City Commission Seeks Solutions for Turkey Creek Flooding

ALACHUA ‒ There may be some relief in sight for Turkey Creek residents concerning flooding in the area due to Tropical Storm Elsa and other flooding issue from streams located in the Turkey Creek neighborhood.

At the July 26 Alachua City Commission meeting, Commissioner Robert Wilford, the City of Alachua’s representative at the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), reported that northwest Alachua County received up to seven inches of rain in the span of one day with the average rainfall throughout Alachua County standing at three inches.

Flooding in the Turkey Creek subdivision has been a longstanding issue. In 2019, SRWMD staff met with several Turkey Creek Master Owner’s Association (TCMOA) board members and other residents to discuss ways to alleviate the subdivision’s ongoing flooding issues. The TCMOA cannot directly apply to the SRWMD for grants, but City of Alachua may do so as a possible solution to address the longstanding flooding. Plans are underway for the City of Alachua and TCMOA to consider the best course of action.

In other business, developers of Briarwood Phase 1, a new housing development on CR 235A near Santa Fe High School, are requesting an amendment regarding sidewalk construction. On Nov. 9, 2020, the City Commission approved the Final Plat and Subdividers Agreement for the subdivision, which called for sidewalks. The developer, Troon Creek, LLC, now requests to amend the previous agreement to permit the construction of sidewalks after completion of the homes within the Subdivision.

The previous agreement required that all infrastructure, including all sidewalks, be completed by the Developer and approved by the City before final building inspections can be scheduled for any homes. The proposed amendment would permit construction of sidewalks after completion of the homes. The remaining infrastructure has not been completed by the developer, but is subject to the current Common Law Performance Bond of $4,131,891 held by the City of Alachua.

The Commission also heard a request for a replat of a five-acre property in the Red Oak Estates subdivision to modify the drainage easement for a more suitable location of a single-family residence and accessory structures. The lot lines are not being amended and building setback lines are not being reduced.

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