The Alachua County Commission will conduct two public meetings on the Hickory Sink/Lee Property Special Area Study, also known as FCL Timber, Land & Cattle, LLLP, on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, and Tuesday, October 11, 2022. The public meetings will begin at 5 p.m. in the Jack Durrance Auditorium. These meetings are held at the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville).
The public can attend the meetings in person or view them online on the County’s
Video on Demand website. Masks for vulnerable citizens are strongly encouraged.
County Commission meetings on planning and zoning matters provide an opportunity for public input in decisions on proposed changes to land within unincorporated Alachua County. The public can comment at the scheduled meetings either in person or by calling in. The call-in number is 1-929-205-6099. When prompted, enter meeting ID 873 5974 1977. If you wish to comment, Raise Your Hand by dialing *9. Once you are called on by the last four digits of your phone number, Unmute Your Phone by dialing *6.
The purpose of the two scheduled meetings of the County Commission is to consider and take public comment on a Special Area Study for the subject property. The property that is the subject of this application contains much of the “Hickory Sink” Strategic Ecosystem as designated in the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan. Due to the property’s location encompassing much of the mapped Strategic Ecosystem, the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan requires a special area planning process be completed prior to any development on the site. The purpose of the Special Area Study is to provide a detailed natural resources assessment of the Strategic Ecosystem, and delineation of conservation areas for permanent protection in Accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. The Special Area Study also evaluates potential development scenarios for the property and related infrastructure considerations. The applicant/agent for the landowner has submitted a Special Area Study report for the subject site in accordance with Chapter 402, Article 16 of the Alachua County Unified Land Development Code. The applicant’s Special Area Study report and related information, including a staff report, can be found
online.
At the September 20 meeting, the Commission will review the Special Area Study and take public comment. No final action is expected to be taken. At the October 11 meeting, the Commission will consider whether to accept the Special Area Study. If the Commission accepts the Special Area Study, that action would then authorize the preparation of a Special Area Plan, which may include separate applications for amendments to the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan and/or zoning changes for the subject site.
Written public comment may be submitted prior to or during meetings by mail (Alachua County, Department of Growth Management, 10 S.W. 2nd Avenue, 3rd Floor, Gainesville, FL, 32601-6294) or by email to
planning@alachuacounty.us.
County Commission meeting agendas are published on the
Alachua County website and are typically available by Friday before a Tuesday meeting.
For more information, contact Alachua County Growth Management Principal Planner Ben Chumley at 352-374-5249 or
bdchumley@alachuacounty.us.