Media Release

On December 8, 2005 the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners adopted a new Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) that will become effective on January 30, 2006. The adoption of the new ULDC is the culmination of many hours of staff time and several years of public meetings to prepare the first-ever comprehensive overhaul of Alachua County’s land development regulations. The new land development regulations implement many of the policies of the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan that went into effect on May 2, 2005.

The following are major features of the revised zoning code:

1. Improved development review process
2. Revised zoning districts and use regulations
3. Increased flexibility for residential lot sizes and unit types
4. New provision allowing accessory living units
5. New guidelines for traditional neighborhood developments and village centers
6. Revised subdivision and stormwater standards
7. Revised landscape and tree protection standards
8. New activity center procedures
9. Updated sign code
10. New process for Planned Developments with Transfer of Development Rights (PD-TDR) that allows transfer of development away from ecologically sensitive areas
11. Increased protections for environmentally sensitive areas, including strategic ecosystems
12. Increased public notification standards
13. New opportunities for public participation in the development review process

For more information about zoning and development review, please contact the Alachua County Department of Growth Management at (352) 374-5249 or visit Growth Management’s website to submit a comment or question to us online at http://growth-management.alachua.fl.us/ldr.php. Or you can write to:

Office of Planning & Development
Alachua County Department of Growth Management
10 SW 2nd Avenue #300
Gainesville, FL 32601