NEWBERRY – The Newberry City Commission took a noteworthy step toward the development of the Westone Planned Residential Community at their meeting on Oct. 14, 2024. In a session that covered several land use and development issues, commissioners voted to approve the establishment of the Westone Community Development District (CDD) on its first reading.
The vote came after a detailed question-and-answer session about how CDDs work, a topic that has garnered significant interest as the city sees increasing residential development. City staff were asked to research these questions further and provide additional information before the second reading on Oct. 28.
Much of the meeting’s discussion centered around the mechanics and implications of Community Development Districts. A CDD is a special-purpose taxing district established to manage and finance infrastructure required for community development, such as roads, parks, utilities, and other public services. A CDD allows developers to issue bonds to fund infrastructure projects, which are then repaid by the future homeowners through an additional assessment on their property taxes. This structure often allows for large developments to proceed without an upfront financial burden on developers, but it also means future residents bear the long-term costs.
For the Westone development, which covers approximately 258 acres at the intersection of Southwest 15th Avenue and Southwest 266th Street, the CDD will allow for long-term funding and management of the project’s infrastructure.
Commissioners voted 3-1 in favor of the CDD, with Commissioner Tim Marden dissenting after a lengthy discussion. Despite his opposition, the other commissioners expressed confidence that the CDD would provide an effective mechanism for managing the infrastructure of the planned community.
In addition to approving the CDD, the Commission addressed two re-adoption items related to the Westone development. These ordinances had been previously approved but were not properly recorded by the state of Florida, requiring them to be brought back for re-adoption.
The first ordinance was a Land Use Map Amendment, which involved changing the land use designation of the 258-acre property from Agriculture to Residential Low Density. This amendment is a critical step in paving the way for the Westone development to proceed as planned. The amendment was unanimously approved on its first reading and will move forward to a second reading on Oct. 28.
The second ordinance involved an amendment to the boundaries of the Urban Service Area (USA) and its accompanying Urban Service Area Sub Element, which are components of the City’s future land use map and development strategy. This change ensures that the Westone development can access necessary public services and infrastructure. Like the land use amendment, this ordinance was unanimously approved and will also return for a second reading on Oct. 28.
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