Newberry’s Plan Board Sends 14 Proposed Changes to City Commission

NEWBERRY – Newberry’s Planning and Zoning Board voted to recommend approval to the City Commission requests for a number of large- and small-scale amendments to the City’s Future Land Use Plan and related rezoning requests. The Commission is expected to consider the applications at the regular City Commission meeting of Nov. 22.

Ordinance 2021-71/CPA 21-12, a request by CHW Professional Consultants, agent for Tanglewood Properties of Gainesville LLC, owner, amends the City’s Future Land Use Plan Map by changing the future Land Use Classification on approximately 220 acres from Agriculture to Planned Development. The property is located south of West Newberry Road and west of Southwest 202^nd Street. The request to recommend this item to the commission was approved in a 3-1 vote with Jessica Baker casting the dissenting vote. Board member Donald Long was not in attendance.

A related request, Ordinance 2021-72/LDR 21-19, is for the same 220 acres to amend the Official Zoning Atlas of the City’s Land Development Regulations by changing the zoning from Agricultural (A) to Planned Development (PD). This application to recommend approval to the commission received the same 3-1 vote, with Baker casting the dissenting vote a second time.

Ordinance 2021-57/CPA 21-23 represents another large-scale amendment to the City’s Future Land Use Plan Map to change approximately 254.18 acres from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on property previously annexed into the City.

A second request on the same 254.18 acres, referred to as Ordinance 2021-58/LDR 21-32, is a rezoning application to change the zoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agricultural (A) to bring the property into compliance with the City’s regulations. Final approval of this rezoning request is contingent upon approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and approval on second reading by the city commission.

Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas explained that the property’s distance from the City’s water and sewer lines would make it unlikely that the property would be used for large-scale development any time in the near future.

Ordinance 2021-59/CPA 21-22 is a small-scale amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map by changing the Future Land Use classification from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on two parcels of land consisting of approximately 40 acres.

A related rezoning application represented by Ordinance 2021-60/LDR 21-31 is to change the zoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agricultural (A) on the same 40 acres. These parcels of land are located on the east side of Northwest 298^th Street (county line) and along Northwest 32^nd Avenue.

Ordinance 2021-61/CPA 21-24 is a request for a large-scale amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map by changing the Future Land Use classification from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on approximately 256.253 acres of land on five tax parcels known as Dudley Farm Historic State Park. The property is located approximately one-half mile east of Northwest 202^nd Street on the north side of West Newberry Road.

If CPA 21-24 is approved by Commissioners upon first reading, the application will then be forwarded to the DEO for their approval prior to any further action by the City Commission.

An application to rezone the same 256.253 acres of land, referred to as Ordinance 2021-62/LDR 21-33, from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agricultural (A) received approval by the Planning and Zoning Board. However, final approval of the rezoning request is contingent upon approval of the previous Comprehensive Plan Amendment by DEO and approval on second reading by the city commission.

Ordinance 2021-63/CPA 21-20 is an application for a small-scale amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map by changing the Future Land Use classification from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on approximately 40 acres. The property is located approximately .72 mile north of West Newberry Road and approximately .75 mile west of Northwest 170^th Street.

Contingent upon approval of 2021-63/CPA 21-20 was Ordinance 2021-64/LDR 21-29, an application to amend the zoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agricultural (A).

Ordinance 2021-67/CPA 21-19 is an application for a small-scale amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map by changing the Future Land Use classification from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on approximately 5.06 acres. The property is located on the west side of Southwest 282^nd Street, approximately one-half mile south of Southwest 95^th Road.

Also approved was Ordinance 2021-68/LDR 21-28, an application to amend the zoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agricultural (A). This application is contingent upon approval of Application CPA 21-19.

Ordinance 2021-69/CPA 21-21 is an application for a small-scale amendment to the Future Land Use Plan Map by changing the Future Land Use classification from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on approximately 12.26 acres. The property is located on Southwest 226^th Street and eight-tenths of a mile south of Newberry Road.

Also approved was Ordinance 2021-70/LDR 21-30, an application to amend the zoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agricultural (A). This application is contingent upon approval of Application CPA 21-21.

In other City news, Newberry native Alayna Jackson will be joining the Planning Department on Monday, Nov. 8. Jackson has a degree in historic preservation.

In other news, Mayor Jordan Marlowe recommended a play of historical significance at the Hippodrome Theater in Gainesville. “New Berry,” written by Ryan Hope Travis, is based on the moments leading up to the lynchings of six African Americans, allegedly over a hog. Community conversations will be led after each show. The play will run Nov. 5 – 10 with showings at 7:30 p.m. every day except Sunday, which will have a 3 p.m. matinee showing.

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