting room. "That would be a variance possibility," a staff member said, but advised the applicants that administrative options would be explored before pursuing a code rewrite.

Fire and emergency access were flagged as another constraint. Fire staff cited NFPA guidance limiting dead‑end apparatus access to 150 feet without a turnaround and said the site's backing onto the railroad could create a collection of conditions that require either a turnaround or sprinklering. "If it is any longer than a 150 feet, it requires some means to turn around fire apparatus," the fire representative said.

Staff suggested the applicants begin early coordination with the railroad because some work occurs within 25 feet of the tracks and may require a right‑of‑entry or permit. The development team agreed to provide revised civil drawings and water/sewer calculations to staff for review.

Next steps identified by staff include reestablishing the underlying lots of record, producing full civil and architectural drawings, running the HDC review concurrently with TRC site review, and coordinating with the railroad on any work near the right‑of‑way. The TRC will conduct an internal review of formal TRC submittals and return comments to the applicants.

The presentation was advisory; no land‑development order or permit was granted at the meeting. The applicants were told to return with formal TRC materials for technical review and for HDC certificates where architectural changes are required.