Newberry Environmental Park Moves Forward

NEWBERRY ‒ The City of Newberry is moving closer to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection-required Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion and development of the remaining land for an environmental park.

At the May 22 City Commission meeting, the Commission approved a large-scale Future Land Use Map Amendment that changes from Agriculture to Public 93+/- acres located on the east side of County Road 336/Southwest 266^th Street, between Southwest 18^th Road and Southwest 30^th Avenue. The development will include the municipal wastewater treatment facility expansion, an educational wetland exhibit and retention area, an Alachua County rural collection center and potential composting and small-farm meat processing facility.

The Newberry Planning and Zoning Board considered this petition on March 6 and unanimously voted to recommend approved of the petition to the Commission at that time. At the March 13 regular meeting of the City Commission, a public hearing was held to consider the request. After receiving a presentation and deliberations, the Commission approved the petition on first reading and authorized staff to transmit the petition to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review. The reviewing agencies responded and found no objection to the request.

The City also requested to rezone the existing cemetery, wastewater treatment facility and future environmental park from Agricultural (A) and Residential, Single-Family (RSF-2) to Public Facilities (PF) on 217 +/- acres.

The property is located on the east side of County Road 337/Southwest 266th Street, between Southwest 15th Avenue and Southwest 30th Avenue. This request aligns the existing and proposed uses of the site with the appropriate zoning districts and includes the 93 acres listed above.

The Planning and Zoning Board also considered this petition on March 6 and unanimously voted to recommend approved of the petition to the Commission at that time.

Environmental Park Master Plan

Commissioners authorized the City Manager to execute a Task Order with CHW Professional Consultants for the Newberry Environmental Park Master Plan for $220,000. Based on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Administrative Order issued in May of 2021, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) design is underway. The new facility is to be constructed and operational by March 1, 2026.

The new facility required the purchase of additional adjacent property for plant expansion and wastewater effluent disposal. The City purchased 96 acres adjacent to the existing wastewater plant in 2022. Any acreage not needed for the WWTP expansion is being considered for other City uses such as the relocation of the City Public Works Facility, a proposed privately-operated composting facility, which will accept vegetative waste and the biosolids from the City of Newberry.

The City is also working with Alachua County on locating a County meat processing facility, County communications tower, a joint City/County fire training facility, County solid waste rural collections center and household hazardous waste collections center.

The environmental park design effort must occur in parallel with the WWTP expansion design process to prevent delays on that project.

Funding for this project is identified in the already adopted budget and as a part of the WWTP expansion project. A portion of the funding is eligible for future grant reimbursement. Additionally, the Newberry Environmental Park Master Plan is a required element of the City land development regulations, as well as for future grant and other funding mechanisms.

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