Alachua County commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, unanimously approved the first major housing development in eastern Alachua County in decades, calling the project a model for how growth can occur while protecting natural resources.
The preliminary development plan for Eastwood Preserve covers 81.3 acres at the intersection of Southeast Hawthorne Road and Lakeshore Drive. The project includes a mix of low-density housing and significant conservation land, with a total of 149 detached units planned at one to four units per acre.
The development was shaped through extensive collaboration between the applicant, neighbors, county staff and environmental experts.
Commission Chair Ken Cornell said the project demonstrates how development proposals should be crafted in Alachua County, and urged future developers to watch past meetings on the subject.
“From my perspective, this is how it’s supposed to work,” he said. “This is the standard.”
Watch the full discussion.
Roughly 65% of the site will remain greenspace, including a 39% conservation management area. All wetlands on the property will be preserved, and nearly half of the existing tree canopy, including all seven landmark live oak trees, will remain in place after developers adjusted the site plan in coordination with the county arborist.
“I see a lot of effort here to protect the trees and to even take a step further in terms of design to protect the wetlands,” said Commissioner Anna Prizzia. “I just appreciate all the hard work.”
Other protections include a 200-foot greenway buffer along the eastern boundary where no roads or residential lots are allowed. Access to Lakeshore Drive will be limited to pedestrians, bicyclists and emergency vehicles.
“It is a huge milestone to have an entire neighborhood embrace all these standards,” said Commissioner Mary Alford. “This is really a flagship example for our county as to what development can be.”
The project also incorporates stringent environmental safeguards, including strict irrigation and fertilizer regulations, identification and protection of gopher tortoise habitats, and lighting designed to meet “dark sky” standards. Stormwater facilities will have higher-than-normal treatment thresholds since the property drains toward Newnans Lake, which is within the Orange Creek Basin Management Action Plan.
County staff noted that the proposal aligns with the comprehensive plan and the Unified Land Development Code, particularly regarding conservation priorities in the eastern municipalities. Next steps for the development include designing out the project with engineering, such as stormwater, before going to the Development Review Committee then the commission for a final plat approval.
“This is a model … that could be shared with other developments as they come forward, not only to us but throughout the state,” said County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler.
For more information, contact Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton at 352-264-6979 or msexton@alachuacounty.us.
