Alachua County Special Meeting

Minutes

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County Administration Building - Grace Knight Conference Room
12 SE 1 Street, 2nd Floor, Gainesville, FL 32601
Present:
  • Vice Chair Mary Alford, 
  • Commissioner Charles S. Chestnut, IV, 
  • Commissioner Ken Cornell, 
  • Chair Anna Prizzia, 
  • and Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler 

A.
Approval of Agenda

 

Commissioner Cornell moved adoption of the agenda. The motion carried 3-0 with Commissioner Prizzia out of the room and Commissioner Chestnut not approved to participate remotely. 

2nd Commissioner Wheeler

Commissioner Cornell moved to allow Commissioner Chestnut via ZOOM due to extraordinary circumstances. The motion carried 3-0 with Commissioner Prizzia out of the room and Commissioner Chestnut not approved to participate remotely. 

2nd Commissioner Wheeler

Commissioner Prizzia entered at 1:33 p.m.

B.
Items for Discussion

 

1.
Inclusionary Housing Study: Follow Up Topics and Focus Areas for Next Steps - 24-00182

 

Florida Housing Coalition Chief Legal and Policy Officer Kody Glazer, and Florida Housing Coalition Technical Advisor Ali Ankudowich presented the Inclusionary Housing Study findings and recommendations. 

Commissioner Cornell, Commissioner Wheeler, Commissioner Prizzia, Commissioner Chestnut, Commissioner Cornell, Chair Alford, Commissioner Prizzia, and Commissioner Cornell presented comments.

Commissioner Wheeler requested a larger copy of the maps be provided to the Board. 

Staff Presentation

Senior Planner Ben Chumley, Senior Planner Ivey Bell, and Growth Management Director Jeff Hays presented the above item.

The presentation covered the following 5 focus areas:

1. Inclusionary requirement for Urban Cluster Expansions and "upzoning".

2. TND/TOD optional exchange required non-residential floor area for provision of affordable housing units.

3. Consider expanding policies to include "Low" and/or "Moderate" as target income levels for Inclusionary Housing policies.

4. Live Local Act land use regulatory requirements

5. Impact/MMTM fee assistance as incentive for providing affordable housing. 

Commissioner Cornell moved the following:

  • For Inclusionary Housing 10% of units, 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), and financed out over 30 years. 
  • TND/TOD optional exchange yes
  • The Board choose to include "Low" as target income levels for Inclusionary Housing Policies.
  • Live Local Act land use regulatory requirements. - yes
  • Impact/ MMTM fee assistance as incentive for providing affordable housing. - Yes

The motion failed for lack of a second. 

Commissioner Prizzia moved the following:

  • Staff recommendations to bring back policy recommendations on the five focus areas with the Inclusionary Housing requirement being 10% of units at 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) or greater with the definition being amended to be at the Low-income target area.
  • Staff to bring back edits to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning to comply with the Live Local Act.
  • Staff to bring back recommendations for Impact Fee assistance as incentive for providing affordable housing. 
  • Staff to bring back recommendations for flexibility with requirements on affordable housing projects for discussion.  
  • Staff and the building community to have conversations with stakeholders to try and arrive at a timeframe of 10 years, 15 years, 30 years, or in perpetuity that is feasible, accomplishes the goals, and considers the type of housing owned vs. rental.

2nd Commissioner Cornell

Chair Alford recognized Kali Blount, David Hillman, Luis Diaz, Derrick Walker, Gerald Dedenbach, and Max Tipping who presented comments.  

The motion carried 5-0.

2.
Alachua County Landscaping Code Update - 24-00201

 

Senior Planner Jim McMurray and Water Programs Manager Staci Greco presented the above item.

By consensus, the Board stated they are good with allowing flexibility of tree canopy for parking lot solar.  

Process Recommendations

  • Move TND and Stormwater Management landscaping to Landscaping Code. 
  • Reorganize and consolidate to more logical order. 
  • Clarify landscape inspection and certification process. 
  • Specify approved plant species substitution process. 
  • Specify minimum plan submittal elements. 

Urban Forest Recommendations

  • Reduce this minimum tree installation size to 1.5" caliper, 5' height, 5-gallon container to allow for greater species diversity. 
  • Add maximum caliper size for better establishment, reduced irrigation. 
  • Prohibit Palms in County-owned projects. 
  • Cap number of percentage of Palms fulfilling landscaping requirements. 
  • Require LBD-negative certification for Palms fulfilling landscaping requirements.

Urban Heat Island Recommendations

  • Simplify provisions of tree canopy using number of parking spaces approach (similar to City of Gainesville)
  • Goal remains 50% tree canopy coverage. 
  • Limited exemption for Industrial uses (e.g., warehouses, distribution facilities, waste collection centers) for truck loading and driving areas
  • Still subject to tree canopy coverage for parking spaces
  • Still subject to 30% tree canopy coverages for overall site

Compact Development

  • More flexibility for street tree spacing based on average spacing rather than spacing between each tree (similar to City of Gainesville)
  • Clarify on-street parking is allowed between street trees and rather than vice-versa (similar to City of Gainesville)
  • Clarify trees are prioritized over utilities in County-owned rights of way (Comprehensive Plan)
  • Require consistent minimum planting areas for all trees.
  • Require consistent minimum reduced planting areas with "alternative planting systems."
  • Add clarity to usable public or civic space design and landscaping requirements to allow for large, square, deep walled, fenced basins as an amenity.

Resilient Landscapes

  • Clarify turf is for functional uses only (pedestrian traffic, recreation, erosion control)
  • Prohibit turf in parking islands and in strips less than 4 feet wide.
  • Promote groundcovers as an alternative.
  • Clarify use of existing vegetation for buffers and eliminate new shrubs where other screening is provided.
  • Encourage temporary irrigation (establishment or 1 year, whichever occurs first) as outlined in Temporary Irrigation Guidance Document.
  • Require Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater techniques.
  • Applies to parking lots of more than 40 parking spaces
  • Landscape islands and strips
  • Pervious pavement
  • Require minimum tree soil volumes and quality (similar to City of Gainesville)
  • Density, texture, pH, and organic matter specifications
  • Natural topsoil of the site may qualify.
  • Encourage use of soil amendments (certified by US Composting Council) for new landscaping on residential lots, common areas, and commercial sites (excluding stormwater basin slopes and bottoms).
  • Incorporate into top 6 inches of soil at 4 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet
  • Staff will recommend amending the Code to require soil amendments in early 2026 when it is anticipated there will be local source(s).

Commissioner Prizzia moved the following:

  • Approval of staff recommendations for the landscaping code
  • Direct that staff bring back recommendations for certified soil amendments after the initial steps in 2026. 

Chair Alford recognized Luis Diaz and David Hillman presented comments. 

The motion carried 5-0. 

3.
Policy Review of Traditional Neighborhood (TND) & Transit Oriented Development (TOD) - 24-00205

 

Commissioner Cornell moved to continue Item #3, Policy Review of Traditional Neighborhood (TND) & Transit Oriented Development (TOD) to April Policy Meeting for discussion. The motion carried 5-0.

2nd Commissioner Prizzia

C.
Closing Comments

 

1.
Public Comment

 

There was no one present who wished to address the Board. 

2.
Commission Comment

 

Tourist Development Commission (TDC) Grant

Commissioner Prizzia stated that the Board had previously issued a grant program for $1,000.000. She believes there is still left over funding and would like staff to provide details to possibly make it available for additional projects. 

County Manager Lieberman stated that she believes the matter was addressed at the last Regular Meeting. She will provide and update by email so the Commission can consider if the item needs to be heard at a future meeting. 

D.
Adjourn

 

There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 4:43 p.m.

No Item Selected