Bridlewood Community Development District tabled

HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission has put the brakes on an ordinance establishing Bridlewood Subdivision’s Community Development District application. The Commission opted instead to hold a workshop with the City Commission, the Planning Board and any interested citizens to discuss the application further.

Questions arose during the May 23, 2024 City Commission meeting as to whether facilities within Bridlewood would be available to citizens of the community and if so, at what cost. Originally, the Bridlewood developers agreed to set aside land for a school and either a police department or fire station for the City. However, some expected that all of Bridlewood’s amenities would be available to the entire community.

Jere Earlywine, the attorney for the developer, was on hand to explain the benefits to the City of approving a Community Development District (CDD) as opposed to a Home Owners Association (HOA) to manage the Bridlewood facility. Earlywine said a CDD provides financing, operation and maintenance based on Chapter 190 Florida Statutes. He said it was similar to a HOA, but with more rights.

Earlywine added that a CDD would allow the developer to take advantage of bond money to produce a better-quality amenity package, better quality entry features, landscaping, “because they can afford to do it with competitive home pricing.” He said that a CDD is a better than an HOA in terms of managing the infrastructure (i.e., roads, stormwater ponds, hardscape and landscape).

Commissioner Tristan Grunder suggested tabling the issue for the night and scheduling a workshop to hash out the details. Once seconded by Commissioner Andrew Miller, the commission voted unanimously to hold a public workshop with the City Clerk scheduling it with all parties concerned.

Removed from the agenda was consideration of a Special Event Permit for the High Springs Brewing Company to hold a special event on Sunday, May 26. The matter was pulled as second reading of the ordinance to allow the Brewing Company to hold a special event has not been heard and approved on second reading. The City Attorney advised that the item could not go forward until the ordinance allowing the Brewing Company to open on Sundays with a Special Event Permit was actually approved by the Commission.

In other City business, former High Springs City Commissioner Sue Weller briefly reviewed the Charter Review Board’s recommendations on Charter Amendments. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the Board’s recommendations and advised the City Attorney to draw up an ordinance for the next meeting so the Commissioners could formally approve the recommendations.

In other matters, an application by Judy Swoyer, Anytime Fitness, for a site plan received unanimous approval. This will be a 24-hour-a-day, 8,400 sq. ft. gym/fitness club located on 2.33 acres on U.S. Highway 441, just north of Tractor Supply and south of Board Ramp Road (Northwest 210^th Lane).

An application for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP 24-01) to add a car wash and non-ethanol fuel dispensary to the existing Sun Stop #348 also received approval. The location is near Poe Springs Road, Northwest 182^nd Avenue. The Planning Board approved the application before sending it to the Commission, but stipulated that a fence should be placed on the south side of the property between the Sun Stop and a nearby residential home.

Two items put forth by Mayor Katherine Weitz for the City to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for two positions failed to gain support from the Commission. The first was for the City Attorney and the second was for IT Support Services. Weitz said she thought the City might be able to save money by looking at the options available by other providers.

Although those two items failed, the same action for analytical laboratory services for both water and wastewater permit-required sampling and testing was unanimously approved. Currently the City is using Advanced Environmental Laboratories in Gainesville and will continue to use them for testing where tight time constraints are an issue.

Among the City Manager comments was an announcement that the City has received nearly $31,000 from the state for hurricane-related items and would go into the General Fund. The City also received $45,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance for the Suwannee Fire Fund, which will go into the Fire Department’s budget.

He also mentioned that the Wastewater Treatment Plan is a little over 40 percent complete.

The Douglass High Springs Reunion near the end of June will likely be held at the Douglass Community Center, which should be completed by the time of the reunion.

A joint meeting between the City of High Springs and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for June 6 at 6:30 p.m.

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