Local

HAWTHORNE ‒ A pile of burning debris in Hawthorne got out of hand Monday afternoon, Jan. 9. Units from Alachua County Fire Rescue’s (ACFR) Station 62 in Hawthorne were dispatched to the small brush fire off of Southeast 171^st Street in Hawthorne.

Upon Engine 62’s arrival, crews found a large debris pile on fire that had gotten out of control. The fire caught approximately 100 large hay bales on fire and was spreading into the field. Engine 62 immediately requested assistance and additional units from ACFR, the Windsor Fire Department and the Florida Forest Service responded to the scene.

After knocking down the fire, crews established a tanker shuttle due to a lack of fire hydrants in the area and Florida Forest Service used their bulldozers to break down the burning hay bales.

Crews remained on scene for over four hours. Alachua County Fire Rescue would like to remind citizens to please use caution while burning outside in dry conditions.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The first Newberry City Commission meeting of the year began with a light agenda on Jan. 9. The Commission considered increases to building permit fees on an annual basis, a new Public Facilities zoning district and vacating an unimproved right-of-way.

Commissioner Monty Farnsworth was absent from this meeting. Commissioners Rick Coleman was also not in attendance during the first part of the meeting, but was on hand to consider and vote on two agenda items.

The Commission unanimously approved an ordinance on second reading that removes the building permit fee schedule from the City’s Code of Ordinances. As part of this action, the new Building Permit fee schedule will be reviewed annually as part of the City’s “Fees, Rates, and Charges” schedule considered as part of the annual budgeting process. The current Building Permit fee schedule has not been amended since 2003.

The Commission conducted a Legislative Public Hearing to consider an amendment to the Code of Ordinances to establish the Public Facilities (PF) zoning district to align existing and proposed public buildings and uses with the Public future land use classification. Following discussion, the amendment was approved on first reading.

According to City of Newberry Principal Planner Jean-Paul Perez, the Public future land use classification consists of areas that are used for public buildings and grounds, other public facilities including facilities for sewer, solid waste, drainage and potable water, public health facilities, solar energy facilities/solar farms and educational uses.

Perez said that the proposed Public Facilities zoning district provides flexible land development regulations for local, regional, state and federal agencies and entities to provide diverse services and facilities necessary to serve Newberry residents.

The proposed text amendment modifies the site and development plan process to require City Commission, in lieu of the Board of Adjustment, approval of proposed development within the Public Facilities zoning district. The Planning and Zoning Board will still function as a recommending body. This allows the City Commission to have final approval authority on City projects which may have budgetary implications and history and development by other governmental agencies and entities.

This district may only be applied to government owned or leased land which serves a public purpose.

In other business, following a quasi-judicial public hearing on second reading of an ordinance to vacate a portion of Southwest 2nd Avenue, the Commission approved the request with one condition.

“Following staff review it was found that an overhead electrical line and utility pole encumber the southern portion of the subject right-of-way. This line provides service to the southern abutting parcel,” said Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas. “Therefore, staff is requesting the ordinance shall not become effective until a replacement utility easement to the benefit of the City for proper purposes is recorded into the Public Records of Alachua County.”

The application was made by Mark L. and Betty D. Clark to vacate a portion of a 50-foot public right-of-way between the CSX Railroad right-of-way and Southwest 252nd Street, and was created by plat dedication on the Original Newberry plat (Plat Book A, Page 129, ACPR). Vacating this right-of-way will return the lands it encumbers to the adjacent owners, the Clark’s, who are owners of the property located at 180 S.W. 252nd Street, the abutting parcel north of the subject right-of-way. Their application contains the signature of the owner south of the subject right-of-way consenting and accepting the vacation.

The unimproved right-of-way is not included on any future right-of-way maps, nor is improvement of it scheduled in the Capital Improvement Plan.

Commissioner Mark Clark was the applicant requesting vacating a portion of Southwest 2nd Avenue, and he abstained from voting on the issue. Commissioner Coleman was present during the hearing, maintaining the required quorum to hold a vote on the matter.

City Manager Mike New announced that City Hall would be closed Jan. 16 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. A celebratory march will be conducted on that day to begin at Martin Luther King Center to the Municipal Building, where a lunch will be provided for the participants.

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WALDO ‒ Amir Jamal Jackson, 33, of Waldo, was arrested on Sunday, Jan. 1, and charged with attempted burglary of an occupied dwelling, making a threat to kill a former girlfriend and possession of scram/MDPV with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a park.

An Alachua County sheriff’s (ASO) deputy responded to a home in Waldo, where Jackson allegedly jumped a fence to bang on the window of a woman he previously dated. He also allegedly yelled through her window and threatened to kill her. The deputy noted that ASO responded to the property on three other dates in December when Jackson was there without permission to be on the property.

On the same day a neighbor also completed a sworn statement saying that he heard the yelling and stepped outside to see what was going on. He said that when he saw Jackson, Jackson jumped the fence between the properties, entering his property. The neighbor said he scared Jackson off his property and saw Jackson jump the fence back over to the original property.

Jackson was located at a park in Waldo. ASO reports that post Miranda, Jackson admitted being on his former girlfriend’s property and on the neighbor’s property and that he had words with both parties. He claimed he was there to collect his belongings, but the deputy noted that another deputy had previously accompanied him to collect his belongings. He denied making any threats toward his former girlfriend.

In a search incident to arrest, the deputy reportedly found six bags of white rocks that Jackson said were “scram,” also known as MDPV. The deputy noted that the scram was packaged for distribution.

Jackson has three felony convictions, including a conviction for sexual activity with a 16- or 17-year-old, for which he served a state prison sentence of six years, seven months and 15 days after violating the original sentence of sexual offender probation by using marijuana and not paying the required costs of supervision. He was released in December 2021.

In addition, Jackson has violated probation on four separate occasions from 2014 – 2018.

Jackson is currently in the Alachua County Jail under an $80,000 bond

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒The on-time graduation rate for high schools run by Alachua County Public Schools increased in 2022 from 90.9 percent to 91.4 percent according to data released today by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).

The state lists the district’s overall graduate rate as 85.8 percent for 2022, a decrease of 8/10ths of a percentage point over 2021. However, that includes the graduation rates for students at independently-operated charter schools in the county, which dropped from 39.6 percent to 37.7 percent

Florida’s overall graduation rate for 2022 fell by 2.8 percentage points in 2022, from 90.1 percent to 87.3 percent. Fifty-six of the state’s 67 school districts saw graduation rates fall for 2022.

In its report, FDOE pointed out that the Class of 2022 was the first required to pass state tests in order to graduate since 2019. During COVID, the test requirements for graduation were waived.

The district continues to address the ‘COVID lag,’ learning losses associated with the pandemic that have affected students worldwide. Jennie Wise, the district’s Chief of Teaching and Learning, says some of the most exciting initiatives involve collaborative efforts with the University of Florida and other partners.

“At the high school level, we’re working with our partners to give students opportunities outside of regular school time that connect the curriculum with the real world,” said Wise. “That includes experiences to bring to life subjects like algebra and biology, which students must pass to graduate.”

Newberry High School had the district’s highest graduation rate in 2022, at 98.5 percent, followed closely by the Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School with a 98.3 percent rate.

Alachua eSchool, the district’s virtual school, had the district’s highest jump in graduation rates in 2022, increasing from 68.4 percent to 85.5 percent.

“I’m very appreciative of the hard work of our faculty and staff and the dedication of students and parents who work together as a learning team to promote our students’ success,” said principal Jessely Alvarez.

PAM@Loften had the next-highest increase in graduation rates of nearly two percentage points.

“One of the best parts of being an educator is seeing a student who has worked so hard reach the required assessment score, raise their GPA or get the final credit they need for graduation,” said principal Kris Bracewell.

