The SSJ group has been advocating for Smart Growth on several fronts this month, including this site north of Gainesville.

The following article is by Tim Martin. Tim is a member of the SSJ group Executive Committee and former Conservation Chair for the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Sprawl Threatens Gainesville’s North Side

A controversial plan that would add high density sprawl to the rural north side of Gainesville was rejected 3-1 by the city’s Plan Board on Sept 22, but will likely still come before the City Commission later this year. At issue is a plan to change the city’s comprehensive plan and zoning designations for 1778 acres owned by Weyerhaeuser/Plum Creek along both sides of Highway 121 north 441. The property contains hundreds of acres of wetlands and directly abuts a high-value conservation easement that protects the headwaters for three local creeks. 

About a dozen residents attended the recent Plan Board meeting, and several others commented, including representatives from the Suwannee St John’s (SSJ) Sierra Club, Florida Springs Council, and Save Our Santa Fe River. All were opposed to the plan. 

The current proposal would allow for massive new sprawl in one of the least developed parts of the city, including nearly two thousand housing units spread around wetland areas. Similar zoning changes were rejected by the Gainesville City Commission two years ago, then challenged in court by Weyerhaeuser/Plum Creek. The city prevailed in court.

There is no existing water or sewage service to the area, no public transit, and only one possible intersection to move the large increase in traffic to and from the rest of the city. 

If Gainesville wants to promote itself as a sustainable city that adheres to smart growth principles city leaders need to do better than encourage urban sprawl in its exurban periphery. 

We call on all our allies to vigorously oppose the zoning and comprehensive plan change proposals when they come in front of the City Commission. Being so far from the city’s urban core, we urge city leaders to keep zoning for this area to the lowest possible density, and to stop encouraging city staff to make recommendations in support of unsustainable development.

Robert L. Knight, Ph.D., Director of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute wrote the following: