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Planning commission recommends rezoning of Habitat for Humanity parcel to align zoning with future land‑use
Summary
The Alachua County Planning Commission voted Nov. 19 to recommend rezoning a 5.8‑acre Habitat for Humanity parcel from R‑1B to R‑1A to conform to the county's Low Density Residential future land‑use designation; staff said approval would allow up to 23 single‑family homes and does not lower level‑of‑service standards.
The Alachua County Planning Commission on Nov. 19 recommended that the county commission approve rezoning application C25000024, which would change a roughly 5.8‑acre parcel owned by Habitat for Humanity from R‑1B to R‑1A.
County planning staff member Ben Guitar (Alachua County Growth Management) told the commission the property is south of Southeast Hawthorne Road, east of Southeast 27th Street and west of Southeast 35th Street and is currently undeveloped. "If this is rezoned and approved, this will have the R1A, and they will be able to develop this site," Guitar said, adding that the maximum density would yield 23 single‑family residential units if R‑1A is approved.
Staff said the rezoning is intended to bring the parcel into consistency with the comprehensive plan’s Low Density Residential designation (1–4 units per acre) and to meet the county’s rezoning criteria in the Unified Land Development Code. "Staff has found this rezoning request consistent with policy 7.10.2 of the future land‑use element," Guitar said, and recommended the commission find the application consistent with the comprehensive plan and recommend approval to the county commission.
A commissioner asked why the county should change the zoning rather than the future land‑use category; Guitar replied the rezoning keeps the parcel consistent with the Low Density designation and is not intended to increase potential units. Staff also said they were not aware of attendees at the neighborhood meeting and that no public comments had been received on the item.
During debate, a commissioner said they had "concerns with down zoning inside of our urban reserve" and said, "I won't support the motion on the floor," citing limited land inside the urban reserve. Another commissioner moved to adopt staff's recommendation; a second was recorded. The commission conducted a voice vote and the motion was recorded as passed.
The action now goes to the Alachua County Commission for final consideration. The planning staff recommendation and the commission’s recommendation will be included in the county commission packet for that hearing; the date for the county commission hearing was not specified at the planning commission meeting.
Notes: The planning commission's record in the transcript records the motion as "passed"; a roll‑call tally with full member names and vote-by-vote positions was not recorded verbatim in the transcript.
