Newberry City Limits to Increase by 1,000 Acres

NEWBERRY – Commissioners took the first step in the voluntary annexation of 23 parcels equaling slightly more than 1,000 acres into the City of Newberry at a commission meeting held Monday, July 25.

“Part of this is an attempt to begin to fill in some of our enclaves,” said Mayor Bill Conrad.

Two of the larger parcels to be annexed include Komoko Ranch at 171.38 acres and Loncala at 160 acres. Properties over 10 acres in size comprise 973.46 acres and properties under 10 acres comprise 49.61 acres, according to City records.

“We attempted to incorporate some of these properties into the City earlier at the property owners' requests,” said Conrad, “but ran into roadblocks dealing with the County. We were trying to take steps to fill in enclaves and pockets of finger-like properties, but I guess the County wanted us to fill in each enclave completely at one time.

“With the repeal of the Boundary Adjustment Act in February, the City now can deal directly with the State,” he said.

“These annexations, when they are completed, will not extend the City's property farther out, but will increase the compactness of the City by eliminating enclaves and pockets,” said Bryan Thomas, Newberry's Planning Director.

“The entire process, start to finish, could take as long as a year to complete as there are several steps in the process,” said Thomas. “The City will have to amend the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map. Multiple State agencies have to review everything and may have questions or comments the City will have to address.”

The properties will also have to be rezoned from a designation of County to City.

The City is currently comprised of 34,176 acres, according to Thomas.

In other City business, City Attorney Scott Walker informed commissioners that internet sweepstakes cafes are not legal according to Florida Statutes. The City is therefore not licensing one business already situated on U.S 27/41 and is to deny the requests of two other businesses seeking licenses in Newberry.

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