Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alachua County approves rezoning near Jonesville over neighborhood objections
Summary
The county commission approved a rezoning request that doubles allowable residential density on a 5‑acre parcel near Jonesville, prompting emotional testimony from long‑time neighbors concerned about road access, wildlife and loss of a historic farming landscape.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve rezoning application Z25‑000028 on a 5‑acre parcel off Southwest 143rd Street, changing the zoning from RE1 (lower‑density residential) to R1A (1–4 dwelling units per acre), a move that could allow up to 20 single‑family homes on the site.
Planner Mayde Bangatar summarized staff analysis and said the request is consistent with the county’s future land‑use designation and with policy criteria for rezoning; she told the commission the site lies inside the urban cluster and neighboring properties already carry R1A zoning. The planning commission advised approval.
The applicant, Eric Taylor, told commissioners the property has been held by his family since 2006 and that a rezoning had long been intended. “It’s been our intention,” Taylor said, adding he had held a neighborhood meeting and had been proactive in outreach.
Long‑time neighbors urged denial. Barbara Henry, whose land adjoins the applicant’s parcel, said her family has farmed the area for decades and described daily encounters with deer and turtles that she said would be harmed by denser development. “I grew up there,” Henry said. “We farmed. I still know farming.”
Riley Douglas Fisher, another nearby resident, asked the board to require that any future development manage stormwater on the parcel to avoid runoff onto adjoining farms. “If he can do that without upsetting anything, I’m not against it,” Fisher said.
Commissioners acknowledged the neighborhood’s concerns but said staff’s analysis and the property’s location within the urban cluster limited the legal grounds for denying the application. The chair apologized to neighbors for the outcome and offered to connect them with county programs — including the property appraiser’s heir‑property services and the county’s agricultural easement program — that can help preserve farmland when appropriate.
A motion to approve the rezoning was made and carried by the board. No development plan was presented with the rezoning; Taylor said he had not yet decided whether to develop the parcel himself or sell to a developer.
What happens next: approval of the rezoning permits the higher residential density; any specific development proposal will require permitting and stormwater review. Commissioners and staff said they expect future site plans to be reviewed under the county’s development and environmental requirements and encouraged the applicant to work with neighbors on access and drainage plans.
