Media Release

There will be a community meeting for the Rutledge area on Monday, May 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the First Church of the Nazarene, 5020 NW 23rd Ave. The boundaries of the area are NW 39th Avenue to the north, NW 23rd Avenue to the south, NW 43rd Street to the east, and NW 83rd Street to the west. The County Commission recently approved this Rutledge area as the pilot for the new Community and Neighborhood Planning Program.

At this meeting community participants will be asked to identify needs and areas of concern, and information will be provided about the County’s new Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations. Based on this information, the next step will be to develop strategies and actions to address identified needs and concerns. Senior Planner Kathleen Pagan notes, “ Alachua County strives for open communication with citizens and sharing of ideas in the decision-making process. This Community and Neighborhood Planning process will include partnerships with public and private organizations, neighborhoods and employees of Alachua County.”

The Comprehensive Plan requires the establishment of the Community and Neighborhood Planning program to prepare geographically focused action plans throughout the unincorporated area of the County. The plans are intended to address the specific needs and circumstances of a particular area in a manner consistent with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. Each plan will include provisions to achieve the following:

• Enhanced community livability
• Protection of neighborhood character
• Provision of amenities for neighborhood residents
• Plan for neighborhood traffic management
• Protection of natural resources

For more information, please contact Kathleen Pagan, Senior Planner, at the Alachua County Department of Growth Management at (352) 374-5249 or send an email to kpagan@alachua.fl.us.