The 2022 graduation rates for district-operated high schools are:

Alachua eSchool:                                                                    85.5 percent

Buchholz High School:                                                             95.9 percent

Eastside High School:                                                               88.4 percent

Gainesville High School:                                                           88.7 percent

Hawthorne High School:                                                           81.4 percent

Newberry High School:                                                            98.5 percent

Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School:              98.3 percent

Santa Fe High School:                                                            88.8 percent

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NEWBERRY ‒ The year’s first Planning and Zoning Board meeting was kicked off by a request for preliminary plat approval for Morlynn Properties, LLC. Morlynn Subdivision is proposed on 1.69 +/- acres located at 25749 S.W. 1^st Avenue.

The Morlynn Subdivision was recently rezoned from Residential, Single-Family (RSF-2) to Planned Development (PD) on July 11, 2022. This property is wholly or partially located within the Urban Service Area, Community Redevelopment Area, Historic District, Economic Development Opportunity Area and Transportation Enhancement Project Area.

The subdivision will contain 15 lots for construction of detached single-family residences. The existing home on the proposed Lot 15 will be preserved and incorporated into the Planned Development. Access to the homes will be by a private alley. Maintenance of the “open space” and alley will be controlled by a homeowners’ association. Electric, potable water and sanitary sewer services will be provided by the City. Utilities are proposed to be located in the alley.

Newberry Principal Planner Jean-Paul Perez said that the proposed request is consistent with the City of Newberry Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Recommendations and he recommended that the Planning and Zoning Board forward a recommendation for approval to the City Commission.

Following discussion, the request was approved with two recommendations; the first of which was that the Commission require that the engineer consult the County arborist regarding the best way that sidewalks could be constructed with the least harm to the existing trees. The second recommendation was that the Commission requires that foundation surveys be conducted. The second recommendation followed discussion regarding two individual homes that were built by two separate contractors and were found to have their foundation locations inconsistent with the original plans.

In other business, the Planning and Zoning Board next considered four applications for changes to the City’s Comprehensive Plan that would clear the way for the City Commission to approve rezoning of the properties.

As part of the process to incorporate properties into the city limits of Newberry, each request must go through annexation, Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) and rezoning from County designation to City designation. The four properties were annexed into Newberry on July 11, 2022.

All four CPAs were unanimously approved for recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Board and are scheduled to be heard by the City Commission at their Jan. 23 meeting.

The first application was for 22.75 +/- acres owned by Joshua P. and Tracie A. Blackford. The property is located on the west side of the intersection of Northwest County Road 235 and Northwest 46^th Avenue.

The next application was for 4.35 +/- acres owned by Clifton A. and Shari D. Brown. The property is located on the west side of Northwest 32^nd Avenue.

An application for 20.68 +/- acres owned by Richard Marion Fowler II was also approved. The property is located on the southwest corner of West Newberry Road/State Road 26 and Southwest 266^th Street.

The final application was for 40 +/- acres owned by Martin and Martin (20 acres) and Todd and Lori Martin (20 acres). The property is located on the east side of Northwest 298^th Street (County Line) in the southwest quadrant of Section 19, Township 17 East, Range 9 South.

Once the CPAs were approved, the Board considered changing the zoning from Alachua County Agricultural to City of Newberry Agriculture (A).

All four zoning applications were recommended for approval as well and will also be heard by the City Commission at their Jan. 23 meeting.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will host a hybrid public meeting Jan. 24, 2023, to discuss proposed median modifications to Northwest 39^th Avenue (State Road 222) and Northwest 13^th Street.

The meeting will take place both virtually and in person Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 2715 N.W. 39^th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32348. A 4 to 6 p.m. open house will be followed by a presentation and public comment period at 6 p.m.

Virtual participation instructions and project documents are available at www.nflroads.com/VPH. Participants who are unable to attend the webinar virtually or in person may listen to the meeting by calling 213-929-4214, access code 780-905-322. All participants, regardless of the platform they choose, will be able to view project documents, ask questions and make comments for the public record.

Proposed changes include the addition of traffic separators on Northwest 39^th Avenue (State Road 222) along both the eastbound and westbound left turn lanes to Northwest 13^th Street. The project would also extend the existing eastbound and westbound left turn-lanes from 39^th Avenue to 13^th Street.

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